How to start a Wargaming Community – Let’s go to work!

What an awesome topic to cover. This comes at a perfect time. Thanks for the the thoughtfulness of your content

Always grateful for the people that keep the community together/growing.

Ah, community pains (I know it well).
But you're right, challenge is very rewarding once there's people, and I still love it when getting recognised for that. Massive props to any and every person who brings a community together and nurtures it!

Great shoutout to Joe too, guy's a legend!

I tried a couple of times to create a community but I always failed. I guess I'm not the right person for the job...

Giveaways seem to be an amazing way to get people interested. Had I not seen that giveaway video I would have never even known what Warcrow was. But now when those scions release I will 1000% be buying them. But yeah local communities is probably a bit harder.

Great video and for summer that you have more time with friends and meet more with same hobbies 😊

i agree with the "dont smash noobs" mentality, communities that are not fostering new players are not getting new blood and tend to die off eventually imo

I consider that I help to the best of my ability to promote at least three different gaming communities.
And it's exhausting, if you're lucky a store will support the game and that will at least give it visibility, but even with that it's difficult.
Also, at least in my case, there was the circumstance that some players from "bigger" games came to show that theirs was cool. It was not very common, but occasionally and especially for introductory games it could be a problem.
Finally, there are people who prefer to stay comfortable, even if that comfort is sleeping on a bed of nails.
With Warcorw at the moment I am hopeful, but I am not confident.

You are the definition of a 'hobby hero' 🙂
The demo-fatigue is real, last year I ran 3 or 4 intro campaigns of D&D (2-3 months each overall) because we had so many new people wanting to play but no clue how to get started. Only now are some of them starting to run their own games. I even managed to play a wargame this evening and just have fun as everything was 'running by itself'.

I've been going through a lot of those spaces you described. For me, I'm not a one game and only one game person, so what you're doing with Warcrow is what I'm doing with Old World, Kill Team, Warmachine, Conquest, and possibly Confrontation lolll. Warmachine is the hardest by the way, mainly because LGSs have a good reason to not really want WM back. But I'm happy that Warcrow and Infinity already have people wanting to build those communities in my store, because I need to be a participant in those. What I find also is that for a lot of folks, the hardest part, the part that keeps them from coming back after the initial interest, is the hobby part. I'm hoping with Warcrow to have the force I choose to be fully painted. What's your pitch for someone to try a different game, or be open to play multiple games? Mine has been, there is no perfect game, there are good games to enjoy like never before.

Thansk for this video. The issue you cover is really important for many potential players.

This was a great idea to keep the community growing

I’m currently (re)building the community for my city. So I really appreciate this video and I’m loving it so far.

I’ve gotta say though, I disagree on “running it at your house is best”. Even if your house is in a convenient spot and other logistics work well, I think it misses the best part of a games store. Presence. Being able to have consistent and frequent presence at your game store helps. I know we’ve had one or two people come in and start playing because they saw Infinity was being regularly played at our game store.

There’s also the fact that not every new player is going to be comfortable going to a strangers house for a first (gaming) date. A store provides a safe, neutral environment for everyone.

I want to get into Warcrow, and Malifaux, both discovered through your channel. I think to begin with at least, while I'm trying to learn them, my community will be my son and maybe my poor wife 😂.

There used to be a small wargaming group ( the old Warhammer fantasy/40k) that I was part of many, many years ago, I don't know what the scene/community is like these days where I live, I stopped playing myself. It would be good to get something going again.

This is actually super relevant to me! I've never played infinity. But I've kind of looked at it from afar for awhile. I'd love to give it a try, but I've found that there are no people that play it near me. So I've been slowly painting up a duo of action packs and (so far just one of CB's basic kits of) terrain. So I can hopefully find someone to try the game out with me. Actually forming a whole group would be amazing. Though I am pretty in the dark about what I'm actually doing. So I guess... Questions!!

3 big ones that come to mind right now.
1. With the announcement of N5 and the statement that code one is not really going to be much of a thing going forward. (not to mention the focus on adding polishing the game and adding learning tools they've brought up for N5) Do you think it would be best to hold off of trying to find people and start a group until N5 comes out? Or as soon as I'm ready, try and push forward with code one until N5 comes out?
2. How much terrain? I know it seems to be a classic and oft debated topic. But, especially using the CB terrain kits as a yardstick, how much terrain should I have as a starting point for trying out the game? I have one of the basic kits. And I'd love to grab the expansion to it. But I've very much gotten the sense that that is not enough for a full size table. But what is?
And 3. The big one, that kind of ties the whole thing together. Maybe more a bunch of little questions in a trench coat. How do I run a demo for a game that I don't really have any practical experience myself? Both in broad terms, and more specific things? Do I start with a full size board and everything? Do I cut it down to a smaller size? What do I include or not include as far as rules or models in a demo? How should I learn enough to teach someone else (and know that I have done so) when there isn't anyone around to teach me? I've done my best to read up and watch battle reports, but I still have zero practical experience of it whatsoever.

Something I have considered doing a lot if places but alway feel I lack the time to be consistent. I know I gotta be consistent to get that ball going. Had infinity stuff for awhile and right when the bug to really learn it and play hits.. no retailers near me carry it.

So if I need to figure out how to get ut going! And learn the game myself of course. Also the day after I started reading the N4 rules they announced N5!