Hey everyone! Adam, from TFG Radio, here to help those that need to make those “tough” choices in life!
It gets really busy for us this time of year. As we approach the last stretch leading up to the Las Vegas Open, there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes. Whether its scenery that needs to be build, making sure that the people who are supposed to be helping will actually be helping, or just making sure that the other hundreds of things that need to be taken care of are being done, just adds to the normal stuff we have to do. A lot of people are doing a lot of things. One of things we judges do is that we start fielding questions in regards to acceptable models, and some of the questions that may come up. Unfortunately we cannot get to all the issues that are mailed to us after a certain point(we aren’t there yet). We are glad to answer these questions but what do you do in the mean time? If there are different interpretations of a rule, or set of rules, how do you determine which one is right? Well, the easiest answer, until you get an official one, is for you to use the one that benefits you the least.
I know, it seems like the opposite of what you want. We’re told we should try to be as competitive as possible, within the boundaries of being a gentleman/lady, and yet here I am telling you to not try to bend every conceivable loophole in the game. Trust me when I say I am telling you this for a reason. All too often, we readily jump at a chance to use an exploit, or more specifically poor wording, in order to gain an advantage in the game. In most cases, you don’t even know if your interpretation is close to being the right one. You discuss with your friends, and other players, how they read the rule, and they may agree or disagree with you. If you can’t find a solid reasoning for a rule, either way, it then comes down to how you, personally, want to play the rule. You want to go with the rule that least benefits you because it will help you in the long run. Eventually, the rule in question will be answered, either by Games Workshop, or your local Tournament Organizer. There is no guarantee that the ruling will go in your favor. By already playing the rule in a way that hurts you, you will already be in a position to take advantage of the situation when the ruling becomes known to the wider audience. This faster learning curve can sometimes be the edge between wining and losing a game.
The other benefit of using the least beneficial rule is that you don’t look like “That Guy”. If you use the interpretation that most benefits you, people will begin to paint you in a certain light. They may not say it to your face, but word will get around about you using exploits to wins games and/or tournaments. Although this may seem a bit harsh, and even unfair, it is the reality of playing in a niche part of a niche hobby. many people travel nowadays and, thanks to the internet and Facebook, word does travel. You really don’t want to give anyone a reason to talk about you in a negative, if at all possible*. So take the high road and bite the bullet. In most cases , with Games Workshop anyway, the most tame interpretation of a rule is usually the correct call.
That’s all for this week, I hope you enjoyed the read. Let me know your thoughts, and rules “interpretions” that you had to deal with, in the comments section. Don’t forget to visit our Facebook, Twitch, and Patreon pages to stay up to date on what we’re up to and when episodes drop!
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*There are plenty of other reasons people will talk about you