It’s not the same as leisurely teaching some friends, but the patter I learned to do for demos at Origins was:
Assign particular heroes, unless people really want someone different
Description of each hero
We’re working together!
To fight this bad guy – description
We win if …
We lose if …
A round consists of a villain turn, each hero turn in order, and an environment turn
I’ll show you a villain turn, then a hero turn, then you’ll each get to do a hero turn
Play a villain card, do the rest of the hero turn
A hero turn consists of three things: Playing a card, using a power (more about that later) and drawing a card
Here’s me playing a card! Note that there are different types of cards – one-shots go to the trash; ongoing/equipment do not; Can only have 1 of each Limited; Also, some cards give you powers …
Power time! You get to use one and at first you only have one to choose from.
And draw a card
then you get to play – see here on the rules where there’s a handy list of the order …
now you get to play, and you, and you
Environment time
Hey, check it out, we’ve completed a whole round. Rinse and repeat.
Also, I learned to cheat. A quick demo is more about having a fun time than being precisely correct. Forget a modifier and realize it later? Don’t worry about it! Defense platforms slowing down the game? Bury them on the bottom of the deck!
Plus, know your audience. Some people are just there to be with their friend. Don’t be afraid to basically play their hand for them. Some people want to really think about what they’re doing. Give them a chance to do so … but not at the expense of other people getting bored.
I have no problem with adjusting the scenario in order to fit certain constraints. Pressed for time? Set up BB on his flip side and start all heroes with only half hp (or maybe -10 or something). Don’t want heroes to get pounded by a nasty mix of villain cards? Stack the deck prior to setup. You’re still playing the game the right way… it’s just under a set of circumstances you dictated. It’s like in all those genetics movies; This is still you. It’s just the best possible you.
Also I don’t think I could play somebody’s hand for them. I know many people who would get frusterated by people telling them what to do all the time. let them make thier own decisions unless they specifically ask for help. Even if they do, don’t tell them what card they should play. Present them with options. Make them all sound as if they are equally good, even if they are clearly not. Let them make the decision, that’s how it should be.
Example: BB is at 6 hp. Tempest is up. He can play Lightning Slash or Electrical Storm.
Player: “Gee Wiz, I don’t know what card I should play.”
Me: “Well, if you want to deal big damage now, play Lightning Slash. If you want to set yourself up to be stronger later in the game, play Electrical Storm.”
They should be able to figure out that there isn’t going to be a later game, and make the correct decision for themselves. And they’ll feel like they understood the game better because you weren’t telling them what to do. If they make the “wrong” decision, no big deal. At least it they did what they wanted. Maybe they’ll realize their mistake later, maybe they won’t. Either way, whats important is that you let them play.
I change the order up a bit when I teach. First I say that it’s a cooperative game, and that at it’s core, the game is really simple. WE are here to beat the baddy, this is done by dealing him enough damage to defeat him. Each round consists of (show them the back of the manual where it has the phases/turns laid out. keep this out for the whole game). Take out an example hero. Go over playing a card (type of cards, i.e. one-shot, ongoing, equipment). Go over using a power. Mention that you draw a card. Now I ask “who would you like to play?” and give a brief overview of each hero.
BTW, this doesn’t refer to a description of every possible hero, just of the heroes that the players will be playing. For the demos in the booth people would find a hero in front of them when they sit down. While there were definitely situations where people switched thing up (I’ve played her already; I’ve heard that Ra is really cool!) they usually were happy to accept the hero placed in front of them.
Some additional info on the con demos that might be useful if you’re teaching folks:
[list]
[]Villains are usually Baron Blade (probably the best choice) and Plague Rat, as they exemplify the concepts and mechanics in the game, without having complications that are too confusing/annoying/frustrating. [/]
[]Environments are usually Insula Primalis and Megalopolis, as they have solid, non-complex effects that are entertaining while not insanely challenging.[/]
[]The person running the demo generally plays Legacy, as he helps the other heroes be better at what they do while not distracting the game from them (i.e., he doesn’t tend to hog the limelight).(Also, if they’re picking up the game quickly and you’re playing against BB, Legacy gives a great opportunity to bring up the Nemesis Rule.)[/]
[]The hero choices are usually Ra, Tempest, Fanatic, Expatriette, and Haka, as they have fairly-straightforward mechanics, provide interesting choices and great opportunities to see how the game plays, and don’t require knowledge of the deck(s). [/][/list]
First I tell them it’s a cooperative game, and that we need to beat the snot out of the villain.
Then I let each person choose what hero they want, but I steer them away if they want Absolute Zero, or someone that is not very friendly to newbies.
Next we take a vote on whether to fight Baron Blade or Omnitron, as I think they’re the easiest.
Then we fight in whatever environment sounds fun to them.
Next I use the rulebook to show the players what happens in each round, and I show them the types of hero cards.
Finally we just start playing, and learn what the villain does and heroes health and so on.
Oh, that’s totally a pre-requisite. I always try to do something like that when I say “And I galvanize everyone!” (And believe me, arenson9 has a great voice for that kind of thing! )
I also try to add descriptions, like, for Close-Quarters Combat: “We’ve knocked him into a department store, downtown, and we’re slugging it out in the luggage department…” 8)
I’m usually pretty thorough when it comes to teaching games, but not Sentinels for some reason. My approach is akin to that of FanaticLover’s.
It’s cooperative!
Pick a hero! (I give them free reign, but I typically hide AZ. I give little or no description of a hero, as that can plant false ideas in people’s heads, and the cards speak for themselves very well.)
Here’s the villain! S/he’s right nasty. (I give them the choice of two villains with a relatively simple approach, adjusted for the number of people playing, and adjusted for the relative familiarity with card games of those playing, and also depending on who I may have played recently. Any of the base villains are fine choices, switching between advanced or basic, and I might also take the Chairman if we have five players. The other three Rook City villains subvert the rules of the game in ways that don’t necessarily give new players the best first experience. When they come out, Ambuscade and the Ennead might also be pretty good for teaching.)
Pick an environment! (It’s almost always dinosaurs, but whatever they want goes.)
Draw four cards! Take two dice!
The villain gets a turn! (Do the villain turn.)
[Villain] is ravaging [environment], [first player]! What are you going to do!? (I usually dictate first player, but if somebody wants to be first, or if everybody wants to see what I do, that’s fine too.)
Play a card! Use a power! Draw a card! Fin! Next!
Ongoings and equipment stay in play unless instructed otherwise, One-shots go to your trash immediately, Limited means you can’t have more than one. (These in response to the first questions out of people’s mouths.)
Environment turn! Oooh.
Repeat!
I might be in the habit of explaining more, but I usually play with my fiancee, who is bored by explanation and just wants to kill things.
Had a thought: One thing I’d recommend is always have the person giving the demo play the first hero round. That lets them see how a round plays before jumping into it themselves.
Sentinels is one of the few games that can easily be taught whilst playing. Since everything is about the cards and their synergy, I let everyone know: 1. It’s a cooperative game. 2. It’s a card game. 3. It’s a fantastical game.
After that, give some game announcer voice introducing the characters, and let the Big Bad hit us for his/her first turn. I almost always go first with newbies around and take that opportunity to go through the Hero Turn. You may first play any card in your hand/there are a few types, here are the differences, then you may use a Power whether innate or from Equips/Ongoings, then you may draw a card. Every step is optional, and if you pass the first two, you may draw twice the cards in the third! OHNOES!!! The Environment turn!
It’s all very loose and fast, and within the first round, everyone is comfortable with the game proper and then focus on all the cards that are being played or in their hand. Usually, if anyone was Tempest, they develop an unnatural love for him and it’s very hard to pry them away from him in future games (which usually happen immediately after the intro game, as a bonus), but everyone else thirsts for trying out a different hero. After that second game, they are hooked, almost always. Actively feeling how mechanically different the characters can be, even though every turn uses the same simple structure has turned many a fan of the Sentinels.
(And believe me, arenson9 has a great voice for that kind of thing! 
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