I remember my first day playing Star Wars Miniatures. I was 8, and my mother had just taken me down to the local game store so I could buy a few packs of the old WOTC Star Wars TCG. The dude at the register was the league leader, and pointed out to me that they'd gotten something completely new:
Star Wars Miniatures.
I was shocked! But I loved WOTCSWTCG so much!
More heart-wrenching news: no more WOTCSWTCG club. Everyone was gonna switch over to the minis.
My life was ruined.
But my mother, being the insightful type, went back the next day and bought me a starter kit (yeah lol rebel storm wtf) and a few booster packs. (not gonna brag here but I got friggin Boba Fett, Han Solo, and R2D2. As my first three rares.) Bless her soul.
The following Saturday, she announced that I would be going to the game store. I resisted the whole way. And I apologize to the gods of SWM... and my mother... for that.
Little did I know that this game was the best friggin thing on the planet, and that not even being destroyed and abandoned by LucasArts and WOTC could keep her down.
So thank you. Thanks to the community, the leaders, the dudes who keep us going, and especially my game group leader. May the Force be with you!
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My story:
My friend Kevin (Jedi_Master) got me intrigued about this game when I was a freshman in college. We had a class together and after class I'd walk with him to his next class, even though it was on the other end of campus. I was really interested in learning about all the factions and different characters. After many weeks of walking after class and learning more about the game, Kevin invited me to his apartment to teach me how to play the game. Thus my apprentice-ship official started. I was granted the rank of Padawan and learned the ways of strategy from a true Jedi_Master. The first game we played was Seperatist's versus Republic, and I got to play Republic. I used Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin Skywalker, Stass Ali, Shak Tii, Agen Kolar and a couple of other figures. Kevin used a Hailfire Assault droid, a Commerce Guild Homing droid and a bunch of other droids. I think there might have been a Greivous in the mix. Anyways, I lost. Yeah. But nothing gets me more into a game that takes skill and practice to win. Kevin introduced me to Vassal soon after and I started an account on swmgamers as obikenobi1 and quickly joined the GVL at the time and was on Team Mando (hence why I have the name Mando on this site). I played against some of the best players in the world on Vassal and lost a lot, but I got better all the time. Now I can compete and win against my friend Kevin (Jedi_Master), and the games are a lot of fun, albeit hard because Jedi_Master is a really good player. I feel very privileged to have been taught how to play the game of Star Wars mini's by him, and I enjoy talking strategy with him whenever we play on vassal. Over the years I've improved my game a lot and even played in a regional for my first time this year and did pretty well. I have been playtesting for the V-set's since DotF and look forward to playing SWM's for years to come. So a big thanks to Jedi_Master and all the other great people I've met playing star wars mini's over the years (especially those in New Zealand and Tasmania. You guys rock!).