Have my great grandson over for the weekend and he was watching me play Rome remastered and he is interested in that type of game.I'm kind of at a loss as to which one to steer him towards.He's a sharp kid but with no war gaming type experience.I'm asking the old TW timers here if I try to get him playing which would be the best place for him to start.The era doesn't matter I would like to get him into something that hopefully could be the base for him to move forward .
i seem to think Warhammer II because the fantasy thing might appeal to him but also like Shogun II That just feels easier to me.
He's taken well to a couple flight sims I've given him

Yeah, if he's under the age of 18 I'd say Warhammer II is probably your best bet.

I think I'd agree. It's a great game on its own, and it also has no equivalent mechanic to squalor, meaning suboptimal city building choices have less long term ramifications. More forgiving perhaps. There is a corruption mechanic, and not the usual corruption, like politicians with hands in cookie jars, but a different sort of corruption, kind of like influence by competing, neighboring factions. So while it may be more forgiving when a new player makes those suboptimal choices, there are still these things to guard against.

Warhammer 2 also has a pretty cool campaign, called Vortex, which is a unique twist in the series, and I think might appeal to those who would otherwise grow bored of a purely expansionist blobathon, which, if my son is any sort of barometer, younger players surely do. Add to this the fact that the factions are so incredibly varied, any player will find a few that are appealing. Monsters, magic and that sort of stuff could also be a selling point, but of course this comes down to the individual.

I would agree with PM and DBond, plus Warhammer 1 and 2 are great in coop if that ever comes up.

It may not affect the decision, as regardless WH2 is going to remain a good game, but WH3 is slated for release sometime this year. We don't know when yet, but that's the word. Of course it could fall behind schedule, or be pushed back for a number of reasons. And there is no guarantee it will be better.

If it follows the Warhammer trajectory though it will be integrated with the other two titles, and I believe I read it will. Not sure if it will still be Mortal Empires or a new campaign, but I expect WH3, WH2 and WH will all be able to be played together.

Well the kid made his choice.We messed with WH and Shogun a couple hours each to let him see a bit of play in both,and as we kind of figured he liked WH 2 better,So I hooked him into a couple sites to read a bit and get at least a basic understanding of the game..That's usually how we approach learning a game..He's already decided on playing the High Elves and tomorrow we will start playing proper ,,Well he will with me helping him along.I'd rather he learns some on his own to get started and I will help him but I like to see him learn as he goes along.If I tell him everything he really won't be able to make his own decisions and will appreciate the learning more.He's a smart lad and says he likes my computer games more than his X-box stuff
But now it's pizza time and a few movies.

If he likes WH2, I would recommend getting WH1 and combining them into the mortal empires campaign. No vortex, so the mechanics are a bit different, but you get all the factions and a larger maps.

That's a good choice, and what I recommend for a first go at it, especially Eataine. Tyrion is a potential melee monster, and they get some nice diplo bonuses. The ability to improve or worsen relations between any two factions is strong if played right. They have a fantastic starting position, although it can be tricky to unite the starting province right off the bat.

Being so central plus having good diplo bonuses means Eataine can get lots of trade deals, and can confederate other factions relatively easily, making uniting Ulthuan pretty straightforward.

They also have a great roster, with some of the best archers in the game. Early-game Dark Elves ranged options are a little better in my view due to their AP, which High Elves don't have until Sisters of Avelorn if I recall correctly. Sea Guard are fantastic early/mid game units, excellent cav, dragons and their high-tier infantry is a match for any faction in the game. Biggest weakness is siege weapons/artillery.

Once established, it's a good idea to recruit a general to just sail around grabbing the treasure to boost the coffers.

Eataine was my first faction and one of the best in Warhammer 2 in my view. Dark Elves are a formidable foe, those AP archers like Dark Shards are very dangerous. I hope he enjoys it and kicks on for a good campaign.

Josh is having a ball with WH II he was on it first thing this morning and following my way of teaching he is looking things up on his own and thinking. Heck he liked Strike fighters 2 and now he has the whole package and watching him fly I wouldn't want to meet up with him.It's good to see a young man get into gaming.He's been reading at the TW forums,Steam and the posts here.And making notes as he reads.I'm convinced he's hooked so I'll send him a Steam gift card.I'm thinking of grabbing WH I for myself.But with my other TW games it might be overkill.Sure makes me happy to see him fired up he could be doing other things that aren't so good.So it's worth my time

Good to see, and long may it last.

I have a long thread here for WH2

https://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4428896/1/tw-warhammer-2

A lot of thoughts on the various factions, mechanics and campaigns that he may be able to take something from.

I've played nearly every race by now, aside from Chaos and maybe Beastmen. Skaven are my jam, but I've had a lot of fun with others, particularly Vampire Coast, Tomb Kings, Dwarfs and Empire. So much diversity, it's awesome.

I've sunk a lot of time in to this one, so if you or he have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Well DB I know this boy well and once he gets into something he is 100 % into it.and he knows how I am ,Don't take the easy way read and learn and he's been busy on it all day.And I did for sure steer him here for good information..He is going to be coming around here a lot ,No Dad and his Mom asked my help to keep him on the straight and narrow.and gaming seems to create a kind of bond between us.Like I said before in SF 2 he is a challenge.Won't be long we will be banging each other in TW II

Think of WH I as a DLC for WH II. It tends to go on sale for around $15 usually, and if you get it you get a new campaign (Mortal Empires) which combines the maps from both games, and lets you play any faction from either game in that campaign. Adds a TON of gameplay options!

I agree with JC. Warhammer 1 isn't nearly as good as WH 2, but since you can combine them it does indeed make WH1 feel like a huge faction DLC for WH 2. Mortal Empires is epic, with more than 120 factions on the map at the start, and more that emerge through the game. Royal rumble, TW-style!