Hello everyone Frankie here to talk a little bit about the upcoming tournament season. Last season was fun and a whole lot has changed in one year. So let’s dive in.
The thing Im so excited about this year is the variety we are all going to see at the events. All the different detachments that have come out, all the formations and the variety of allies there are now. The field is going to have an awesome spread. I doubt at most events you’ll play against the same army composition. The variety is exciting because playing against the same army over and over again is really boring. Another thing I’m excited about is the spread of codexs were going to see on the top tables. The game feels pretty balanced in the sense that all armies can cheese out for the most part. Some can cheese out more than others but it really feels like every army has a chance to win. More so then other editions in my opinion.
There are a few things I’m not excited about. First one is the allies that are being allowed just make zero sense. Some of the allies people are taking just take a doo-doo on the fluff. I’m not a big reader but I still respect the fluff of the game and believe it should make a little sense at least, haha. I’m not a big reader mainly because I don’t know how…but that is a whole other story! Another thing I’m not excited about are some of the crazy combos that don’t seem all that fun to play against. One of the big ones is the four-five Flyrant list, the super heavies that if they roll a 6 you lose (D Slappers and Stomps) and the Necron Overlords in barges getting up on 4’s. I know I can beat all of these lists but it would be really annoying to play them all at a tournament. Luckily I’m the worlds greatest 40k player so it’s not to much of a challenge for me. But I fear for all of you guys out there facing these lists without being ready. Let’s go over some tactics vs. these scary lists.
First tactic and this one is the most important, have fun! We’re all playing with toys with friends so don’t let it get you down. I know it’s hard and we all have those days were we get pissed about losing. But it’s important to remember that if you’re not having fun while playing with toys then, maybe it’s time to give up and go get a drink with your opponent, haha! Next tactic is to always play to the mission. Keep looking at your player packet and stay on target. As long as you play to the mission vs. those crazy lists you’ll be able to hang in there and probably end up winning. A lot of those lists are made for tabling you and not grabbing the objectives so make sure to kill their troops and get yourself into position to control/contest all the objectives. It’s like John madden always says, all you need to do to win is to score more points than your opponent.
Last bit of advice for this season is to make sure to bring plenty of anti tank guns. I have a feeling that this year we will be seeing a lot of mech, whether it be Wave Serpents or Super Heavies.
The last thing I want to talk about is probably the thing I’m most excited about with the tournament season starting, and that is the traveling. Right now I’m planning on Seattle, Chicago, Austin, Japan, Colorado and so many more, haha. Traveling to all these different cities and exploring the cities with firends is probably the best part. Plus seeing your friends from all around the country and making great memories with all of them. I hope to see a bunch of you guys at the events and hopefully we can all grab a drink or two together. Let me know what you guys are excited about this tournament season.
What event in Seattle? TSHFT? Which one?
Yeah the normal Tshft Open.
🙁 and me maybe being able to go to two
I cant wait till I havee a real job, then my excuse will be I cant go because I dont have money, but I cant get time off work
Also, I thoght frankie also looses when he is so drunk he wakes up crying in the shower
Haha yeah that happens sometimes too.
It’s interesting that Frankie hasn’t mentioned the deathstars and power combos that all these new formations are bringing up as well. Those are definitely still on my list of unfun things to play against but that you will definitely see in tournament play. Oh, and playing against adlance knights is about as fun as going to the dentist and getting a root canal without any anesthetics.
Yeah there are a lot of combos out there that will be unfun to play against.
GW needs to publish a $400.00 limited edition book that explains how to build any army these days lol…..The same fanbois who seem to be the only ones buying their products these days will snap them up in a heart beat. I am really looking forward to the financials in January to see what sort of beating they took…I guess when you define bad news as good news as they want to do……probably will end up as a truly successful and great year despite a massive decline in profit.
It’s funny that you think it’s the powergamers that are buying all the supplements, because that’s not who GW think they’re printing them for and certainly it’s not them that are clamoring for them.
I personall don’t think anyone is buying them…I think the ones that get sold are the very very few collectors who literally have to own everything or the power games that want the lance formation. Nothing wrong with being a power gamer….GW catered to it since the 90s by having each release be more OP over the next until they reveresed the trend with the new codexes. Now they seem to be each one is worse than the next. What they did to the grey knights is absolutely unforgivable. If stupid were a direction, GW seems to always be on course.
Everyone bad mouths GW but we would all be sitting in the closet sucking our thumbs crying if they go out of business. Waa waa.
Nah brah,
I would be playing some xwing, infinity, malifaux, warmahordes, bolt action, or flames of war. GW isn’t the only game in town. Where I live, midwest near Chicago, the game is already dead. After the battle bunker closed in Oak Brook that was about the end of AWC. When they moved to games plus they started drawing four people for their tournaments, where they used to have 20 or more.
I can just tell you anecdotally from eBay sales that nearly 85% of my packages head to the west coast, where about two years ago they were heading there about only 35-40% of the time. Trust me- I pay attention to that, because I ship flat rate and it’s way more expensive sending things to left coast.
From talking with friends in other parts of the US, tourney attendance is way down in all parts of the country with the exception of the West Coast. It’s great that that tourneys are doing well there, but the rest of the country is another story. How about the tourney scene in the UK? I would love to hear about it from 40k Global, but they saw the writing on the wall and closed up shop.
If you want to play 40k in a competitive tournament fashion, you are going to be fighting the company itself to do so. I think something needs to happen at GW before the tourney scene returns to former levels. I think so many people are passionate about how GW has ruined the game over the last few years, because they truly love the hobby. It’s painful seeing someone or something you love destroy himself with booze drugs or whatever….in the case of GW greed and stupidity have nearly killed the game I have enjoyed since I was a teenager.
What I think is pretty degenerate is the behavior of the GW rep at my former FLGS. We used to draw a good crowd, 10-20 gamers every Sunday night for 40k. After 7th edition dropped all the tourney players left and the club imploded. Orders to GW from my FLGS dried up and the rep kept promising the owner that GW was putting out a tourney supplement in October….all the tourney players should come back and keep buying because that tournament supplement will be out soon…… Well October came and went and the rep kept back peddling that one will come out soon.
I am sure he is saying anything at this point to try and sell a few extra boxes each month. There is no tourney supplement and there never will be one. GW cares ****all about tournament play or anything other than you shelling out x dollars a month on their product.
I just think it’s sad that Reecius and Frankie care more about competitive play and creating fun tournaments than the actual company itself. I think they are trying to bail water as fast as they can as the 40k boat has been sinking.
I hear yeah, we’re not too far apart. the 40k scene totally imploded in South Bend IN. Malifaux is rising from the ashes here though.
A lot of folks are playing alternate games these days. I don’t think that is a bad thing at all, myself. Frankie and I are loving DzC.
I’d also like to know which event is in Seattle. I probably won’t participate, but I’d love to go watch.
http://www.tshftopen.com/
Come on by!
I know it’s a minor detail. But your guys tournament season ends in February not December
That is true, haha, good point. More that the only break in the season is in December.