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Building a Community in 2020

Building a Community for 2020
with Nick Faryna

Being part of a Flames Of War community is hugely rewarding. It gives your hobby a focal point, scratches your gaming and modelling itch, and gives you the chance to build friendships with fellow wargamers.

Here are some ideas for all the Flames Of War and WWIII: Team Yankee players who are starting, growing, or sustaining a gaming community in 2020. I have been playing Flames Of War since version 2 and WWIII since its release. I have experienced different gaming groups in very different cities, but the recipe for success remains the same. So here are the major points that ensure a vibrant community:

The Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS) is the cornerstone of any group. First, it gives you a place to play. While some players have space and terrain to play at home, that is not the reality for all, but often stores have terrain, play aids, tables, and space to host games- so take advantage of that. Second, it allows for the game to be showcased. If people see the game being played then they can ask questions and follow along with a game so they can get a taste for rules and are likely to start playing the game; and if  the store is stocking rules and starter sets to help new players get involved all the better. It’s important to secure a designated night to play, many will be able to set aside one night a week to play and meeting up with likeminded people is very appealing. The FLGS means people will have the ability to play and be seen playing!

Building a Community in 2020

Social media is the second key to making the community, it allows for people in your group to set up games, share ideas, photos of their armies, and ask for advice. Many social media platforms allow you to share events (especially the Battlefront Events page linked below), and can remind players about weekly game nights. It also allows people to network and grow the community beyond the people who were already familiar with the local gaming scene. Expanding the public visibility of your group and drawing in new players make more opponents and more games.

Building a Community in 2020

Building a Community in 2020

Events are what I see as the goal of any community. They do not have to be tournaments, although tournaments can be a lot of fun, they can be themed scenarios or campaigns, swap meets, or even hobbying and modelling events. A regular series of events keeps your gaming community chugging along. Your events generally are scattered throughout the year and you can play multiple different eras throughout a season. In my community, we like tournaments and hold annual events such as St. Valentine's Massacre, May Day May Day May Day, Tanksgiving and Games of Remembrance. This gives players regular season to follow and they know when events are planned, and there’s something for the community to look forward to, and provides the all-important deadline for a current project.

I have found that these three core factors are the key to a community. Revisiting your group goals annually and adjusting to the popularity and the desires of the local group are critical to growth and group development.

Good luck with starting your own gaming community in 2020!


Click here to go to the Battlefront Events Website

Battlefront Events Website
Tournament and Event organisers can publish their events on a dedicated event calendar that keeps all the fixtures of tournament season in one place. Easy to navigate for those searching for events to attend, events.battlefront.co.nz is designed to allow organisers to share the details of their events on a comprehensive tournament calendar.

Click here to go to the Battlefront Events Website... 



Last Updated On Thursday, January 16, 2020