Bringing a new person into miniature wargaming is a daunting task. One that I have almost invariably failed at. But let's not dwell on the past. To quote Ken: 'Tenacity, I learned'. So, when presented with a new opportunity to corrupt a young mind... -cough- sorry, to introduce someone to a new wholesome hobby, I tackled the challenge head on and set on deciding my devious tactics of subversion.

The traditional wisdom for introducing new players to the hobby centers around presenting a game in the best possible light, extolling the virtues of that game and the coolness of its background story (aka fluff). At some point the discussion typically enters into how many other people play that particular game (aka the million flies approach).

I don't agree with that approach.

I'm a miniature wargamer. What I am not is a habitual 'hammerist, mantic machinist, furious flames of warist or ardent advocate of any particular gaming system, manufacturer or background. I care about the whole hobby, not just a single game.

I understand that different people have different goals. To a pervasive Porsche fan, introducing someone to sports cars feels like a failure if they end up buying a Jag instead. Me, I'm happy with more people on the road no matter what they drive.

So, instead of trying to get them to like the game, I will start with something they already like and build a game around that. As luck would have it, Test Subject S has already developed a liking to Dr. Who.

You can build a miniature game around almost anything. Dr. Who is easier than most, because it has a fairly large fan base in the UK (it's almost completely unknown in here, if I were to build a TARDIS in my backyard the neighbours would wonder why I need a porta potty).

With a bit of research I secured a simple freebie downloadable ruleset. I'm not sure if I'll actually use it, but leaving the printed sheets with the familiar show logo and images for the test subject already piqued her interest.

Next step is the miniatures. I already secured the toyset in the pictures and an order from Black Tree is in the mail.

All according to my cunning plan, so far...

Maybe there's a project in this somewhere?

P.S. No, not the broke-up-with-Barbie Ken. Hokuto no Ken. And that quote is just about the only redeeming feature of the Mangle Video version of the movie.

P.P.S. Or maybe Barbie broke up with him, I really don't know. Leave a comment if you do.

P.P.P.S. And how did I manage the Dr. Who bit? By totally not trying to sell it. Sooner than you realize, your radio-controlled Dalek has been 'borrowed' and they're asking where the rest of the Torchwood DVDs are.