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I've been playing 40k for as long as my 6 six year old can remember. He loves to watch, roll dice, arrange the terrain. He wants to learn how to play. I floated the idea to the wife about a small starter army for the boy for Christmas by which he will be 7. She loved the idea and even volunteered to help in the painting of this army.

Here lies the dilemma. He was been gifted random Catachans over the years from our local GW store, the guys in my gaming group, and his mother and I. I just don't know how much fun it would be to learn this game using Catachans. I've got some ideas for a fun, flamer heavy Catachan list and even have started to paint some test figures to nail down a color scheme. But will this be an army he will have little chance of winning with? Is 40k even a game for those that young and should he learn to play a game like LoTR?

Does anyone have a suggestion on an army? Anecdotes on teaching the young ones?

Is this just for around the house fun? If so them, marines (gag) especially terminators or orks. The kids love orkses and marines.

Just remember, young kids can only handle small games, so any choice is not a bad one if you're playing Carpet World Domination Pow Pow! Just don't get anything delicate as accidents will happen.

Unless unusually precocious, most 7 year olds would rather play with the minis than play 40k with them. I'm not saying they can't handle the game, it's just that most would rather not (not unlike adults).

If you want to play with somebody that young, I'd create very simple and small scenarios: he has 20 catachans against your 5 marines, etc. You can adjust stats and abilities on the fly to make sure he's having fun.

If he digs that, and seems to want to play larger games, he'll let you know. The key to getting kids to do anything is to make think it's fun and cool, and they'll hound you to play. If he still is excited after some set peices, then sure, consider paitning up 400 or so points for him to play with. IG aren't an easy army to win with at first, but I don't think it'll destroy the kid to use them. He'll be happy to be playing with "his army," and if it's the models he likes, he'll have fun.

Good points Polonius.

Black Reach almost screams for this! Plenty of space marines to keep you all interested for as long as you need to.

Also, remember to be a responsible parent and make sure you don't allow your children to start a MEQ army.


Think about the future. If we all raise two children to rightfully understand that MEQ armies are the devil, soon we will all be free of the tyranny of the Marine dominated market.

As has been said, its more fun if its 'his army'. Take him to the LGS and let him look at all the shiny models and get him to pick one (or sit down and show him the 40k background sections).

Either way, paint up and point up a unit, then pick your own unit(s) to match. Make sure he only has one unit until he knows everything it can do, then think about adding a second - the rules will build up slowly and its easier for him to learn.

The trick though - make sure you can lose easily!!

Kids love to play, but unless they win, they don't feel like they're getting anywhere. Its best if you can match it up so that (even with equal points) he wins more often than you do, but not all the time. That way he gets the challenge as well as feeling good about it.
Further, make sure you have enough time that if you win, he can give you a rematch straight away!!


I know this is all a bit of junior psychology, but it does work!

I agree with the black reach sentiment

the models are snap fit, so you can start playing with them usually within an hour of opening the box (you can go back and clean up mold lines and such later)

it comes with 2 nearly complete armies, with a huge variety of units. you've got terminators, a mighty dreadnought, some deffkoptas, some strong nobz and da boss.

if black reach is anything like the last starter, there will be a book of scenarios to play with

if there is a GW near you, go in and ask them to do an "into game" with you (they'll be thrilled.. stores document how many employees do)

but try to take away from it how the intro game is run.

its all about setting a scene, throwing the rules out the window. FFFF fun fast furious fours. everything hits on 4's.. you hit they die (or if they're really strong you emphasize that they are wounded)
have an objective, make a game last about 10 minutes. this is probably the threshold of your little guy's attention span anyway

here is an example based on the battle for macragge set:

The evil tyranids have landed on planet macragge. A squad of mighty space marines are on a recon mission to find their base. but the evil tyranids have shot down our transport.

now it is up to sargent octavian and his battle brothers to defend the pilot while he signals for help

against them, 2 mighty swarms of tyranids have come to investigate the ruins

can you defend the pilot for 4 turns? if so he will be able to call for help and you will all be rescued.

however, if the tyranids wipe out the space marines, the battle will be over.

short and to the point. hell I wouldn't be surprised if they use that routine in store (its where I learned it)

if you keep the scenario vivid, exciting, action packed, and short, it tends to go a lot better

you could move into basing them with sand (get his help brushing the glue on or sinking them into sand)
get him to do some painting, whatever

have fun with it!

NaZ

I know some people are a little iffy on kids playing 40k at any size games, but when I worked at GW there was a kid (in the 7-9 year old range, I don't remember exactly) who would come in and play and paint with is father. And you know what, the kid actually had a better grasp on the rules than a lot of the regulars. It was funny to watch adults get the pants beat off them by a kid who had to stand on a step-stool to reach all his models on the table.

The point being is that a kid can have fun with an army no matter what the age, though I agree with Calvin that they should start playing with you, and winning against you fairly often so they stay interested in the hobby.

I Was young when I started the Hobby, Me and my twin only played against each other, then one of my friends came round and saw my brothers awesome painted ultramarine and came back the next day with a crappy blood angel= Get his (lame) friends hooked If he knows the rules first he should win his first few games

SPARKEYG wrote:I've been playing 40k for as long as my 6 six year old can remember. He loves to watch, roll dice, arrange the terrain. He wants to learn how to play.

He was been gifted random Catachans over the years... I just don't know how much fun it would be to learn this game using Catachans.

Is 40k even a game for those that young and should he learn to play a game like LoTR?

Does anyone have a suggestion on an army?

Anecdotes on teaching the young ones?

If he wants to play with you, make it so!

Does *he* like Catachans? If so, let that be his army and work with him on building and painting. If not, go through your old rulebooks with him and let him point out which one he likes best. As you're the one teaching him, you're the one who determines how much fun he has.

40k isn't so complicated if you strip out the complex stuff for him. Keep it strictly basic Infantry, and the game is a lot easier. If you make simple flash cards to cover shooting (both sides) and HtH (both sides), then it's no problem at all. LotR has it's own mechanics, so I don't think you gain much.

Since you'll be playing squad on squad for a while, before you graduate to 2 on 1 and add size and complexities, I don't think it matters too much what you choose. That said, Guard is a great starter at this points level, and you should avoid Marines for a while. Opposing force should be another GEQ like Tau, Dark Eldar, Nids or Orks. Something where the basic unit has simple rules. Get him to pick the opposition as well. Remember, you're setting up the armies and scenarios. You have a *lot* of control in determining how the "battles" fight and so on.

Teaching is best to start very, very small. Like 1 model vs 1 model. Then you can graduate to units and so on. Never add more than 1 wrinkle at a time, and wait until he's totally mastered everything that's gone before.


Just remember that all he really wants to do is spend some time with his dad doing something fun together.

yakface wrote:
Also, remember to be a responsible parent and make sure you don't allow your children to start a MEQ army.

But you so vehemently defended them in the rumor thread?!?!??!11

Blasphemy!

Everything NaZ said is solid gold. I introduced my 10 year old to the game this year: he went necrons instead of marines, but MEQ's are MEQ's. He loves it and 'crons are easy enough to paint - base coat black, dry brush boltgun, wash w/ brown or black ink, touch up details. Marines are pretty easy too, just make sure you encourage him all the way!

i started out on marines. and i think they are one of the best starter armys avalable. because they are one of the most well rounded armys out there.







just my opinion

On a slightly different note, try and give him a good grounding in painting. I'm not suggesting you treat him like an up and coming boxer, but simple techniques like thinning paint can save years of embarassment in the future. A grasp of the basics by the time he's 10 will set him up for life.

OK here's my $0.02. My daughter Megan started w/me & 40k when she was 3. She'll be 9 soon. She started painting the base color on my kroot. I couldn't descide on a color scheme. I let her pick. I was amazed how much effort & attention she put into it. Then McCragge came out.(she was 6 I think) I bought it for the rule book & terrain. She thought the Nids were cool. So I let her have them to paint her way. Then she wanted to play. Nids not my favorite, but they don't do anything slow, they move fast, shoot fast & fight fast.(McCragge size games she's up 13 to 7 w/her Nids) So thats my pick for a starter army for someone younger,less chance of hearing "I'm Bored". (hey I'm speaking from experience) Besides what kid doesn't like monsters from outer space?!? Now she has found my DE sprues from the 3rd ed. box set & we've started on them.