Shadespire Social

Last week I talked about Tournament Etiquette but today I’ll be talking about the general social atmosphere of the game at events and local gaming environments.

If you’ve never played at a Shadespire gaming evening or tournament you may be cautious about how everyone playing the game can be, especially seeing as the game is billed as a competitive gaming system and you’re new to that kind of environment.

The good news is that you have nothing to fear. I’ve been to a lot of tournaments around England as well as many different gaming clubs and I’m confident to say that everyone is generally approachable and easy to speak to. There’s only a few things you need to remember:

Have a solid understanding of the core rules

While you don’t need to be 100% on the ball with all the current rulings and FAQs, it helps to have a basic understanding of the core rules so pick up games with new opponents go smoothly and games don’t drag on too long

Everyone is out for some fun games

A lot of people play at gaming clubs because they just want to get some Shadespire in. Even if they are competitive players, most of them will be happy to play with a toned down playstyle of their current warband or even a more friendly warband instead. Just ask them before the game and tell them if you’re new to the game and/or you want to play against something more relaxed. No one is really out to crush people at casual gaming evenings.

Try arranging games in advance

If it’s your first time down at a gaming club, it’s wise to arrange games in advance so you don’t end up without someone to play against when you arrive. A good way to do this is if you don’t know anyone is to ask via social media. This is especially helpful if the place has a Facebook page etc where you can find likeminded opponents as well as those wanting to welcome you to the club.

Feel free to shake it up

Another great thing about playing at gaming clubs is that you don’t have to stick with one warband like at a tournament. Feel free to bring multiple warbands to play with as well as your card collection if you want to swap out and try different card combinations with your main warband inbetween games. Even at tournaments you can change-up warbands between different events if you’re brave enough. There’s nothing like trail by fire with new teams.

Relax and have fun

Win or lose gaming nights are a great place to relax, even at tournaments as well. Remember to just take losses on the chin as well as wins. The environment is always pretty relaxed and everyone is out there to have fun games. While Shadespire is still a competitive game, the players will still be relaxed and up for a laugh.

So if you’ve never been down to a Shadespire tournament or gaming club night, I hope this helps encourage you to pop down. You’ll have a lot of fun, win or lose, and you’ll make some great gaming buddies along the way too. I hear it even helps you roll crits 😉