teh n00b .

Here is my story how I got into the hobby of 40k. I lived in a small town and had recently gotten divorced. I was looking for a way to make friends and a coworker introduced me to her husband then a little later we played a couple games. At first I thought the game was really silly but then I came to like Space Marines and was drawn to Dark Angels. Note this was around the time that third edition released and the game was booming.

All my first games were versus Orks and I had no idea what to do. Unfortunately when I asked rules questions the best answer I could ever get was a yes or no. I read the Rulebook over and over again ! My first win was a small game where I took a large squad of terminators and this was before they had an invulnerable save. I kept playing and would go to the two local hobby shops for pickup games... I was the n00b and lost count of how many games I lost - it was so depressing. This took place out west where there was a big emphasis on appearance and theme.

Finally things started to click after about six months. I started to beat the Orks on a consistent basis and made one good friend who was willing to help me - it really meant a lot and we still stay in touch from time to time. I played Deathwing and Ravenwing. At the time Ravenwing wax the first army with a jink save which was a 6++ cover save. Deathwing was my first competitive army.

I then moved back east to a large metropolitan area with a huge 40k scene which was very competitive. I entered a league with a Khorne Berzerker army and did not do so well but ended up getting a wild card spot in the playoffs. I made it to the final round and won versus Tau which was a new army back in those days. I made a lot of friends and had a gaming room in my home where we played lots of games.

The next step was to start playing in the GW Grand Tournament circuit which was very popular at the time. The emphasis was on theme and appearance. The first few years I can say I enjoyed every game win or lose... 40k was still booming. Eventually I made another move to Florida and became a member of the now defunct 40k Wrecking Club which I had to play my way into to be a member. I played a large variety of of both Imperial and Chaos Space Marine armies. It was a great time !

I am still here in Florida and still love the game. I still look back to those days when I was the n00b... It was part of the experience. I have run over eight independent grand tournaments... 40k is a big part of my life and I still love it.