What's the most amazing start to a new campaign you've ever done?

[Evilusion]

Well I have a couple good starts

The first is for my superhero campaign. The players all woke up inside metal tubes. They know their name and powers nothing else. Once they get out of their tubes they hear a loud whistling noise. Then the artillery shells start to exploxe. Once they choose a diesction to go they notice a army head towards them. Of course another army coming from the other side. Even more fun was they did not recozine either army uniforms or langauge.


My next DnD campagin starts with everyone on a boat(not even the same one). They are all headed to a port town to make their fortunes, as large amount of gold and gems have been discovered. Of course this had made all the price of even simple items go through the roof. Oh the taxes in the city are also killer.

Evilusion

 

[Phlebas]

What i've actually used is

"Your travelling with a caravan back to the city when several wagons break wheels. Rather than wait a few days for repairs a small group of you decide to make your own way through the hills. It can't be that difficult....."
Cue small prequel adventure to bond group together

"You've been trapped in a beseiged city for several months. You're called to the Lords office. His brother, the knight commander greets you and informs you that the city will fall, but they have one hope - if someone can fight through the hills and get proof of the treaty to the clan of dwarves so they will break the seige. He's discussed the plan with his commanders and they've recommended you can be spared from the defense of the city for this near suicidal mission...."

what I'd like to use is

"You're touring around an ancient ruined city with a group. out of the corner of your eye you spot a group of native girls dissapearing round a corner. Curiosity gets the better of you and you follow then through alleyways to where the city appears in much better order, with some houses even occupied. the smiling native girls offer you fruit juices, but suddenly shouts and panic erupt as smoke rises from the east side of the city and you manage to understand that the invaders have come... retreating through the maze of alleys isn't really an options as invaders burst into the square and start slaughtering the inhabitants... "
Cue running fight to beat back invaders, adoption by the populus as great heroes, and then a mission to delay the inevitable destruction of the city until they can find a way back to their own time.