Cuz if You're Not Hardcore!!!

Every gaming group has that one super hardcore guy. You can pick him out pretty easily. And in both of my groups (thats right, I have TWO groups) I'm the hardcore guy. Now it's pretty easy to become one yourself if you have the drive. But one big obstacle, is this most often means other responsibilities. Such as getting more people into the hobby, building terrain, hosting the events, writing the campaigns, and sometimes, having multiple armies, so others can play too, just to see if they want into the hobby.

Lets focus today, on recruitment. If you want to be a happy gamer, surround yourself with other gamers. It's a two or more person game, so yeah, more players the better! Now one important thing to remember when recruiting new players, is DON'T mention the cost of it all. Get the hook in their mouth, before you pull as hard as you can. Also, show you and your friends having a great game! and bend the rules while they're watching to make stuff more epic. If the person loves Close Combat, then show them what some deathstars can do. If they love firepower, show them volleys of well disciplined shots! Bend the game for the benefit of the beholder!

Don't have other friends? don't pull the needy card, that just pushes people away. However! do pull the old, I totally had a huge gaming group going in highschool, it was so boss. And regale them of battles of old!... that never really happened... but sound boss!

Next up don't, and I mean DON'T mention space marines. Let them find out how boss they are on their own. It's the difference between watching District 9 with low expectations and falling in love with it, and watching District 9 with high expectations, and wondering what all the hubub was about. (I know, that's no longer mainstream. - but it still applies!) If they figure out how cool space marines are in their own mind, then they're more likely to get into it, because it was "their" decision. There is a reason space marines are the poster boys, they get people into the hobby.

Lastly, if you can get people to want to play in waves of two, that's better. Two new players create the group mentality, without sacrificing valuable tutelage.

When is a gaming group at perfection? 8 players. Not 8 regular players, but if you needed to, you could definitely get all 8 together within a week. 4 hardcore players is also a good goal. 4 hardcore players that are always up for a game is just about perfect.