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As the title says. I don't live near a GW and the only local hobby club plays only 40k. Wish the game was more popular. No point me spending time and money on models but can't use them.

Where do you live?

Luton in Bedfordshire.

It takes time to build a community, like it or not I think GW realy didn't start the game off with a good start. It takes a bit sometimes to find people who are right in the same spot and want to play just what you do
it may also take time for people to really want to give it a go also :( best is to look if anyone is keen to start and if you can find one, then you can get more to give it a go !

It's often hard to build a community, but the best piece of advice I always give is just be seen playing the game.

Go to your local store, and just play AoS with one friend. Even if they are all your models, and you have one opponent, be seen playing it.

My wife and I finally gave AoS a go in recent months, using Comps after the Handbook starting being hinted at (the writing was on the wall when GW sold army bundles, citing SCGT format by name). We could've played at home, and despite snickers from the ultra-hardcore Warmahordes crowd, eventually a few folks mentioning owning old Fantasy armies, etc...

Now, in the span of a couple of months, i'm suddenly asked to run the Summer Campaign for the store with 10-12 regular players.

I'm the only regular player locally. I've been able to get a game in every time I play at the FLGS (I know you're in a club, though) by setting up both armies. Obviously YMMV and every community differs.

I use the starter set only and make sure to deploy both forces with some objectives to fight over. The starter, itself, is pretty balanced and does not run into the issue that summoning spells can bring to the game. The only house rule I use is to make all measurements from model bases.

I've found if my models are in the case and I ask if people want to play, the internet effect of AoS Sucks! usually gets me a polite no thanks or a quick sound bite about how the game is garbage.

However, when I set the models up, ready to play, people will give it a go. Everyone (we're a small community so only 3-4 so far) who has tried the game was actually impressed. The big reason for that, IMO, is that AoS is actually a solid rule set for the most part.

They thought it would taste like brussel sprouts when it's actually yummy ice cream.

munnster wrote:
Luton in Bedfordshire.

Looks like there are 3 GWs close by and the Luton Tabletop Gaming Club which has small AoS following. None of those any good?

Last year our AOS campaign had 5 people in it. This year we are now at 29. To put it into perspective, our fantasy campaigns for WHFB were usually 15-20. It takes time to build a community and often you have to accept starting small and building up.

If people see you playing, there are going to be people in your same boat that say "i wish i could play but no one around me plays" and once they see you playing you start to grow.

Its like a snowball.

Luton table top gaming club don't do AOS unfortunately only 40k

I'm looking at their Facebook now and it looks like you ask a question about AoS and they tell you it has a small following and give you the name of someone to contact for a game. What more do you need?

I am like you. Nobody to play with. So I collect. I like the mins. The lore is ok, nothing great but nothing bad.

So if you need to play with people and don't like collecting and putting minis together and painting then maybe it's time to take a break. Not quit because we always come back. Some times breaks are a few months, or years, or decades, but we always come back.

I got rid of my Battletech stuff and what not at the time in my late teens. Wish I didnt' do that. So I finally got into 40K and LotR. I have quit so many times, but I never got rid of anything and glad I didn't. I am back again after swearing off I would never buy anything again.

So maybe just take a break, and or enjoy other aspects of the hobby. A lot of great minis are coming out. Yes it's a shame you can't use them, like me, so I try to make the best and enjoy or in my case get frustrated trying to paint and model.

Here's one of the maps floating around to find players and events
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NvfkBrzBmzs_GlrFusAjKNi22YA


Also, try this http://ageofsigmar.org/ for players and more
TGA.community is the BEST community for anything AoS so there's some tools to get you started. At the very least post this same request to TGA forum board. Good luck and happy gaming.

 privateer4hire wrote:


I've found if my models are in the case and I ask if people want to play, the internet effect of AoS Sucks! usually gets me a polite no thanks or a quick sound bite about how the game is garbage.

However, when I set the models up, ready to play, people will give it a go. Everyone (we're a small community so only 3-4 so far) who has tried the game was actually impressed. The big reason for that, IMO, is that AoS is actually a solid rule set for the most part.

They thought it would taste like brussel sprouts when it's actually yummy ice cream.

You know... I can say I have seen the exact same thing happen. I recently attending a great Kings of War event, and afterwards tried to recruit some people for an AoS demo night prior to this campaign starting. I mean... 95% of people were playing with WHFB armies, so why not ask right?

In almost every case, the individuals automatically repeated the internet troll opinion of AoS being a terrible joke of a game, despite none of them having played it more than once... maybe... at its release. I will be the first to admit, AoS had a TERRIBLE launch, and unfortunately the bad press it launched with became the narrative that people repeated way too long, without making an opinion of their own.

I've seens arm-wrestled some of those players into trying it, and in many cases they outright admitted they had a totally different sense of what the game was,

 VeteranNoob wrote:
Here's one of the maps floating around to find players and events
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NvfkBrzBmzs_GlrFusAjKNi22YA

Thanks for sharing. Ouch not one person close to me. How do I add myself to this list? Maybe someone sees me there can contact me for a game or is this for clubs only?

Davor wrote:

 VeteranNoob wrote:
Here's one of the maps floating around to find players and events
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NvfkBrzBmzs_GlrFusAjKNi22YA

Thanks for sharing. Ouch not one person close to me. How do I add myself to this list? Maybe someone sees me there can contact me for a game or is this for clubs only?

What area are you in? I don't expect an address but a city or state?

 Bottle wrote:
I'm looking at their Facebook now and it looks like you ask a question about AoS and they tell you it has a small following and give you the name of someone to contact for a game. What more do you need?

Spoke to them in more detail and it turns out that that was wrong. Their is no following for it their.

 VeteranNoob wrote:

Davor wrote:

 VeteranNoob wrote:
Here's one of the maps floating around to find players and events
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NvfkBrzBmzs_GlrFusAjKNi22YA

Thanks for sharing. Ouch not one person close to me. How do I add myself to this list? Maybe someone sees me there can contact me for a game or is this for clubs only?

What area are you in? I don't expect an address but a city or state?

I am in Southern Ontario. I know right now it shows me as USA, maybe because my internet company is in London and for what ever reason a lot of things think I come out of the states. but I am Canadian. I am about 1 hour west of Toronto.

Davor this is a pic from the gaming map. Can't easily screen shot now. Is this the area you mean?
edit: wow, that posted way fuzzier than my pic. Let me know of you can't read this. The idea is there are clubs and if we can nail down an area that's a start. There are events, too. Many in the same boat so let's get some clubs forming.

 VeteranNoob wrote:
Davor this is a pic from the gaming map. Can't easily screen shot now. Is this the area you mean?
edit: wow, that posted way fuzzier than my pic. Let me know of you can't read this. The idea is there are clubs and if we can nail down an area that's a start. There are events, too. Many in the same boat so let's get some clubs forming.

LOL yes that is what I am talking about I am in the middle of London and Niagrafalls both more than an hours away from me each way LOL. I live in Brantford almost dead set in the middle there.

munnster wrote:

 Bottle wrote:
I'm looking at their Facebook now and it looks like you ask a question about AoS and they tell you it has a small following and give you the name of someone to contact for a game. What more do you need?

Spoke to them in more detail and it turns out that that was wrong. Their is no following for it their.

So the person mentioned doesn't play AoS? Or does but just not in the club? You also have 3 GWs between 20-40 mins drive by car. None of these accessible for you?

 Bottle wrote:

munnster wrote:

 Bottle wrote:
I'm looking at their Facebook now and it looks like you ask a question about AoS and they tell you it has a small following and give you the name of someone to contact for a game. What more do you need?

Spoke to them in more detail and it turns out that that was wrong. Their is no following for it their.

So the person mentioned doesn't play AoS? Or does but just not in the club? You also have 3 GWs between 20-40 mins drive by car. None of these accessible for you?

Wow never realised their was a GW in Stevenage which is like a 25 min drive from me so will have to go their. Rather not have to play all my games in a GW all the time but hopefully if they have any AOS gaming nights then I can make some contacts their to play games outside of GW.

Good luck buddy :-)

The best thing is that AoS is only going to pick up more and more steam with the introduction of the General's Handbook so I am sure you'll have an expanding community round where you live.

@Davor. Embrace the drive, my friend. :-) Our hobby is one where sometimes to get a game you just need to travel. I'm in a weird spot in NY where there are five good game shops... but they're all 45min-1hour away... I'm just dead center. So it means a lot of travel.

That said, you should reach out to the MiniWarGaming.com guys! They do great battle-reports, and play both AoS and WHFB, and always need opponents. If I recall they're somewhere near Niagara on the Canadian side.

NewTruthNeomaxim wrote:
@Davor. Embrace the drive, my friend. :-) Our hobby is one where sometimes to get a game you just need to travel. I'm in a weird spot in NY where there are five good game shops... but they're all 45min-1hour away... I'm just dead center. So it means a lot of travel.

That said, you should reach out to the MiniWarGaming.com guys! They do great battle-reports, and play both AoS and WHFB, and always need opponents. If I recall they're somewhere near Niagara on the Canadian side.

I might just do that. I thought the MiniWarGaming guys went out of business. I been there once. Then when I thought I found a place, I thought they went out of business or was that just their internet site and store?

These are known players and clubs. BUT...of course not every game signed up on this or even knows about it. If you could at least connect with them through this link (their contact info is on this) someone will want to start a club or recurring event or game day. This situation is very very common. Good luck! Don't be afraid to ask for help BUT don't despair.

I'm just starting to dip my toes into AoS after picking up a battletome. I'm in the same boat you are. My FLGS has a couple fantasy players who don't seem willing to convert (don't know if either have ever actually played AoS), but we have one other that seems willing, and a newcomer who keeps looking at the starter set longingly. After I put a dent in my Grey Mountain, I plan to pick up some Chaos figures as a collection to start, then see if I can convince one of the old fantasy players to play me in a game, just for the hell of it. I'm hoping that'll snowball into the beginnings of a community.

 EnTyme wrote:
I'm just starting to dip my toes into AoS after picking up a battletome. I'm in the same boat you are. My FLGS has a couple fantasy players who don't seem willing to convert (don't know if either have ever actually played AoS), but we have one other that seems willing, and a newcomer who keeps looking at the starter set longingly. After I put a dent in my Grey Mountain, I plan to pick up some Chaos figures as a collection to start, then see if I can convince one of the old fantasy players to play me in a game, just for the hell of it. I'm hoping that'll snowball into the beginnings of a community.

One thing to remember is that WFB and AoS are completely different beasts. Gamers may simply not want to convert because AoS just doesn't scratch that itch. WFB is a mass ranked fantasy game that rewards careful manoeuvre and as long as you can avoid power players is a fun game. Those that didn't want to play these types of games (or those that did and wanted to play a skirmish game as well) likely collected 40k either or in addition to. For me I see no reason to collect AoS because it is just another skirmish game that has no real advantages over other offerings that I have already spent and invested into such as 40K, Mordheim, Necromunda . Yes I have played a couple of dozen games of AoS over time and find it tedious compared to WFB and, less so, 40K but I know I'm definitely a mass ranked type of battle guy so I am biased. I think most people that don't like it give the same reasons because they *are* the reasons rather than echoing and just like sales if you don't sell the product in the first 9 seconds you are likely never going to sell it to that customer. In addition when you have spent hundreds of £'s on one skirmish game there is going to be relatively little desire by the general populace to switch to another skirmish system (especially if few already play it). Those that have no desire to play a skirmish game are not suddenly going to jump ship and play AoS because it is GW's latest offering.

In addition fantasy GW has such a toxic atmosphere to it for a lot of fantasy players then trying to get people to even consider it now is going to be difficult. You may have more success starting with a non-GW game (e.g. frostgrave) and using GW models to get people interested again and then over time they may become more receptive to expanding out to play AoS.

However regardless unless you find yourself in the lucky position of an AoS supportive club then things are going to be difficult and probably are going to require you to take some initiative on for yourself (so taking a friend to the same club and just playing a game regularly). This may then attract some attention, however be cautious and humble - just remember, like a new job, nobody wants someone barrelling in and trying to take charge from day one, it causes a lot of emotional upset; you will have to be patient as you grow into the group and once you become an 'accepted' member you can then start introducing new ideas.

Best of luck in finding a game and club though!