Objective Secured

Guest post incoming! Special thanks to Nat for part one of journey to the dark side! We have cookies!

From Warhammer Widow to the Dark Side……My Journey from Spectator to Player

My name is Nat (Natarra if I’m in trouble) and I’ve been supporting my husband Ryan in his Warhammer journey for 8 years now. It initially started off with a number of confused looks and a few “that’s nice dear” sprinkled in, but recently I decided to take the leap to the dark side and get involved in Shadespire and I thought I would share my journey with you.

My first hands on experience in the Warhammer universe took place last year at the Mixed Doubles tournament where I supported Ryan’s Tau army with his hand me down Grey Knights. I felt I was way out of my depth. In the weeks and days leading up to the event I went through a wave of emotions, from excitement that I’ll actually be playing instead of watching and not having a clue as to what was happening, to doubt over whether I was actually smart enough to know what was happening, to being nervous I was going to embarrass my husband in front of his beloved gaming community. As a way of easing me into the game, data cards were printed for me to easily understand (not really but I made it look like I did) and practice games were held with the rest of the Toy Solider Cartel in which Ryan is a member of. Armed with our bribery, I mean goodie bags with inspiration taken from first time parents flying with their children to apologise in advance for their screaming baby, we were ready to tackle my first tournament.

To say I was nervous was an understatement, but I received nothing but support from everyone we played as well as the gratitude to the sugar rush we gave them. That fear of embarrassing Ryan disappeared and I began to actually enjoy myself, although to Ryan’s annoyance I would laugh every time I failed a roll and cackled maniacally when I rolled perils with Voldus and was sucked into the warp with everyone around me. All of the guys, I say guys because I didn’t have the opportunity to play against any of the teams with female players, were incredibly understanding that I was a first time player, even helping me interpret the rules and rolls when I needed it. These small acts of inclusion helped me appreciate the community and fostered a want to be a part of it in the future.

Stay tuned for part 2!

Nat