Byrns wrote:Hey all, I'm a old time gamer who's taking a 3rd look now at Games Workshop's lineup and I'm a bit overwhelmed. I've tried searching various forums and their site, but I still have a few questions that I'm hoping you guys can help me with? Sorry for all the questions, and thanks in advance for your advice!

1. Which GW game in is more popular, Fantasy or 40k? How about Lord of the Rings, does anyone play that?

It depends on your location, but 40k tends to be more popular. LOTR has minimal interest in pretty much every location I have played, and i really do not recommend it for the beginning gamer.

2. I'm leaning towards 40k, but in general how mature are the players that play these games? I'm in my late 30's and I'd rather not be playing against only 13 year olds. (no offensive to 13 year olds) It usually looks like a pretty young crowd at GW store.

Again, depends on location. I tend to play on school-nights, so I don't play with too many 13 year-olds. If you are asking about 40k vs Fantasy, I do see Fantasy having a higher average age. Again, remember average age does not necessarily equal average maturity.

3. What is a good army to start with? I seem to read everywhere that the Space Marines are the best beginner army, but I prefer the look of the Tau. Can someone link me a page where I can read the play styles of each army? What army(s) should I stay away from? I'd rather not have the same army that everyone else seems to have, but I need something forgiving and is flexible.

Tau are an incredibly difficult army to play at first. They are an army that definitely takes a lot of time learning the nuances before you can start racking in the victories. They are, however, VERY fun to play. Honestly I don't care if I win or lose because I just enjoy playing them.

4. Should I buy someone's army of Ebay or should I try to build my own?

Buying someone's army is rarely a good deal. Many eBay stores offer the same items you can buy at GW, just 15-20% off with free shipping, that is how I would build the bulk of my force. I do buy a lot at GW, but mostly because I am in there a lot painting and playing and really like to support the store in general.

5. My painting skills really suck. Is the GW Academy worth it? Does the stuff they give you make up for the price? (I'm in Calgary, Canada FYI)

The Academy is more than just painting. I highly recommend it for anyone who is not very experienced with the game. A good Academy class will give you a broad overview and basic rules for all three games, plus painting/modeling/basing instructions. The items you get with it are worth more than the cost of the class if you do not already own them. Also, you may think you suck, but with a little practice it is not hard to develop basic painting skills that will look fine on the tabletop.

6. How welcoming are most groups to new players? I'm worried about being fresh meat to others. I don't mind losing, I just rather not be annihilated in every match.

Again, depends on location. Every group has their power players, and some groups have more than others. Just don't give up after a few bad matches. Making friends is generally easy in GW stores and most people are more interested in good game than a total blow-out. If I do annihilate you, I will tell you what you did wrong so you can do better next time.

7. Are these games dominated by Min\Maxers who know every combo and counter? (I'm thinking like people who play Magic the Gathering)

See above. For casual play, usually no. I do know a few people at my LFGS that power-play, but they are definitely the minority.
-Bryan

Orkestra wrote:As a fellow Calgarian, I can give you some relevant information.

1. From what I've seen, Calgary is no exception to the rule that the popularity ladder is 40K, Fantasy, LOTR. The Chinook store in particular seems to devote the most shelf space to 40K, if that's any indicator.

2. Most nights I've seen 40K gamers in the store, the breakdown has been usually a couple of 'adults', a group of late teens, and one or two younger folks. Though if you go in for things with smaller armies, you'll get younger players. The Sentry Box (you must know it, as a Calgarian gamer) has a generally older crowd of players there, if only because there's fewer people in there just to look at the giant Space Marine.

3. Space Marines are indeed the best beginner army. However, I feel that aesthetics and playstyle are more important than effectiveness. The GW website has a generic overview of each race on it, and you can also check out the articles here on Dakka. As for the Tau being tough to start off with... Dakka has a wealth of information on how to be more competitive with them, which can give you a leg up when learning the ropes (I mean, no matter how good you are, you will have an easier time winning with better tools)

4. I recommend building your own army. I find that I connect a lot better with my army when I've built it from the ground up. It's also a good way to make sure that your army suits you. It's no good buying someone's ebay army with 50 kroot if you discover you're in love with Fire Warriors. Plus, bought armies from Ebay often take almost as much work to repair/make your own than just building an army would, and it's less fun.

5. I haven't taken the GW academy course, though I've seen it running. It's a good opportunity to practice skills and learn some tricks and tips. If you're planning on using all GW supplies, then the stuff they give you is worth it. If you've got other paints in mind, and don't want all your stuff to have GW logos on it, then you're better off buying your own stuff. If you want to work on your painting, once again, there's a wealth of information available in the Dakka P&M section, and even on the GW website. You're also able to get some free tips if you just go in there to paint. People are generally pretty friendly and will give you a hand if you ask (or don't, but some people are just like that)

6. Gaming groups can be kind of xenophobic. As an adult, you'll have an easier time of it, just because you won't have to deal with stereotypes of younger people. I think that on open gaming nights people are generally pretty friendly. I mainly game with a small group of friends in Cochrane (just moved to the city recently) so I don't have too much experience with random pick-up games. (that, and my unwillingness to show up with an unfinished army)

7. Not usually. During the times I've checked out gaming nights at the chinook GW, I haven't seen anyone with particularly brutal lists. It's generally people fielding what they want to field. I can't comment on how things are at the Sentry Box, though. I think you're pretty safe wandering in there as a newbie and getting a more 'casual' match, though.

Hope that that helps even a little.