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Tabletop Warhammer for nubs
Grundlestiltskin
Behind you!Registered User regular
Behind you!Registered User regular
I'm going over to a buddy's to play Warhammer today for the first time ever. I have zero idea of what I'm doing. He gave me this several hundred page rulebook that just makes my head spin, plus a separate book I'm supposed to read about the units for the army I'm using.
Does anyone know where I can find an abridged guide or rulebook that'll give me the basics?
Does anyone know where I can find an abridged guide or rulebook that'll give me the basics?
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If your friend is unwilling to walk you through the first few games and help explain tactical decisions to you to give you a fighting chance until you are more familiar with the rules find someone else who will.
Like with chess, for your first few games you need someone who will stop you making rookie mistakes and warn you about dangerous situations rather than quietly capitalizing on them, or you will just lose badly and have no fun.
The other book is the "Armies" description for the army you'll be using, and contains specific stats on the types of units/squads within that army, and what special rules apply to those (the descriptions of those special rules being in the main rulebook).
If I were teaching you how to play, I'd advise you to read the following, in this order:
1. The General Rules of Combat and Order of Battle, in the Main Rulebook
2. Skim the unit descriptions and stats, in the Army book
3. Reference the appropriate Special Rules that apply to your units from the Main Rulebook, as needed.
If he's a good teacher, he'll already know which of the special rules apply to each of your units or squads and as the battle progresses he'll help you reference and apply them properly.
If you really get into it, you'll invest in your own Rulebook, choose the army you want to play, then design and purchase units/squads for your own army based on your understanding of the rules and how they apply during a battle. Basically it gets easier because you know what units you have and only have to remember the rules that apply to each type.
Go into your local Gameswork shop. They're gagging to show you how.
No seriously I went in mine the other day for a book and didn't get away until I'd played a game, done a painting tutorial and been signed up for another painting class.
There's even a Warhammer Fantasy Tournament going on right now(seriously, right now!) if you want to swing by and watch people play.
Currently painting: Slowly [flickr]
In the back of your codex for the army you're going to play, there's a 'cheat sheet' for all of the stats.
It's going to be really complicated, but remember those things and just play. Take as much time as you need to figure it out. If your friend is a dick and just steamrolls you without explaining things, don't play with him.
Aren't there a couple tabletop wargames that have pre-painted miniatures? And decent looking ones at that? Not like the D&D ones. I seem to remember there being a futuristic one ala 40k I was looking at a while ago.
Currently painting: Slowly [flickr]
I think that's it. Too bad I don't really like any of those factions. Apes? Really?
Mmmm maybe next time. I feel like this is the sort of thing I'll take a bigger look at around PAX (soon!).
It sounds like I more or less will have to learn by playing, which suits me fine. Hopefully I don't drive my friend crazy.
Apes.
Apes in power armor.
EDIT: Do you like your face eaten? I thought so.
That is just how it is.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Play 40k but buy pre-painted stuff off ebay.
It's a thought. I used to play 40k back in the Rogue Trader days. I had ROBOTS. Anyone remember those?
Yes, both Horus and the Imperium made heavy use of them during the assault on terra to limit human casualties. How things have changed.
Do you know what army you'll be playing? We can give some strategy hints.
This will allow you to learn the turn structure and game flow without having to worry about all the special rules and different profiles for a ton of different units.
I'm about 9 games in to 40k and my first three were 500 point games -- it really helped me out.
I find it hard to believe that a city (Boston) with a metro population twice that of the STATE I live in (Iowa) doesn't have one GW dealer when there's two within an hour's drive of where I live.
Currently painting: Slowly [flickr]
'Ard Boyz play Warmachine? Not last time I checked.
But the 'Ard Boyz are awesome, awesome people. Get to their events (I have no idea where they're playing now) and they'll all be very happy to give you some pointers and help.
Currently painting: Slowly [flickr]
I ended up playing a dwarf army, but the game didn't really happen because half the mans weren't put together yet and my friend didn't actually remember the rules, so once we started playing each turn took about an hour. Hopefully next time is a bit more organized
You know, that's pretty common lots of places. There are many fewer grognardy gaming orgs. in big metro aras. I think this has something to do with red state/blue state cultural differences, given that the people who are into them are a bit nutty.
http://www.hmgs.org/pocs.htm
http://www.hmgs.org/clubs.htm
All of the MA chapters are in western mass country very different than boston.