Be a Better 40K Gamer

6th Edition 40k has been out for a while now. We know what the game is like, we understand a lot of the differences between 5th Edition and 6th Edition. We understand the missions and how the game works.

At this point we are running a Crusade of Fire campaign at Gamers Sanctuary. We're focusing on building the community as always. Community building is super important and always will be with wargaming - it is a high cost hobby and if people don't show up you've just spent a lot of money on shelf models.





So how can we build a community? More importantly, how can you be a great member of that community and be a good example for new guys? How can we make tournaments better and more friendly to all factions?

Be open minded. Listen to other people's ideas, try out new things. I violated this one a bit earlier this year with my skepticism of the way Adepticon decided to do 40k terrain. I tried it on the day of the tournament and it was OK, but I still prefer the regular way of terrain. That part doesn't matter so much - more important is not to shoot down people's ideas just because they're different from what you do.

Many tournaments are still being run the same way they were run ten years ago. Sometimes things need to be changed up. After playing some other games in tournaments, 40k comes across as very slow and plodding and sometimes just painful. Many games don't even make it to turn five.

This grass was brown dirt before you started your 40k game

What can be done about that? Time limits... Just some food for thought. Many gamers are getting older and have more responsibilities, family, etc and trying to sacrifice an entire Saturday for a tourney just isn't feasible.

Realize that GW doesn't write competitive rulesets. They just don't. There is no tournament format, there are no tournament rules. We had this come up somewhat recently with a gamer raging out on a private FB group because he felt a tournament was scored wrong so that the TO's buddy could win. Realize that when you go to a different game store or play with a different group that tournament rules are different. Nothing is universal with GW games when it comes to tournament guidelines.

Offer feedback to the right person. If you feel something isn't being run right, or you were shafted in a tournament, offer feedback to the TO or group organizing it, don't shit-talk behind their back or post thinly-veiled passive-aggressive 'questions'. Most organizers are open to feedback and may even change the way things are run.

Use the right amount of GOOD terrain. Gone are the days of playing on pool tables. Hell, 5th Edition didn't even accommodate that yet people are still doing it. The board needs to represent an actual battlefield, not a game playing table. Not every unit should be able to shoot everything whenever they want.

Cover the board in the proper amount of terrain and make at least 25% of it LOS blocking (no windows, no huge gaps, etc etc). As a Tyranid player this is a HUGE deal. I don't want all my MCs dead on turn two because they're walking across a golf course to the enemy. LOS blocking matters EVEN MORE now that tons of armies can just ignore cover (what the hell, GW?).

Does this look like something out of White Dwarf? How much strategy do you think was involved in this game?

Give your opponent the benefit of the doubt. If there is a question about 25% cover or whatever just give it to the opponent. MC models are not bricks where you can easily tell 25% of volume. Tau Fire Warriors are not bricks either. Models are posed dynamically. Give your opponent a cover save if it looks like there might be a cover save. They'll probably fail it anyway and with the amount of shooting in the game you'll get them next time even if they do make it.

Plus, who really thinks a Fire Warrior is not gonna hunker down against an Aegis defense line?

Allow Forge World models in your games. This shouldn't even be a question anymore. The reasons used in the past not to allow them in:

1) They're not fair! Have you seen some of the models in the Tau or Eldar codex lately? Remember how powerful the GK codex was? There are broken units in a ton of codexes out there, way more than any FW units.

2) The books cost too much and I can't buy them to figure out how to beat that stuff! The new codex price is about as much as many FW books cost (mostly the Apocalypse book that houses many of the 40k approved stuff). The new supplements aren't available to 99% of gamers until months after they've been released. Man up.

3) I can't afford this stuff so you shouldn't be able to use it! The new GW prices on models are insane. They're worse than FW. This isn't a valid problem.

4) Most of the stuff is Imperial. I do agree with this one. It is unfortunate.

If you don't agree with a TO's ruling, talk to them about it in private. I didn't attend the recent Michigan GT but I was hoping it would go well (and it sounds like it did). On their FB page there was SO MUCH whining beforehand about some of the rulings in the FAQ. If you have an issue don't bring down the rest of the event with your questions and rage.

Paint your models. Nothing is worse than seeing a sea of gray vs a sea of gray. Be the hobby example.

These are just some ideas I've had kicking around in my head. If you want to provide feedback please don't hesitate to do so down below. Be a better gamer!