I don't know about the rest of you, but all of this frustration over Eldar rules that haven't even come out yet is starting to really bug me. We've all seen it. On message boards and Facebook angry hobbyists are really, really upset about these changes. Passion can never be discounted, and I don't think it is fair to say that people can't have an opinion. But, it is important to focus on the effect that this behavior is having on a very important subset of Warhammer players, people who are new to the hobby.
Becoming a 40k player is not easy. It is expensive, time consuming, and requires some moderate level of model building and painting skill from the very beginning. On top of that, new players need to break into what are most often very tight knit gaming communities in local game stores and garages around the world. If you want to play this game, you really need to want to play it. Many things draw people into miniatures games. One of the largest draws is the esthetic or background of an army.
Ok, let's pretend you woke up this morning with all your memories of 40k wiped from you mind (terrifying, I know). After looking through your browser history (also, terrifying) you find a link to Games Workshop and fall back down the rabbit hole. Hey, these new shiny space elves look really cool! You want to spend hundreds of dollars and build a large collection of these tiny toy soldiers. So, you head to your local games store and buy the codex and a couple model kits. Exciting stuff!
Noticing a group of gamers playing Warhammer, you stop by to introduce yourself. "Hey, I'm [blank] and I'm starting an Eldar army!".
Eldar! Cheese! D Weapons! RRRAAAWWWWRRRR!!!
Well, you weren't really expecting that. Ever the positive one, you head home and decide to find a new store to play at. You head to a 40k message board to reach out to local players that will hopefully not turn into animals at the first mention of Eldar. Bad idea, buddy. There are like three different threads all talking about how only damn cheaters play Eldar. Boy, this hobby is really weird, huh? After some deliberation, you head back to the store and exchange your unopened boxes of Eldar for Imperial Assault.
Do you want to be the reason that new blood to our hobby turns their passions elsewhere? Do you want to make people feel uncomfortable about things that they like and enjoy? I sure hope the answer is no. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But, please think about the effect that your negativity has on new players. GW is not going to change their rules just because you don't like them. Encourage neophytes, no matter what army they chose. This is an awesome time for us 40k players. Enjoy it! D weapons and all.
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