Monday, October 5, 2009

40k is not broken!

Here are the reasons I love 40k and think that even though each new codex is stronger than the last, at least according to the Interwebs chatter, that it is not broken.

Every army has its strength, even the Necrons, they also have there weaknesses, even the IG. Each new codex has countless geeks, myself included, scouring them for the strengths. They then put together the best army they can to beat the current trend in Army lists.

The old army's don't reread their own codexes looking for a way to beat the new they throw out the same list and try their luck. The problem is that the new codex/IG player has read his book thinking about your army and has put together a way to beat it. He is fighting the next war and you are still fighting the last.

This is what the US did in Vietnam.

The IG are beatable but it takes a thinker to beat them. If you are only starting to figure out how to beat them as they setup across the table from you, good luck.

You need to look at your list and think about what you might face and build to fight it. This is hard, it is much easier to copy the crowd who have figured out how to win with the new codex, than it is to be original and think for yourself.

There is a reason that very few Generals names are remembered throughout history. It is not easy.

How do you take a fresh look at your own army? Throw out what you are doing. Look at ways to beat the current trend. For Mech we spammed Melta now what? Once you have an Idea go back to your list and make it work. You will find units that were once useless they might now have a value. If nothing else they will be something unfamiliar for your opponents. The challenge before all us non-Gaurd Players right now is not our codexes it is our own nature. It is time to overcome our own habits and change not to a new codex but to a new style of play. What will work. I don't know but I am going to look for it and I am going to find something that is new to cause these copy cat list to have to think for themselves. Something I know most will not be able to do.

The Guard are strong because everyone has spent points on a powerful weapon with an effective range of 6 inches (Melta). Time to change.

40k is not a game where the same tactic is going to win over and over again. If it worked last month it is most likely not going to work the next. Tactics can over come everything even bad dice.

Ash

Ash

4 comments:

  1. I think the other important thing is to keep playing the same list. It's all to easy to change things every game. Something didn't work last time, so now you have to change everything around. Who cares that you rolled poorly or the unit didn't come in from reserve until turn 5? That doesn't mean you did anything wrong.

    Changes should be gradual, and should be made with a specific reason why. Units just don't fail. You fail to use them effectively. So much goes on in a game, and it's not just a numbers game. Your opponent plays 50% of the game! His actions affect your results.

    Something as simple as an empty Rhino riding across the field can change the way your opponent plays when he forgets that the rhino is empty. Does that mean his list sucks? Does that mean your list is the best? No.

    Playing that same army over and over again gets you used to the tactics, get you used to how to use the units. Then, in the middle of a game, you already know how to use your units effectively.

    Take a look at the good tournament players. Not always the winners, but the solid players. These are the guys that are playing the same army. Often they've had the army for years, and have slowly added to it and tweaked it. They know their army.

    The other side of the coin are the codex jumpers. As soon as a new codex is out, they are playing that codex over their old army. There is a belief that somehow this codex is better and will win. The spat of Space Wolf batter reports where the wolves lose or draw demonstrate that it's not the army, but the player that really matters.

    Sure, some armies have strong units and combos, but that doesn't mean they are invincible. Pick an army you like and stick to it, learn it, and then win with it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Having studied the Space Wolves codex a bit (among fever dreams, a snot filled brain, eye infections, and a projectile vomiting) I have fully failed to see how it could be broken. It contains a few "fixes", like the Devestator squads (ok, long fangs), some highly expensive guys (terminator with thunderhammer and storm shield, they are now very expensive!). Also some quite limited drop pods (12 would have made sooooo much more sense!). Oh and some very cool and expensive HQs.

    I am sure everyone will be able to handle them for sure:)

    Now how to stop those pesky Imperial Guards!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with your post whole heartedly and the comments. People who complain constantly about this or that being broken are just the standard whiners. They cry every new codex and eventually figure out how to beat the new codex ... then cry when the next new codex comes out. The new codex does have a slight statistical edge when it is first released not because its broken ... because people aren't used to it ... as you say. I agree 100% ... I love a steady release schedule that is at a reasonable pace. I love to have my codexes of choice updated every 3 to 5 years ... its awesome. 40K is an amazing game ... I love it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Let me play Devil's advocate here.
    How balanced are the number of troop choices for Chaos vs Space Marines? 5 or 6 more troop choices for Chaos? Unbalanced! I'll bet Chaos has some Deamons that are troops too don't they? Space Marines have tactical and scout. It's broken.
    The real proof af a broken system of codecies is that all tournaments are won by horde armies. I don't think a Space Marine Army has placed higher than 10th, except for maybe Deathwing, under 5th edition.
    Oh well I guess those Tyranid Generals and Ork Bosses are so much more the thinkers.

    ReplyDelete