Welcome to the first edition of Gateway Geeks! A series designed to signal boost nerds who make it easier for the masses to dive into our beautiful culture, and to highlight the techniques and content they use to do it.

Right now I got to tell you ’bout…
the fabulous,
most groovy,
Dael Kingsmill!

Getting into tabletop gaming comes with some large hurdles. From a social standpoint, the tabletop community seems exclusive upon first glance. There’s a great deal of equipment being dealt with, sometimes accompanied with huge maps and complicated terminology. Mechanically, there’s a bottomless well of complications for brand new players. It can be intimidating. That’s why series like Monarchs Factory’s Newbie’s Guide to 40k (hosted on Freebooter’s Network) is a welcome addition to new player content. Created and hosted by Dael Kingsmill, her videos help establish a firm groundwork for the lore of the series, which removes common feelings of confusion and disconnect when dropping into current story lines and expansive war maps.

As gamers of all types, we often assume that beginners have all the tools necessary to begin enjoying our favorite hobbies. Rule books and figurines, controllers and computers; they can be the base of the experience, but they don’t always highlight the potential interest a new player might gain from the overall experience. Although many veterans do their best to explain the rich benefits of game as sessions proceed, it’s potentially more beneficial to provide newer players with supplementary content before taking to the tables. The more complex the game, the more helpful preparation can be.

Warhammer 40k is a titan of tabletop war games that few newbies have experience with. It’s vastly different from household favorites like Clue or Monopoly, so the look and feel of the game can scare off those who may potentially enjoy what 40K has to offer. But what we can learn from Kingsmill’s various series is that there are clever ways to tie in the current interests of new players with the possible interest of a new game.

Since 2013, she’s been providing the internet with video breakdowns of mythological lore; commonly known mythologies that possess hundreds of substantial stories. For consistent viewers of her channel, the switch from socially popular mythology to game-based lore is a smooth transition. From a few simple clicks, viewers are guided through a brand new world of content by the same friendly host they’ve become comfortable with.

Story gives purpose to action in gaming, and Kingsmill provides the context in an interesting and inviting manner. Most videos in The Newbie’s Guide to 40k series span from 5-8 minutes. They carry chunks of easily digestible information, accented perfectly by the fact that Dael has learned all of this information at about the same time as we are.

Instead of coming from a place of expertise, the series highlights that the 40k lore is being provided from a newb, for a newb. She goes on to explain in the first video of the series that she’s diving into this adventure fresh, which makes the journey feel relatable to those who are doing the same. I would feel comfortable sending an interested player to her content because what she’s sharing is an experience of companionship; learning together.

“I ran into this problem, but here’s a good way to avoid it.”
“This was confusing to me, so here’s how I understood it.”
“I find it best to explain this complex concept in this way.”

These are the pillars of assistance that can help an introduction to gaming turn from a momentous task, to an adventurous one. So thank you Dael Kingsmill, for being an exemplary Gateway Geek! The 40k community is lucky to have you.

If you’d like to support Dael and her content, be sure to check out her complete works and her supporting community through the following links:

YouTube
Twitter
Patreon
Reddit
Instagram
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Editor-in-Chief
David “DC” Collins
@bukowskionice