# Introducing a Friend to Fantasy



## Samules (Oct 13, 2010)

I have been teaching a friend of mine to paint and now that she is near finishing her first model she is interested in learning about the game. I have set up some fairly balanced army lists with all the elements of Warhammer.

Bretonnia:
Paladin
Lance, Shield, Warhorse, Virtue of the Joust

Damsel
Level 2

15 Men-at-Arms
Command

10 Peasant Bowmen
Villein

6 Knights of the Realm
Command

Dwarves
Thane
Rune of Stone, Two Runes of Iron, Great Weapon

Runesmith
Shield, Rune of Stone, Rune of Luck, Rune of Warding

10 Dwarf Warriors
Great Weapons, Command

10 Quarellers

Cannon
Engineer

I think these are fairly well balanced, they each have a combat hero, a magic hero, melee and ranged core troops and a specialty unit for their army. I think since the model she is painting is a knight she will go for the Bretonnians. I'll probably simplify some rules for this naturally, I'm just curious if you think this would make a good introduction game.

P.S. I'm making sure to have all the models painted and with some decent terrain. I think that is really important for a first game.


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## khrone forever (Dec 13, 2010)

just as a point for the first game, always act the results out to a lesser degree, it makes it more entertaining.

Also, if she is going to make a stupid move, you may want to point out an alternative if she wants to take it.


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## BlackGuard (Sep 10, 2010)

Also I'm not sure if this will help but maybe for the first game play without magic to lock in the basic rules, then next game ease off into it. I haven't tried it myself but once you take out the magic and some of the more advanced rules it seems like it'd be a lot easier to take in just doing basic stuff.


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## Samules (Oct 13, 2010)

The plan is of course to go easy on her the first game. It would be fairly simple just to take out the magic characters for the first game and since this will probably just be on a 2'x2' board the games will go pretty fast and doing two wouldn't be too hard.


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## Azezel (May 23, 2010)

Samules said:


> I have been teaching a friend of mine to paint and now that she is near finishing her first model she is interested in learning about the game. I have set up some fairly balanced army lists with all the elements of Warhammer.
> 
> Bretonnia:
> Paladin
> ...


You probably already know, but that's not a legal Bretonnian list.

Anyhoo DO NOT simplify rules. Start with small games (start without magic by all means) but play the game as-written. Don't dumb it down.

At best it means she just has to learn two games, one is Warhammer, the other is WarhamsLITE. At worst, she'll think you're deliberately patronising her.

Don't do it.

Give her your rulebook to read, and a week or two later, play a few small games, certainly starting without magic, if you think it wise, but playing by the rules.

Including, I dare say, a legal Bretonnian army, silly as that ends up being at low levels. (Try 600 points or 750 instead of 500?)


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## Samules (Oct 13, 2010)

I'm using the same rules as normal besides taking out the "6" spells (since Transformation of Kadon is fairly weird and both are fairly powerful at low points... or ever, but more so at lower levels), and deliberately not including things like flying units and more unusual warmachines. I didn't use the automatic BSB but my group doesn't use that anyway. Part of the reason I'm not introducing the rules via the rulebook at first is she isn't really all that interested in strategy games before this (she doesn't even like playing settlers of Catan) so I'm really kind of surprised she was interested in this at all and I think a giant rulebook might put her off. I find learning games firsthand is a lot more engaging.

(Although I do understand what you might be worried about, I have seen people given introductions to the game that did not include the to wound step. That definitely is counterproductive in the long run.)


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