Good age to start your kids playing HS

[Onacara]

I know the box shows "age approriate" but what do you think is a good age to get your kids started?

My middle guy started playing when he was 5.....I think my youngest wants to get in on the action too....

[Onacara]

FYI--This was a legit question and not just an excuse to post a pic of my cute kid and Mimring.

[Dr. Weirdscaper]

GENTLEMEN...

Age matters not.
If a kid is smart enough,
let'em play.

Of course there are some adults
that shouldn't be allowed anywhere
near a strategy game.

[dnutt99]

I've played HS with my twin boys since they were about 5.5 on the basic side of the card, f(or obvious reasons), and they caught on pretty quick. I practiced their colors / numbers with the stats while they were learning the game at the same time. They even got moving up levels and checking range before moving so they could attack! Now their 6 and my wife and I play with them, (usually teaming up rather than solo play), and playing the hard side of the card. I just had a game of 3-way Marvelscape with 3 heroes each last night. It's actually much easier to handle because there are only a handful of figures and much fewer cards! We play on the hard side now because they get disapointed when they can't to use their specials. So each turn they have, I try to coach them on strategy and tactics to win the game and I explain their powers to them the first few rounds until they understand the unit and how it works. I really LOVE it! Not just because they are starting to take an interest in the game, but because, (usually), I can always interest them in a game,... and they'll WANT TO play with me!

[Billtog]

My kids are going to be playing Heroscape in the womb. Getting it in there is the hard part... plus I don't have a wife... or even a girlfriend... but I will find a way.

[LilMoochie]

Originally Posted by Billtog

My kids are going to be playing Heroscape in the womb. Getting it in there is the hard part... plus I don't have a wife... or even a girlfriend... but I will find a way.

It starts with drafting the right army...

[jdozs]

My kids were 5 and 6 when we started playing and "dad" didn't want to play the easy side so I just guided them along with the master rules. Now at 7 and 8 they can draft a decent army (as of late I have just been building about 5 armies for them to choose from) they remember most of the rules although I do have to remind them of bonuses now and again. Dr. Weirdscaper hit it right with Age matters not. At age 5 if they are starting to read it is a good oppurtunity to help that and strategy games increase mental alertness as well as reinforce good sportsmanship. Game night is as important as family dinner. It is a way to bring the family together for a little friendly competition.

[toddrew]

The "educational" aspects of heroscape were touted by me in order to get final approval from where it matters most in this household and with good reason too - my son has been playing since he was 6 and it really did stretch his cognitive abilities. Plus he gets into some of the actual histories behind those figures to which that applies (namely the Fourth Mass, Romans, Samurai, etc.).

Anyway, that rationale has worked for 7 odd waves of expansion

O, and like has been mentioned above only a few basic games, and then once the master rules were used, no turning back.

And, maybe not the main thrust of the original post, but that is one cute picture

Here's my entry to the "early scapers" photo contest:

[nyys]

My little guy took interest at age 3, though obvioulsy for the cool looking figures than the actual game. He even made his own name for HS, called it ScapedAway... not bad I think.

Now he's 5 and all he wants to do is try the game Dad is always playing. He seems to be getting to the point where he can grasp concepts, so maybe it's time to see what he can do.

What I REALLY can't wait for is when he starts building this own maps. Kids can usually come up with some pretty unique things, at least stuff I would never think of.

[insomnimaniac]

Onacara,
I personally believe that it is never too early to get children involved with games. On that same note, it is never too early to teach them how to read, colors, numbers addition and subtraction. Each learns at a different rate, giving a child the advantage is key.

Beautiful child that is already interested in the game.

[Matthias Maccabeus]

My daughter and I have been "playing" since she was 2. She picks her units, Charos and every other double spaced figure I own, except for Nilfelheim, she let's me use him. We then look at the numbers on the card and move them that many spaces and when they're right next to Daddy's guys you can roll the number of dice on the card. We she rolls first she counts the red ladybugs, my wife didn't like the idea of skulls. Daddy then rolls and we count the blue shields. Whichever number is bigger wins the battle. She Will be a scaper before she goes to kindergarten. [/b]

[Phaethon]

My daughter is 5 and she plays. She counts out the movement and is really good at figuring out height advantage and the like. She almost never rolls the incorrect number of dice.

She actually doesn't like the basic game because it doesn't have any of the neat powers that the advanced game does. Just this morning we tried to play a basic game and she had deadeye dan. She wanted to sharpshoot, but my 9 year old said that that wasn't allowed... she was none too happy.

We do have one special house rule for those under 6. It's basically a modified version of C3PO's advice to R2D2:

Let the Kindergartener win...

As for my 9 year old son, we watched the Krav Maga show on the history channel last night and he showed a lot more interest than I expected. Usually he pleads for me to change the channel when I switch to the History channel, but not last night. I fully expect him to show similar interest when other things are on (knights, vikings, etc).