Tuesday 9 August 2011

Running into a Spot Of Trouble

Hey there! c'est encore Diamètre,

When I meet another player face to face, I don’t hide my competitive gaming nature. My very first post on the local Wargames group forum voiced this, by saying that I am a tournament player at heart, and told that to each gamer that I faced at the first meet that I attended that I was in 'it to win it' (I look back and want to slap myself for that turn of phrase - I mean, he has shit hair *and* he's a pretentious knob? wow).

*cough*


As you may recall from one of my previous posts, I am a Dark Eldar player alongside the touted Craftworld Eldar and I am starting my little dabbling in Space Marines. Consequently, I know what composes an effective list for the first two armies and how to best use one or the other (not to the level that some others do). (With regards to MEQs however, I freely admit are not my speciality and don’t give my opinions or criticisms if there are any on a subject as shown in the forum thread below.)


My local club (and pretty much the only one in my locality), the "Bury Wargamers Club" is starting a 1500pt league soon where players who participate will play against everyone else who signs up in a sort of long drawn out tournament over the rest of the year, whilst retaining a friendly atmosphere that pervades the whole club (or at least that’s how I understood it...). See, the merest indication of competitive play here suggested to me that my Eldar army would be right at home and I ploughed in with the assumption that people would want good lists. Last league, a Razorwolves + Long Fangs list came out on top, so unsurprisingly, I prepared myself for that level of list building and generalship. So, whilst offering criticism on someone’s DE list in this thread, I got a slight over-reaction from some of the players and was lambasted for voicing my opinion.

In true Dethtron style, I’ll snowmobile everyone’s comments in the thread (including my own in a fairly Smeagol-esque moment) as I really don’t want to start a flame war over there (they don’t like me already after some consternation about the DE reaper here).



Names have not been changed to protect the innocent, and snowmobiling is done in Purple after their own words.

Adam Curry:
Dark Eldar: 1495pts 
Haemonculus Ancient w/ Hexrifle 95pts
Haemonculus Ancient w/ Hexrifle and Shattershard 110pts
10 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Blaster, Dark Lance 130pts
Raider w/ Disintegrators, Splinter Racks, Night Shields: 80pts
10 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Blaster, Dark Lance 130pts
Raider w/ Disintegrators, Splinter Racks, Night Shields: 80pts
10 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Blaster, Dark Lance 130pts
Raider w/ Disintegrators, Splinter Racks, Night Shields: 80pts
3 x Reaver Jetbikes w/ Heat Lance, Cluster Caltrops: 98pts
6 x Reaver Jetbikes w/ Blaster x 2, Cluster Caltrops x 2: 202pts
5 x Scourges w/ Splinter Cannons: 130pts

Talos Pain Engine w/ Stinger Pods, Chainflails: 115pts
Talos Pain Engine w/ Stinger Pods, Chainflails: 115pts

This *was* formatted really horribly. I mean it, really horribly - I've fixed now so you don't have to undergo the same torture as I did.
WidthofaCircle: I like this list, but I feel that the twin taloi are significantly out of place here - they are so slow compared to everything else!

Lying bastard, you hated it. Where do the haemos go, on foot alone? Why the taloi in a raider list? The Scourges loadout sucks as do the blaster jetbikers - use heatlances instead or something! I am also curious about the choice of raider weaponry - you expect to pop transports for squishies killin' with that level of long range AT?


ANS Power Klaw them to death... wtf?


*looks confused and hides again*
AdamCurry: yeah i know what you mean, tempted to replace them but i do really love them as models and also there easier to transport then ravagers i find.

The models *are* nice, I'll give you that. If you're tempted, do it.
EnigmaTheMonkey: Sometimes it's better that you have some slower stuff as a 'second wave' kind of thing - especially in the form of blood-crazed Bane-style Monstrous Creatures. Kind of like a "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water" moment: you've just about survived the Wyches and- WHACK! The Taloi hit!
No. DE just don't work like that, it's all or nothing. Balls against the wall.

I like it - more than enough DE speed + AT ability but it doesn't look like every other DE list out there :)
EtM

I know it's you, why did you put a signature?
WidthofaCircle: Dude, not for DE. You want to hit as hard as possible all at once if you're running CC. You don't want to be assaulted. You want to be the one assaulting - tying everything up at once. Either that or hitting them with as much Splinter fire as possible.
The Taloi are just so out of place it isn't even worth chatting about. I'd be happy to play you at some point Etm with a proxied bad DE list to show you how it can go so incredibly wrong.

Stop raging dude, you're making me look like an emo-moper :(.
AdamCurry: O i know there out of place there but its a friendly league anyway so my list doesn't have to be that competitive, should be good fun 2 mess around with i think :)

O? You mean a game in a mini-tournament where you play to win is not competitive? Shiiit you guys will hate me.
Fuzzman: Yeah friendly thats why I took predators in my list, Completely out of place with the whole drop pod theme.
I got told here, sorry mods.

AdamCurry: i like predators no idea why but o well lol
WidthofaCircle: Sorry, I'm just quite bitter that my codex is terrible. :(

There you go *passes a hanky* you'll feel better after a haircut and bath.
I *am* a competitive player and it just pains me when I see a list that isn't completely optimised. Mind you, this one isn't far off :) (Note smily face to indicate encouragement)
AdamCurry: i know what you mean if it makes u feel better if i was going completely competitive it would ravagers in there place
Chaos_Legionnaire: psssh personally id prefer you field ravagers, the lightly armoured vehicles are an easier kill point for my lists XD

Responds with appropriate level of smack talk: "The Power of Music will Defeat You!"
Kevin_The_Yank:

WidthofaCircle said: "I *am* a competitive player and it just pains me when I see a list that isn't completely optimised. Mind you, this one isn't far off :)"

Dude... really? Switch to decaf.
I can't drink coffee, makes me shake and fart uncontrollably so you're wrong on that count. I've never had anyone complain that I drink too much blackcurrant tea.

If you really get "pained" by lists that aren't completely optimised, you're likely to get the Bends at an average BWG meet. Not speaking for everyone else, but as for myself, I play because I want to try things out and mess around/drink coffee/make fun of Alex with my friends. The game is just the excuse that I use so the entire thing doesn't go all "bromantic".
I could "optimise" my list (2 RBack squads, 3 Vindicators, 9 Landspeeders), but that's really not a lot of fun. ("Right, so which squad eats 18 Krak missiles THIS turn?"). 

Lol Vindicators you make me laugh.

WidthofaCircle said: "Sorry, I'm just quite bitter that my codex is terrible. :(" 
Wow... that's... um... remember when you say this that there other people here who to stay un-bitter with "terrible" codices that are probably older than yours. Rash generalisations tend to lead to munchkin-esque arguments that heighten my blood pressure, so I'd rather avoid them if it's all the same to everyone here.

Looks like I got told again.

Pointers for improvement taken from above: Switch to decaf coffee and stop being a munchkin?

lol.
EnigmaTheMonkey: Cheer up, guys! It's Christmas soon!!

You win points. :)
EtM
I Iz Teh Maxter: Widthofarticle... the Eldar codex is by far not the worst. Lets pick out Orks. Orks are highly uncompetitive, the codex has defintiely not got the best units. Eldar has better units. But orks are great fun to play! Never a dull game with orks! And that is why I play them! And that is why iw ill always play them!
As I said earlier I do care about winning and losing, I don't care which one I get though. I do like to win, and I am a little bit competitive. but as long as the game is not broing, and I realise my weak points and strong points I don't mind losing or winning.

Sorry, we're chatting about DE not Orks. Additionally, did I ever say the 'dar dex is the worst?


Also, sorry I don't know how a game can be broing either. ;)

Even GC08 who plays in laods of tournaments and comes up with realy compettive nasty lists, loves the fun games with lists that may not be the best you can make. As you can see by his Call of Cthulu list.
Dude, I hope we can teach you the way of underdog, and most enjoyment out of a game a.k.a do it orky style :)
Another pointer here: Play orks... Hmm.... No.


Also, I have a pointer for you. Spell check. Use it.

You're very wrong Maxter - I do get enjoyment out of a game by playing with my crazy purple boxes and confounding them with my neat-freak gaming style. Obsessive collection of dice and putting things in order on the tabletop.


Maybe you don't understand. Here I'll say it in simpler terms.


Mind war FTW!



I am so very tired after all that snowmobiling... I hope you enjoyed the read.


See you next time.


Love, Width


4 comments:

Death Korps of War said...

Must say, if you have a 'in it, to win it' gaming nature...you should know that that sort of attitude doesnt get you very many friends.

Now im not saying that playing to win isint a bad thing. It grows your confidence, ups your se;f-esteem....etc.

However, a gaming club is not a very competivite environment, unless their is a league or tournament being held in it. Most people at a club are playing just for the fun of playing.
Most of them, like me, dont want to use a completely optimised list (atm im playing tau without broadsides and i only have 2 Battlesuit teams, Shas'O's bodyguard and 1 Fireknife team, despite TKE's insistance that i need more of them.)

Players like yourself, just arent fun to play against, because your opponent knows he's going to lose before he gets a chance (unless the roll of the dice is in his favour and your struggling to get any decent rolls. Happens to all of us)
Of course, i have to take myself away from this equation because i dont care if your the best player, or the worst, because im their only to play. I dont care if i win or lose. Its just a game, why should i let a game bother me.
When TKE and me play, i know he is going to win (mostly because he's like you. He plays to win.) but i dont care. It really doesnt bother me.

The rest of the general public however, is another story. Some will be like me, some will just refuse to learn from what went wrong, and some will refuse to be challenged into trying to get the better of you and your powerful lists and so will refuse to play you (or at the very least just not like playing you)

Tbh, im getting tired of reading things like this from players like yourself.
You all know that some people who play the game dont like playing people who play every game as though it was a tournament, and its mostly your own fault that you get so frustrated with gaming clubs and other players, because you bring this over competitive nature to the table and at a gaming club, most people dont want to see that.
In my view, their is a time and a place for that sort of gaming behaviour, and thats a Tournament where your supposed to play to win at all costs. that behaviour outsode a tournament just just isint tolorated/liked outside of one. Why players like yourself just dont understand that i dont know. I wish i did, but i dont.
(Btw, im not attacking you with this. its aimed at all players who play to win, but im channeling it through you. please dont take offence)

Kriswithak said...

Alot of trolling going on there, you can kind of see where everyone jumps on the bandwagon.
Seriously, "stop being a munchkin?" = good advice!

(Whats a munchkin btw)

There is a lot of stupid going around on the forums lately, so I don't find this situation surprising, good list building is practically unheard of.

There are fun lists, built in a practical way, and then there are shit fun lists, were someone wants every model they bought on the table, because the GWS red shirt told them to buy the models cause they are heaps good.

Death Korps of War said...

Trolling by me, or him???

GiantKiller said...

"I could "optimise" my list (2 RBack squads, 3 Vindicators, 9 Landspeeders), but that's really not a lot of fun."
-Kevin_The_Yank

Best laugh I've had all day.

Thank you kindly.

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