Goatboy here and while 40K 10th Edition is in a much better place than it has been in a while, here are some holes GW needs to plug to help new players.
Goatboy here and while the game is in a much better place than it has been in a while there are some things I wish we had in the current environment of 40k. This isn’t just a discussion on the rules and instead I want to look at how we engage with the game and get new players to join up with the hobby that takes up a lot of our time. Warhammer 40K is more than just a framework of rules we throw ourselves into, and there are some issues GW can look at so we can enjoy it more, get others to join in, and just make it an easier experience in general.
Make Finding Valid Rules Easier
Right now we are dealing with a game that gets rules changes from dataslate to dataslate. I am happy with that as I think having a consistent review of the rules with the idea to keep things fair is a great thing. It is just a very hard concept to somehow bring in someone new into the game. We have had multiple shifts to codexes and when you bring in someone new and tell them to buy the codex/cards/etc and then need to explain that the rules they are holding in their hands are not right. They now must go to an App, and or grab some PDFs to see the updated ones – is a hard thing to swallow.
I really hope in the future we either get a full digital purchase option or if Codexes have such massive changes, they allow those changes to be “free” within the App. I don’t mind paying monthly for a tool I use all the time. I love the idea of me paying for it means it keeps updated I just think it might easier for any new player to get involved if there was a direct online system to get rules instead of needing to search on the web for the most current information.
Improve Army Building Via Combo Boxes
Right now, we have Combat Patrols as the initial starting point for any new players. Then if are looking at ways to expand your army you either have to wait for a special box usually containing a new character or hope any new starter box has one of the armies you want to play. You also hope your friend likes the other army so you can hopefully double up.
What I would like to see is a push for either some “mid-tier combo sets” that give you something like another battleline choice mixed with a transport or even a small “elite” box. These sort of things that won’t fill out the full choice but give you some options to get some new units for your army and give you a little bit of savings. Let’s take my current army of choice – World Eaters – and see how you could easily make a combo box that is a unit of Chaos Spawn with an Eightbound unit to create a “Scout” force for future armies. This concept of of GW providing an “army construction roadmap”, aimed at new players, could be an easy thing. You could even set it up with the Magazine type of subscription to help fill in all the gaps as you continue your journey thru building up your brand-new army and help “sell” the game to new players.
Affordable Starter Basic Terrain Set
We know terrain is what makes the game tick right, and really make the game visually shine. I would love a strong effort to create a playable, cheap, and easy to get terrain set – designed to fill up a single table in one purchase. I know a lot of other companies make good ones, but it would be nice to see GW push something out that a new player can get, build and paint quickly, and then slowly upgrade with better, fancier plastic terrain options in the future. They are already halfway ther ewith some of the KillZone sets. I’m sure it would be easy for them to put together something cost effective, that works for 40K 2000pt games.
You could just look to GW to sell a bunch of the terrain area mats that could be usable and stay usable even with cool plastic walls and Ork nonsense. It is just one of those things that a new player needs to think about and find at times so having GW produce something would help sell the aspect of competitive play we want new players to get used too. I remember the days of using books, cardboard boxes, and whatever random things I could find to create my tables when starting out so having some locked in GW manufactured terrain options to begin with would be amazing for new players.
The only way this game stays growing and evolving is if we bring in new players. I think making methods of learning and getting sucked into the game are important. A few simple things can let the hobby grow and give use new enemies to face on the neoprene battle tops of the Grimdark future.
What else do you think GW could do to help bring in more players with the next edition?
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Thomas Reidy, aka Goatboy, the ever-evil member of BoLS. I do arts, play 40k, and even paint a lot of stuff. I have been playing Warhammer 40K since the 1990s, and have won multiple national events including Adepticon and GW GTs. I’ve been writing for BoLS for 15 years. Look at my Instagram to see what I am working on – or working on for someone. I am always doing something hobby related.
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