About and Contact

Hello and Welcome

Hello and welcome to Start Your Meeples, a blog dedicated to being a celebration of this hobby that we share.

Board games mean so much to so many people. From playing at Christmas with the family, to regular gaming sessions with friends, to tournaments of games like Star Wars: Destiny and Magic the Gathering – almost all of us have had some exposure to the hobby at some point of other. Playing games, whether video or in person, is as much a part of culture as some sports. It helps define who we are.

The Beginning

My name is Luke, and I am an official board game nerd. I have loved gaming ever since my Dad introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons at the age of seven years old. We used to spend hours playing D&D, him DMing from the couch and me drinking V8 on the floor whilst we both rolled die. When I was eight I played computer games for the first time, and when I was 11 I got my first games console. At university I discovered how fun drinking games could be, and then, on the fateful New Years Eve of 2013/2014 I was introduced to Munchkin for the first time.

Munchkin was my first real foray into the board game renaissance we are all a part of now, and started a passion for playing board games.

Now

Several years down the line, I am a verifiable board game addict. My girlfriend and I play games with a regular gaming group who have become like family. We still play D&D, however it has branched out from there. Now, as a group, we own hundreds of games and enjoy playing them on a regular basis.

I started writing Start Your Meeples in June 2017 for it to be a celebration of gaming. It began to share Splendor strategy after I came 6th in the UK National Tournament. Now it is a celebration of everything tabletop games have to offer – from strategy to analysis, general articles to D&D characters. There should be a little bit for everyone on here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do you do any miniature games?

I dabble. At the moment I am working on a Shadespire Sepulchral Guard troupe.

What are your favourite games?

Picking a singular favourite game is near impossible; however, I do have a few favourites. Scythe is one that I have written a lot about. I also love Arkham Horror, Dungeons and Dragons, Battle for Rokugan, Sagrada, Carcassonne, Lords of Waterdeep, and Catan. I could list more, but those are ones that immediately come to mind.

What’s your current D&D character?

I’m currently having a fun time playing a Human Barbarian called Nigel. He’s part of an 8 player team and is the main muscle along with a Dwarven Fighter.

What is your advice to people wanting to break into the hobby?

Find the game that gets you excited and use it as an entry way into the hobby. There are so many great ones to choose from – but a few of my favourites to start with are Fluxx, Munchkin, Lords of Waterdeep, 7 Wonders, Stone Age, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, and Catan. There is a wide variety there and you will probably find something you enjoy. Keep trying new things and new mechanics. Try different themes. Most importantly, play games.

Will you do any more Onitama strategy articles?

Yes, but be patient. They’re not easy articles to produce. It includes lots of fiddling around with PowerPoint.

Where are you from?

I am English. I live in England, roughly in the middle of it.

Do you get paid to write this blog?

No, I don’t. Believe it or not, these past 500,000 words or so have just been because I love board games.

Contact

If you have any questions or queries, or just want to talk about games, please feel free to drop me a line. I am also always open to suggestions as to articles to write, and always happy to amend articles if you spot a mistake. Please note that I am currently unable to take requests for Kickstarter reviews.