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Yoren's Task: Recruiting for the Wall
Yoren’s Journal of the Wandering Crow
A Black Brother’s guide to Recruiting for the Wall
Chapter 1: Promoting the Game
I have developed quite the love affair with A Game of Thrones: The Card Game. I found the game in a SciFi city in December of 2013 on a whim; I literally walked past the box, loved the art and the texture of the packaging and looked up the Amazon ratings right there. All of the ratings online were either 5 stars with amazing reviews or 1 star saying “This game is too hard!†- I took this as a good sign. I bought the core box and a couple chapter packs on the spot and learned the game with my girlfriend that week.
After learning the basics we started playing jousts against each other and it quickly became a nightly routine. I began getting more and more drawn into just how ingenious the system was for the game, how important the structure and wording of each card was in relation to this system and how it affected the outcome of the match - all of this while staying so true to the canon of the books. I was hooked.
These days I shuffle through my decks while watching TV testing potential setups, browse cardgamedb.com on my work breaks and ponder up new deck themes, and I play OCTGN a few times a week - I'm constantly adjusting decks, finding new strategies and trying new things.
I did realize that I, much like any true athlete
, spend much more time practicing and planning for the game then actually playing it. Naturally I set out to fix this by finding more people to play with in my area, and in this article I will be detailing my tips for how to attract more players into A Game of Thrones – The Only Game that Matters. Thanks for reading!General tips for finding a local meta, finding new players, and getting new people interested.
I love lists. Here’s why:
1. They are easy on the eyes.
2. They are a simple and organized way to convey information.
3. They are scientifically proven to retain readership.
4. They are awesome.
That being said I’d like to give a couple quick lists of some of the things I like to do to make sure I never miss out on any local players or new and potentially interested players that may be recruited into our black brotherhood.
Promoting the Game:
1. When playing at a crowded card-game store, always keep your lovely “A Game of Thrones†box on you.
a. I have two Core sets, one I keep at home looking pretty for collection purposes, and one I always bring with me so people never mistake what game I am currently playing.
b. It’s a gorgeous box with incredible art.
c. Everyone loves Game of Thrones right now and it starts conversations all the time. Seriously, try it.
2. Finding your local meta.
a. Post an advertisement for local players at every local card store in your area.
i. Sample: “Local A Game of Thrones Players! We are trying to build a meta for (your area).
ii. Put your name and number on it.
b. This part is huge – if the card game store you are at sells Game of Thrones materials then make sure you go up to the employees after you post your advertisement and say “Hey, do you guys ever get people in here buying Game of Thrones Chapter packs?†If yes, ask them to please remember to direct any customers to your posting.
c. Post your name and contact info on every FFG page that talks about your local area, example (last page):http://community.fan...entral-florida/
d. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Your local card game shop WANTS YOU to develop a meta and bring more people into their store, if you can get a tournament of at least 6-8 people, THEY WILL SPONSOR IT. Trust me, I’ve got 3 local stores fighting over times with me and I chose Cool Stuff Games in Maitland (Www.coolstuffinc.com) because they were the most responsive and happen to sell chapter packs for only 10 bucks.
3. Never shy away from a conversation about the game.
a. People are fickle and resistant to change, if they have been playing Magic for years they may not want to switch, but some people are swayable. If someone just asked me if I wanted to play the Game of Thrones card game I would have said “Uhhh….. that sounds awesome.â€
b. Game of Thrones is cheaper to get into than most other card games on the market, don’t forget this.
Sample conversation:
Random Guy “Game of Thrones has a card game?â€
You: “Yea, it’s like Magic: The Gathering but more complicated.†WRONG!
Don’t alienate people! Let’s try again.
Random Guy “Game of Thrones has a card game?â€
You: “Yea, it’s a lot like Magic: The Gathering but based around the Games of Thrones genre. It is seriously awesome and I’ve been looking for new folks to show it to. I can teach it to you if you’re open to it, got 5 minutes?â€
Always just ask if they’re open to it and go for the close. I’ve recruited three people doing exactly this. When I teach them the game I tell them to pick a plot card with the highest income (and ignore everything else) and then let them go second so I can show them the marshaling phase. I take them through a turn with all the phases, and then if they like the game I’ll add in the plot card effects the next turn. I’ve taught 8 people how to play so far, this is the easiest way I’ve found.
4. Make a Facebook group to keep your group together!
a. It sounds obvious, but making a Facebook group where players can talk about the game, coordinate meetings and events is very important
b. You’ve done all this work to find a group to play with; these groups keep your relationships tight nit and connected.
c. Merge your groups with other groups in other cities; our group is planning trips out to Tampa’s meta and visa-versa.
5. Think outside the box.
a. My next step with my local store is to buy a large, 6 foot tall poster cut-out of Daenerys Targaryen that I’m going to convert it into a promotional item which my local card game said would keep inside the store.
b. I’m visiting every card game store in Orlando one by one promoting our meta and looking for more players.
Remember: Sometimes all someone needs is to SEE the game, and they’ll be interested, don’t let people ignore your meta!
Also: When you find a great meta, hang on to them and always build it up to be the best thing ever – no crap-talking!
Thanks for reading!
- darknoj, wrzos, Paindemic and 11 others like this
3 Comments
Very good article! Thank you for publishing it.
It should be in interest of FFG to promote new meta creation and help us in recruiting new players.
I know that they are supporting some prizes for SC and other local/national events but I suppose that they could do more. Do they (I don't know to be honest, correct me if I am wrong)?
Maybe it sounds like a crazy idea but would some model similar to multi-level marketing (MLM) work here?
e.g. defining some "Game Ambasadors" supplied with some sets of cards for the use of training new folks and establishing some local metas just to begin with. Register recruited people and monitor the growth supporting them with special offers and bonuses. This could be a nice way to start in fresh places where the online play is they only one...
In my situation I need to travel 40miles to meet some guys and play AGOT so imagine how often it happens...
On the other hand there is a Cards & Comics shop 5min from me but they are not even selling AGOT cards there (but have regular MTG games and tournaments) There is got to be some potential for AGOT players there
I'm thinking of starting up a group at work, thanks for writing this up!
A really insightful article, I look forward to future entries in the series. And that 6-foot Dany thing sounds awesome!
There are the Game Night Kits, which provide prizes for unofficial tournaments that stores and local metas can organise themselves.