40K News: Working is Killing Me

Hey gang, I wanted to just let you all know that my work has been kicking my butt lately. I have been keeping up with my 40K Podcasts and my weekly article on From the Warp will be posted on time. However it has killed a lot of the time that I use to think about my next posting. In fact, I have having problems thinking in English right now and not in TransAct SQL. If you get that joke, you should understand. Point being I am just super busy at work and I have a back log of articles building up that I will try to get out this weekend. So the 'ol EvilEd209 is alive and well, just grinding his gears right now.

Thanks guys!

Don't Be That Guy: The 40K Coach

Okay, so we can all admit it. You've done it and you know you have! You've walked by a game going on at your local game store or gaming club and seen a player who clearly needed just a little bit of help in their game. Maybe that player is new to the game, or just inexperienced, or playing against one of the better player in your area and is grossly over matched. And as an experienced player, and the friendly guy/gal that you are you offer up a quick tip. You actually open you mouth and give just a bit of advice on that game that you have nothing to do with.

"Hey, you know if you move here, he'll have to run through area terrain to get to you and you'll attack first in combat." Or, "if you shoot this instead of that, it would help you do this." It is usually just a quick nugget of knowledge that really will not change the game in any way, and his opponent really could care less because they know they have the win secured. But you helped out a fellow gamer and expanded his/her knowledge of the game just a bit more. You feel good about it, you helped someone.

But there is a time, a place, and a time limit on such interventions to a game. If the game is just a pick-up game and has no real meaning to either player, most players are open to a little advice. Heck, if his opponent is a veteran and crushing the guy anyway, a little advice to the new guy to make the game a bit more of a challenge might even be a welcomed intervention. Because how much fun could it be to beat down a guy who barley knows how to play the game. Now, of course if your "advice" turns into you playing the guys army for him, well this could be an unwelcome "butting in" on your part, and really rude to both players.

I have done coaching games myself. These games are usually for the new guys, to help him with just the bare bone basics of the game. What do you roll to hit? How many dice? What do you roll to wound. Things like that. But in this game, the opponent is fully aware that I will be there to help out the new guy (and he knows to lose), and usually my advice during the game trickles off as the game goes on so that the player can learn on their own. But these are special cases, in most games coaching can be an unwelcome interruption.

However in League, Campaign, and certainly tournament games this is a HUGE faux-Pas and in some case can be considered cheating! I recently posted an article recanting the tale of my second week mini-tournament win over my friend Andrew. The part I left out was his brother, David. David is a much better player then his brother, and David and I have a bit of a friendly rivalry going. So when he found out that Andrew and I were slated to go head-to-head that day, David was right there to over see the game. He helped Andrew with his deployment, and some of the moves he made. But at one point, David began whispering to his brother plans for the next turn. Foul!

Now I know, it is just a small, $50 in store credit prize on the line, but this was a tournament game. And coaching is real close to cheating as far as I am concerned in this situation. So when the whispering started, I in my best joking tone, was like "Hey, how many guys am I playing here?" David got the hint and backed away from the table and allowed the game to finish without further interruption. David, of course, does not want to see me in the finals as he has only beaten me once in tournament play. So I am sure he was hooping his brother could steal a win and knock me out of contention. Or maybe he was just trying to help his brother out, offering friendly advice to a weaker player. Either way, this was not the time nor the place to coach a player. David got the point that I did not appreciate his intervention in a tournament game.

The point of this story is, we all want to help, and that is okay. Some of us are just better at the game then others and feel our experience can help bring those player up a level or two. But make sure it is okay with both player to offer up that help. And in tournament play, back away from the table and keep your advice to yourself! Let the two people playing the game determine the outcome. Lets face it, we are all there for fun, but there is money and prizes on the line. I had a similar experience at 'Ard Boyz this year, where the eventual winner of that day had approached my table and started a conversation with his buddy, my opponent, during the game. At first it was innocent, but as soon as the conversation turned to the game at hand I stopped it cold. I did not know the guys, so I did not know if my joking tone would work. So I was firm but fair, "Hey man, I know he's your friend and all, but we are playing in a tournament and coaching at the table could be considered cheating. Why don't you watch the game from over there, and your friend can tell you how it turned out." He got the point and I won my game without his interference.

So, lesson of the day, advice if fine in a friendly game but try to refrain from butting your nose in where it is not wanted, or for too long. And in case you didn't know, tournaments are always off limits!

When dealing with the 40K Coach, simply point out that you are playing your opponent, not him, and that coaching could be considered cheating. Most players do not like the idea of being called a cheat and will back off. I hate to use that dreaded C word, but it is what it is. And surprisingly, most people are afraid to use that word too. Not me.

Spaming Spam with a side of SPAM.

So have you seen this article on BOLS yet?

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2010/07/goatboy-40k-spamming-with-side-of-spam.html

Did anybody else read this article from Goatboy and go "WTF?" The article basically was a cry to the power gaming community to stop spamming (using the same unit over and over and over again to gain a powerful advantage over your opponent) as it is no fun for you opponent. Wait, this did come from the BOLS guys right? The same guys who as soon as they break a codex throw up army list after army list on how to use this broken list on their blog? The same guys that year after year find a way to break and take advantage of the Gladiator and Tournaments at Adepticon and win thousands of dollars in prizes, right? The same guys who not only published the Leafblower list, but included an instruction book on how to use this list? These same guys who SCREAM spam and cheese are now telling us how "not fun" it is for the opponent to face one of their UBER Killy you do not have a chance to be me lists? Seriously! No kidding! Really, I didn't know that Leafblowers and Razorback SPAM was no fun to play against.

Now, I have no problem with this. Really, personally I feel that spamming and uber power gaming lists really takes away from the fun of the game, for both players. I really feel that if, IF I believed in comp, I would comp armies like this out of the game. Now, I do not believe this. And I feel that I just need to play better to beat these lists, and that it is only a matter of time before a counter to these power lists are found, more then likely by the BOLS guys, and leafblowers will go the way of the Nob Biker. The problem I have is the source of a fast majority of the power gaming lists, tactics, and strategies is now telling everyone, don't do as we do, it's no fun.

So what are they trying to say. "Yeah, we play this way and will play this way at every tournament we play in, and we will crush you, your friends, your dog and your dreams of ever winning and win this without much challenge, post and brag about how we did it on our blog, but don't you do it. It's no fun." So are they getting sick of losing to their own cheesy tactics? Or army lists? Or do they want to soften up the competition so that they can continue to crush everybody? What?

I love the guys over at BOLS, I really do. And here is a friendly piece of advice for you guys: If you want the cheese and spam to stop, STOP FRIGGIN' PRINTING AND USING IT and BRAGGING ABOUT HOW TO USE IT! Yes, Power lists will pop up on Dakka, or Warseer, but no one there is publishing an article on arguably the biggest 40K website in the world that includes details instructions on how to use the list. Say like this Leafblower article:

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2009/09/40k-ard-boys-armylist-leafblower.html

Take some responsibility for what you put out there. If you want cheese and spam to stop, try printing articles on how to beat the cheese. Find the flaws in the Leafblower and razorback Spam lists and publish that. Use you power for good, not to spread more evil!

I would love for Darkwynn to write the "How to Dismantle the Leafblower" article right on BOLS

Or Fritz to write the "How to Kill the Jetbike Seer Council lsit" Article

Or GoatBoy to Write "How to Kill Spacegoats"

But they never do. They tell you all about these killy lists and are now complaining that they have become so popular?

Ok, rant over.

40K Rants: Why Eldar?

So now that the effects of jet lag, that lovely stomach flu, and sick kids are beginning to subside and life is returning to some state of normal, I will be dedicating myself to the assembly, painting, learning and playing my new army, the Eldar. I am really looking forward to it, this being my now fourth 40K army. I can't help it, I just want to own them all some day, and to be honest, "it looks like it may actually happen" - Egon, Ghostbusters.

"But EvilEd209?" you ask, "if you are this super competitive, tournament player that you say you are, Why Eldar? Why not Space Wolves, or the new shinny Blood Angles, or the super duper tournament winning leafblower Imperial Guard. Or, why not wait a few months and go after those super scary Dark Eldar that are coming, really this time, we swear. Why Eldar?"

Well fine reader, I will answer that question. For starters, I am a competitive player, this is true. When it comes to tournament play or my gaming club, I often have a similar attitude to that clip of Herm Edwards when he coached the Jets saying, "You play to win the game". But I feel that not only do I compete with the guys at my FLGS and my Gaming club, but I compete with myself as well. I do not feel that to be competitive that you need to swap over to the newest, greatest army to smash face for a few months until people figure out how to deal with your army and then move on to the next best thing. That is not competitive to me, it is taking advantage of your opponent's lack of knowledge of your army to win. There is very little challenge in this tactics to me. The real challenge is to take your army and adapt to new armies and tactics out there. Or better yet, start and older army and try to win with it, this is what separates a good tournament player from a great one.

For example, do you remember when Nob Bikers were the scariest thing in the 40K Universe and they took advantage of that new fangled wound allocation thingy that 5th Edition introduced? I sure do, it was right when I first started playing 40K competitively. And I remember my first tournament and being crushed by those damned things and cursing them. However, I began to adapt my army to prepare for such thing. Playing Tyranids back then, the SniperFex with it's STR 8 Barbed Strangler Large Blast was more then enough to equalize that threat. Add in some Genestealers with Implant Attack and I was eating Nob Biker Lists alive. I adapted, I did not dump my bugs to go play Nob Biker Orks.

But this does not really answer the question, "Why Eldar?" Well for starters, as I was doing my research into the other 40K armies out there that were not Necrons, Tyranids, or Codex Space Marines, I was looking for something specific. I wanted start an army that was totally different then what I had been playing. At frist I was looking at the aforementioned Orks, but if I ran Orks, I would run them mob style, which is basically how I run my Tyranids now. So I moved on to Space Wolves, but these guys are only very slightly different from Marines and I did not want to cheese it up too much. I looked at Tau for a moment, but not only does the army not appeal to me at all, sorry Tau players, but I already had all shooty all the time army and it simply does not fit my play style.

So I then came across the Eldar. I know this will sound bad, but I have three sons who, gods willing, be playing 40K here in the near future. And I already have two "bad guy" armies and only one "good guy" army. So I started looking for another army who could be argued to be a "good guy". I started reading the Eldar Codex and I really started to get into the fluff. And I loved the story. That is what really made the decision for me. They were not bad guys, but god guys, from a certain point of non-Imperium view. The models look super cool, and this not being least of course, they can run Mech and are pretty good at it as well. They use a lot of Eldar Psychic powers and employ completely different tactics to play the army. It was perfect.

So keep your eyes pealed for pics of the new Eldar being built and painted with future army lists and battle reports to follow.

40K Rant: What Happened to the Tyranid Codex?

What happened to the menace of the 40K universe? Why has GW filed down the teeth and claws of the new Tyranids? How could an author who brought us such power as in the Imperial Guard Codex, bring such failure to arguably one of the coolest armies in all of 40K? Can anyone tell me how a Carnifex is worth 160 points base? Anyone? Why wings on a Hive Tyrant can be justified at 60 points? Why there isn't a single HQ choice in the whole codex with an invulnerable save in the shooting phase? And what in the hell is the use of a Pyrovore?

So I have tried, I really have, to make the argument that Tyranids are as competitive as the other 5th edition codices out there, but I can't do it any more. I can't honestly say that they can stand toe-to-toe with TH&SS Marine Lists, or Thunderwolf Calvary lists, or Leafblowers, or Fast Predator/Vindicator lists, because they can't. Now, I am not whining here, I can hold my own versus these lists and have beat, each and every one. However I have done so in-spite of the codex, not because of it. I have had to learn how to screen units better, and the use unit synergies, and new tactics that one must employ if they ever dream of keeping up with these lists. But why is it so different for the Tyranid codex then the others? Why do I have to keep up?

I plan to attend Adepticon 2011 and I was hoping to take the 'Nids with me when I started painting my army for 'Ard Boyz this year. However, the more I play my beloved 'Nids the more I realize that as far as updated 5th edition codices are concerned, my bugs got the shaft. Take a look at the other 5th Edition codices that have been released so far, Space Marines, Imperial Guard, Space Wolves, and Blood Angels. All of these armies can arguable be placed at the top of the 40K power creep meter right now. All of them top-notch, chiseled armies and ready to smash face on the tournament circuit, with Guard sitting on top in my opinion.

So what happened to the Tyranids? As I will go over in my overview of the codex in coming articles, the monstrous creatures are extremely over pointed, have no invulnerable saves and hence have little to no staying power, and can't hold their own versus similarly pointed units. For the rest of the codex, anything worth fielding is either too over priced to field, too small a unit to be worth it, or T4 that can be killed outright by a S8 or better weapon. Where are our Thunderhammer and Stormshield Terminators? Warriors with bone swords are about the same price and no one in their right mind would compare the two units as in the same league. Where is our cheep transports and leaf blower units? 160 Point Carnifexs that can't shoot a lick, are down to one gun, and you wouldn't dare put into hand-to-hand as anything worth sending it after can beat its brains in. Where are our Thunderwolf Calvary? Yes, the Trygon is an awesome model, that can easily be wiped off of the board in a single round of combat or rapid fire bolter fire.

Where is the umph to this army? Where is the punch?

Why did Genestealers get nurffed? Taking an attack away from one of the only units that people were still afraid of, oh, and removing the ability to better their armor save, thereby making them bolter bait.

Why can't I buy Warp Field for my Hive Tyrants or Tyranid Primes?

Tyranids are now a pretty much a short ranged shooting army who wants to be in hand-to-hand. However, once they get to hand-to-hand, they do not have the staying power to do much of any good. The whole army is a glass cannon.

The only way I have been able to run the army and compete is to run half hoard, half 'Nidzilla, and adopt a philosophy to the army:

'Big things hit small things, small things hit big things'

With this, the MCs hit smaller units that have little to no hope of really hurting them all the while I send mass hoards of toxin sac armed gaunts and gargoyles and hormaguants to bring down the higher toughness units. Lots a tanks? Still an issue for this army, but Hive Guard help. Too band I can only field three per unit. Zoanthropes are OK, but if you pod them in, the very next turn every gun in the army will blast them off of the board and if you walk them their painfully short range makes then less then a threat on the board. The Tyranofex is just too over pointed for a unit that hits half the time and can be brought down so easily.

I am not giving up on my 'Nids. I love playing them, I love painting them, and some day, two years into 6th edition maybe, a new codex will come out. It will possibly address these issues. And help make this more competitive army.

But until then I think I am hanging up the competitive claws of my 'Nids... and moving on to Eldar! I know, they are older, and have thier issues too. But I like the fluff and I am going to make a go of it. 1850 Points, built, painted, play-tested and ready for that Mecca of table-top wargamming, Adepticon!

Bravo Goatboy and COMP in 40K

Hey gang, I wanted to let you guys know about a wonderful article over at BOLS. Goatboy over at Bell of Lost Souls put up a great article today on how not to be a gaming douche! I love it, it is a great article and I highly suggest you give it a read:

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2010/05/goatboys-40k-thoughts-how-not-to-be.html

One of the things that he said that I especially agree with is that bringing a hard as nails list to a tournament, not a friendly game, a tournament mind you, is not being a douche, how you play that list is. I could not agree more!

Personally myself I do not feel that COMP has any place whatsoever in the game of 40K. GW, while they have made some mistakes and left a few units and rules out there that are capable of abusing holes in the 5th edition rule set, has done a fairly good job at keeping the game balanced, all things considered. If there is any kind of COMP structure that I would agree with, it would be a tiered point bump for obviously weaker armies, and not restrictions on armies that someone feels is unfair. For example, my poor beloved Necrons are far too weak in the 5th edition game to be competitive. We all know it. But what if in a 1750 tournament, they received a 200 point bonus? All of a sudden, maybe they could compete. Now, this is a loose system and I do not believe we should ever COMP 40K, but if we do, we need to bump up the weaker armies and not drag down those we deem as stronger. Those who claim that the 'Leaf-blower' lists, brought to you by BOLS, should be COMPed out of 40K are not being realistic.

I feel differently when I play for fun and when I play competitively. Fun is just that, fun. I could care less if I win, lose, or draw the game. I just want to have a good time with hopefully a friend or a new friend. Fun games is when I pull out those units I never use just to see how they do, or where I try out new tactics that I am unsure of. I do not take those games seriously at all, and neither should my opponent.

Tournaments are different, much different. It is a competition, it is meant to see on that day who is the best general, and I take that seriously. While I plan to have fun, and I hope you have fun too, I am there to smash in your face and place in the tournament. I could play my mom in a tournament and joke and laugh the whole time I am smashing her face in (my mom does not play 40K, yet...). I will not be a douche, I will have fun, I will joke around and laugh at my defeats and I will go out of my way to make sure my opponent is having as much fun as I am, but I play to win the game. So no list is to much, or too hard. If I get my head kicked in in a tournament by a list, I do not go home and cry about how unfair that list was. I develop new tactics, new strategies, and move to improve myself and my game. In the end, I am a much better player for it.

So think to yourself the next time you feel a list is 'broken'. Is it broken because it is obviously outside the rule set and not counter-able by anything anywhere, or is it that you were not prepared for it and you felt that your defeat to that list was unfair. Instead of claiming, 'we need to comp that', maybe go home, hit the lab, and build a better list to beat that list.