Warhammer Age Range

[thebinmann]

I was reading through and old copy of WFB third ed and noticed on the back that it was for ages 16-adult, and just wondered if the newer versions have a similar rating. I was wondering because when I pass a GW shop it seems to be full of younger players, have they changed the theme, judging by the range of figures I'd say nt r is it that younger players are now more mature?

[Donpimpom]

On year 2000 the target was on 10-12 (depending how clever is the kid) to 16.
Actually I don't know but i would say is more or less the same, I have a 12yo nefew crawling at the local gw store and seems to be on the right age.

[Viper]

If I remember right the shops tend to suggest an age limit of 12.

These days though the boxes have "warning not suitable for under 36 months due to small parts choking hazard" rather than 12+/16+ or whatever, which I'm sure they used to have.

Saying all that I was 8 when I started collecting GW stuff and I was building models before that...sure I wasn't old enough to do a very good job or look after them very well, but I was having fun.
 

[thebinmann]

Yeah I started when I was about 9 or 10, because of my cousin but that was Dragon Warriors RPG. It's some of the art in WFB seems a bit adult for 10-12 now I'm a dad!

[Viper]

The actual background and stories are usually much much worse than any of the pictures.

Though I remember the late 80s early 90s artwork, particularly for chaos was rather horrific even if they were only black and white shaded drawings compared to the stuff these days.

Chaos stuff, especially demons, were always covered in worms and tentacles and stuff and those things were usually the main focus of the pictures, where as now mutations and the like tend to just be added details.

While there's no doubt more detailed violence in the artwork now much of the creepier stuff has fallen out of the art...at least I think it has.
 

[Simlasa]

Yeah, 3rd was the era that saw the old Realms of Chaos books... one of which actually made me ill while reading it. Those things were pretty gruesome so I can see a suggested age of middle teens (if for nothing else but to assuage the anger of parents).
Has it really got that watered down these days? I haven't been paying notice...

[Viper]

I don't know about in the last 3-4 years but certainly early 2000s stuff the focus seemed to be more on higher quality but rather normal ish art.

Sure the demons and other chaos things are all toothy and twisty and weird and there's a lot of fighting/death, but they very rarely have anything like the creepy full in your face nasty stuff of 3rd or 4th edition.

The newer stuff even if it is depicting undead or orcs or whatever always strikes me as reminicent of real historical battle paintings, yes one side might not be human but in terms of the violence and death I'd say it was often realistic or at least not too over the top.

There are exceptions of course but nothing quite as weird as back in the day I don't think.

[dbsubashi]

I worked for GW back in 2001, and the age range was intended more as a guide for participating in the hobby, than the content of the books. GW was more concerned over the needed motor skills needed to use hobby knives, sharp files and ploy/super glue. Think back to "daftest way I hurt myself putting together little lead men" post that was up a while ago, and then think about how old you would want your kids to be when they start in this hobby of ours. I'm still carrying a scar on my thumb from waaaay back when I was 14! 

[Viper]

Oh yeah no doubt it is much more to do with modeling compitence and safty, but the moving away from some of the weirder stuff in the art is there a bit too. A lot of the background stories are pretty messed up still though.

I don't think I ever cut myself too badly aside from little nicks with craft knife or clippers.

Infact my two worst hobby related injuries were slashing my arm open on a dark eldar raider that was hidden on the black gap between two boards as I reached for dice off the other board and cutting my index finger open with a tapemeasure I've still got a slight scar from that one and it was a good 6-7 years ago.
 

[TheMightyFlip]

The background was altered between 3rd and 4th edition, one example is the Femir race, the background from the race had them only able to reproduce with human women, which they aquired through raiding, so slavery and rape. They were around just long enough to get an appearance in HeroQuest before being "Squatted"

[Dreadaxe]

The background was altered between 3rd and 4th edition, one example is the Femir race

Fimir


http://dreadaxe.pagesperso-orange.fr/fimir.htm

[Donpimpom]

I remebered a funny detail, as far as I remember GW had a kind of "hobby training" for their staff  (dunno if still exist), called "the induction", some called it "the abduction". That was a 1 day course, a general explanation about the company and the hobby mostly focused to non-gamer staff, on the explanation about target age range, the starting age was not too clear, but the ending age into the hobby was placed on the moment the client/kid got his first girlfriend.

[Pil]

Hehehe, too true though for most customers 

When I met my girlfriend I was in too deep to quit, I guess this goes for most of us here

[Doomhippie]

Hehehe, too true though for most customers 

When I met my girlfriend I was in too deep to quit, I guess this goes for most of us here

Well, she said it's me or the minis and I quit painting for 10 years... just kidding, my wife would NEVER do that. She just mumbled something about children, nerds and other, less pleasant words and went of to meet other people. She still married me after 14 years, though.... 

[Braxandur]

Hehehe, too true though for most customers 

When I met my girlfriend I was in too deep to quit, I guess this goes for most of us here

Guilty as well... Though at the point that the mass of all your miniatures, or "(war)puppets" as the misses calls them is more then your own weight you also can't turn back anymore and will just have to confess that you are an addict