Editorial: Time to Jump Ship.

Not looking forward to playing as much as you used to? Feel like you’re in a gaming slump? Maybe it’s time to mix things up, or learn something new. Time to jump ship.

Thankfully there are a lot of possible solutions for this that involve throwing dice across a table with some friends.

First off, you can always try the tried and true method of jumping into one of the other popular minis based games out there – from WFB to 40k or vice versa. I know a lot of folks that are picking up, and thoroughly enjoying Warmachine and Horde’s fast paced game play.

A little more exotic are things like the growing Firestorm Armada which has a loyal player base here. There’s a whole world of naval and land based historicals out there to choose from, as well – Flames of War, Enduring Valor, Victory at Sea, etc. It’s easy to find something new and different to pick up within the genre.

There’s no reason why anyone should limit themselves to one type of table top gaming system, either.

If you need a bigger change of pace try an RPG. I think we’re all pretty familiar with D&D, Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and the brand new Deathwatch… but, what about all of the indie systems out there? Bully Pulpit has created some great, hilarious games like Fiasco, which allows you to create your own Cohen Brothers like adventures. If you’re into more steampunk/pulp type universes, try Arc Dreams’ The Kerberos Club. There are a lot of brilliant RPG systems from small publishers out there that you can pick up – some of them are pretty inexpensive, too.

Another option is board and card games. From expansive sci-fi epics like Android and Twilight Imperium to zombie based romps like Last Night on Earth. There’s an option for just about anything you’re into. As for cards, I like Fluxx and Dominion – and, yes, I play MTG.

Boredom and creativity have brought us things like Brikwars, and a host of fan created tabletop RPG games. It’s also pushed folks to make home brewed rule systems for existing games – Highlander for MTG comes to mind; as do some of the player created missions for D&D, and special characters for Warhammer I’ve seen over the years. It’s fairly easy to spice up an old favorite.

Tabletop gaming isn’t limited to pushing little, plastic army men around. The next time you visit your FLGS, take a look at what else they have on the shelves. Branch out, try something new. Who knows… it might even help your Warhammer strategy.