Tournement Tactics

[Steellegioncpt]

Okay Im no stranger to the tourney scene, not to mention the wide string of tactics that go with it.

For instance having an extremely well balanced list is a key trick. Keep in mind you are facing a wide variety of players and armies. I.E. you are playing a space marine army one game then a mech guard the next.
A common sight are Power Armies, which means armies that have power armour saves which intails just aboue SM CMS and DH, also WH.

Another thing when you are shooting at a squad there is little or no need to wipe out the targeted squad completely. Once a squad is under half strenght they are no longer a scoring unit, thus not only can they hold down objectives but really dont count twoards VPs.

Also Pounce at the right time. What I mean is when you have a small detachment of your army set up near an take and hold objective you need to time your moves just right.
You dont want to pounce on the target too early because you will get mowed down by the oppenents shooting, but you dont want to be too late becuase then parts of said detachment maybe too under strenght to take the objective, wouldnt make it in time, or they get tied up in CC.

Finally deployment is key too, its sort of typical but not only do you need to ensure that squads make objectives you need to be able to support eachother fully.

But most importantly HAVE FUN. I mean dear god I cannot count how many aceinmyholes (edited) only cared about win win win win... win They will count every cm, mm, or every hair inch on winning. If your squad is just the slightest tinnie tiny bit out of that lip on the base to get into CC then you wont get it. It drives me nuts.

So please keep these game friendly tactics in mind, but also a game friendly attitude.

Cheers
Peter

[Perturabo]

I agree with you about the fun side-Ive never taken part in GW organised tournaments (ive done club and local events) for a couple of reasons the first being I object to paying GW £30-40 to take part and the second most important thing is Ive seen just how up there own "eye of terror" some of the players are-they arent there to have fun just win and they are so focused on that, that the fun side gets removed by security and dumped outside.

I have however watched a great many and I must agree with your comment on whittling down squads not till they are not destroyed but till they become non points scoring-its what the "pro" tournament players do! Business like and effective-sad but true.

[MSguardsmen]

never bring a guard, nid, or ork army. you will be called on stalling for time because of the sheer size of your army! lol

[Steellegioncpt]

Originally Posted by MSguardsmen

never bring a guard, nid, or ork army. you will be called on stalling for time because of the sheer size of your army! lol

Oh yes I agree with you there but Imperial Guard armies are rather great to bring, caugh steel legion caugh caugh

[MSguardsmen]

you and me both i may love my marines but the guard are the best army i have.

my motto is "bring the rain" because of all the indirect fire and ordance weapons i have.

[Stubber]

Originally Posted by Perturabo

I agree with you about the fun side-Ive never taken part in GW organised tournaments (ive done club and local events) for a couple of reasons the first being I object to paying GW £30-40 to take part and the second most important thing is Ive seen just how up there own "eye of terror" some of the players are-they arent there to have fun just win and they are so focused on that, that the fun side gets removed by security and dumped outside.

It depends on who you play...
I was at a tournament where I faced two people I knew from the local club.
Great games, spent more time laughing than playing...

Then the third guy was a DE powergamer...
Not only did I get my rear end handed to me but the guy had no sense of humour...arkward silence the whole game.
Curse him and his East-Side fattys t-shirt.

Now just to keep this on-topic...
A well balanced list isn't always necessary to win...the guy who came first at the tournie I was at had only IG infantry and flamers.
At least he seemed like a nice guy when I was talking to him.

[Perturabo]

Not sure if any one else has had problems with this at tournaments-sideline coaching, it really does my head in...your playing your opponent not him and his friend/gaming club!

The one thing Ive found is have a general plan for your army and how you want to use certain elements of it (these guys will drive forward, these guys will be tactical reserve) but be prepared to flexible -we have a saying in the military that goes along the lines of "no battleplan survives first contact with the enemy" meaning that no matter how much you plan and speculate the enemy will always suprise you by doing somthing different! Once you have commited to a plan go with it though-dont dither in the middle of the battlefield as you are just letting your opponent score easy points off you as you make up your mind .

[Ikarus]

Originally Posted by Stubber

It depends on who you play...
I was at a tournament where I faced two people I knew from the local club.
Great games, spent more time laughing than playing...

Then the third guy was a DE powergamer...
Not only did I get my rear end handed to me but the guy had no sense of humour...arkward silence the whole game.
Curse him and his East-Side fattys t-shirt.

Now just to keep this on-topic...
A well balanced list isn't always necessary to win...the guy who came first at the tournie I was at had only IG infantry and flamers.
At least he seemed like a nice guy when I was talking to him.

Can you enlighten me and tell me how the Dark Eldar Powergamed?

Like what did he field? I am interested in hearing this, because there are no DE players at all in my area, and interested in knowing.



To me.


I feel that Powergaming is near a must in tournaments - simply to achieve the most 'balance' army. You can handle most situations, and have an edge against other cheesey armies, but I would not field this into a casual game with my friends.


In tournament, the setting is more of a win win win feeling, because honestly... who doesnt want to win a prize?

[Warmaster Romulas]

Dark Eldar powergamer
is there such a thing you can take down there transports with a bolt pistol
im guessing lots of dark lances and agonizers
as far as powergaming I agree with IKARUS the only proper time is during tournaments and not with your friends unless the nights beer tab is at stake
and why is it called powergaming when you are just using your armies strength
when i field a space wolves army you better believe i have as many power weapons and fist as possible
and i hate sideliners i was the final round of a tourney with my orks about 2 years back and the guy i was playing was getting killed by my command squad but didnt notice the damage they were doing cuz he was eating my boyz up
then his sideline chearleaders informed him that my command squad would be all over his 2 basilisk in the next assault phase and he completely shifted his firing to kill them with an ordanance pen 6 on the truck they just consolidated back onto
then they directed his fire basicly shot by shot
i lost and i shook his hand then i told him that he should split his winnings with his cohorts
it stung realy bad because i had him and he was starting to guess a range into the mass of 70 boyz and then they changed his mind before he fired
I truly believe once i had those basilisk out of commision nothing could stop my green tide from rolling over his lines but sadly that was not to be
but i hate sideliners with a passion

[Perturabo]

Yep I agree totally as I said above-coaching should be banned, I hav eseen people on the sideline tell the competitor ranges etc.

If there is a GM present get them to ask them to shut up or leave

[Steellegioncpt]

Oh yes that too should of been a note of mine, the good old cheerleading coaches. Though it does bother me I dont normally make a fuss, since A) Im a laid back guy, and B) I wouldn't mind the challenege. Not to mention sometimes those coaches are WRONG and its hilarious haha However I do call them out every now and then by simply saying, "Since when did this game become a 3 on 1?" ha

[Warmaster Romulas]

im really laid back
i really dont mind them in friendly games but when a prize is at stake in that tournament
they should know when to shut their mouths and just be spectators
i know i do
i see a newb making a grave mistake and i just let him ride it out
and coment after the match on tactics in a helpful way not like "you know you should have" but more like "have you thought about this approach"
that is how i learned i took my lumps then and have taken many since
ive lost millions of men in the course of learning
but i believe ive become a competant Warmaster since

[MSguardsmen]

hmmm i havent had a specatator coach but i dont like the sound of them. if i ever see one im gonna give him one warning then im calling a gm


warmaster you wouldnt happen to live in mississippi would you?

[Perturabo]

Back onto the Tactics side...

The Rhino rush of old has gone but there are still several uses of vehicles either:-

a)rushing forward in turn one to maximum distance (and for the Blood Angels with the new Fast Vehicle Turbo Charge Engine upgrade thats a long way) and popping smoke, then disembarking and fighting from there whether youve just dumped a heavy weapons squad or an assault squad in your enemies lines its still a pain in the butt

or

b) sitting back for the first 4 turns letting the enemy come to you and picking them apart then rushing forward in the last turn or two and grabbing all the objectives with your squads in the vehicles

or

c) Mobile Fire-shield/Herding the Enemy, buy as many transports as you can and speed them forward without any passengers, they then park up in strategic places on the battlefield and dont move-either blocking lines of sight or block routes of access and because the enemy cant move within 1" of it unless they intend to assault it they have to deal with it-Or actualy advance behind the Vehicle as again if the enemy want to get to you they have to take the vehicle first then you can get the counter attack in (hopefully)

[vinny]

I have played many coms and had the helpers on the side giving info to the person I am playing. It does not phase me out or anything else. At my age I even help the person I am playing (within reason). If you or think you are good let the enemy have as many helpers as they wish because when it comes down to facing you in the future you rea already ahead in the mind games.
As to the usse of rhinos I use them as moving shields with my troops behind, even when the vehicle is destrojed hay presto it becomes a 4+ bunker

[Perturabo]

I help people out too, but that is my choice-bounce ideas of them, let them ask questions heck even point out if they have forgotten somthing..its called sportsmanship (somthing lacking in alot of the modern gaming community), but when the guy on the sideline points out somthing that you have been sneaking into position and your opponent hasnt noticed thats something I object too.

Yep the Rhino as a mobile bunker is very popular especialy as it has gone down in points nowadays!

[Warmaster Romulas]

no i live in michigan now
formerly North Carolina
soon to be another southern state hopefully before winter
any way
rhino is definately a moving bunker since they took out the rhino rush
but you can still replicate it in an extra turn

and i dont mind helping youger players but when something is at stake say winner of the tournament gets a battleforce the side liners need to stay out of it especially

[MSguardsmen]

ah ok thanks warmaster. true the rhino can be a lynchpin in alot of stratagies. lets say if your facing a ork or nid army where they maximise up close assault you can bottleneck them into a small area by deploying rhinos in other areas to block a movement. and if one happens to pen annihalte then there go a few of the enemy

[wolfpack]

I haven't played in many tourneys but I agree about the sideline coaches...
I was in one a while ago where my pups had the upper hand and the guy I was playing was using IG...he had a basilisk and couldn't guess range to save his butt...till the guy standing next to him told him what range to use and hit my LF's dead on...sad thing is... he hadn't noticed them disembark from my razorback and the next turn I woulda hit his basilisk with 2 LC a krak missle and a PC...instead I lost the missle launcher and the pc and my squad sergeant...and both my LC shots were only glancing and didn't even make a dent...really piss'd me off...the irony of it was the GM standing there and not saying anything...
I won anyways, by holding three of five objectives and the kid was a little miffed...his original target was my WG termies who held the center of the board and pretty much decimated three squads of infantry and a chimera (thank Russ)