Thursday 12 April 2012

40K league 2013 - umm...

We are only about half way through the 2012 40K league at Primarchs but already I am pondering the next one for 2013. I spent months writing up all the missions from various sources to include for the current one but the gremlins got in there and a few were copy/pasted badly, or proved to be unbalanced under the current rules for some reason, plus a few gripes here and there from poor losers (sorry guys, but it's true). So I have decided that next time I will go with something more balanced.

My decision will be to keep games at 1500 points unless 6th edition ups the potential points like 8th edition Warhammer Fantasy did, and to use the Battle Missions book. I love Battle Missions. It's one of the few gems that Games Workshop have put out as a 40K supplement. Basically, for those who don't know, it allows the default missions in the rulebook (regardless which) half the time, and the missions of it's own pages the other half. The missions within are fair but tough, and provide a challenge.

There have been a few minor grumbles because one or two players feel that only the core rulebook missions are balanced enough for play. I disagree. If you want a perfectly balanced game you go and learn chess. Wargaming is about being the general, adapting to the mission and the flow of play. After all in the real world we have the axim that no plan survives contact with the enemy. It's the same in wargaming.

Anyway, I will be using Battle Missions next time. The real issue that I have to ponder is whether to allow Forge World units. I have always been of the opinion that FW is perfectly legal but I do know that not everyone wants to face it, so for the last couple years leagues at Primarchs have been codex only and fixed list. Now I have two players who want to be able to use the latest FW release for their Eldar armies and I don't know anymore. Part of me really wants to just say no, and keep the FW for friendly games between leagues. It seems the fair thing to do, but not everyone wants to see them used. If I do say no, there will be dissapointed looks but I think everyone will just get on with it, but I need to consider it rather than just say no.

Lastly I want to try and go back to a varient of how we used to play at Primarchs: mutable lists. When the club first started players were allowed to change lists each week based upon knowing the mission in advance and their opponent. It made for interesting games (even if Eldar seemed to win everything) and helped support the FLGS as players would order in the units they wanted to try out. I want to try something like mutable again, list and codex. Most players have at least two armies and more than enough models to change list. Part of this comes from myself and about a half dozen other players who get very bored playing the same list every week/round. Alternate lists would keep interest up I think. Players would know their opponent but not the mission as that would be rolled on the night, so they couldn't plan for a specific opponent.

Update: Sitting here typing this I have had a thought. Rather than a pure mutable list, how about each player writes three lists which can be different codexes if they wish, and they bring the one they want to play that night? Prevents too much tweaking but means that lists won't be the same each week. Oh well. Something else to ponder.

So I have a lot to consider carefully but thankfully I have plenty of time.

3 comments:

  1. The commanders have survived countless battles with elements of their command and would never consider fighting without them (luck, pride, superstition, etc etc). Each player must choose a hq and two troop choice, these choices may not be changed in anyway through out the game.
    No real reason for it. Doesn't really change anything. Although if you spend a small fortune on wraithguard, at least everyone can tailor their list to destroy them knowing they will be present :p


    Combined forces. Each player may choose up to 3 750 point lists. They may be drawn from different codex's, but each list must be drawn from a single codex. The force organisation chart does not apply to these lists. For each battle they choose two of these forces to make a complete 1500 point force, but this final list must meet force organisation requirements.
    Could be hilariously broken.

    Ideas :D

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  2. All players are given a list of all the missions to be used in the league. Before each battle a player picks which mission he would prefer and bids a number of strategic points (see later). Whoever bids most wins, and his/her choice will be used. The winner will be the attacker where relevant. In the event of a tie roll off.
    Each player may only pick any given mission once throughout the league. Once picked, whether you won the bidding or not, it may not be picked again.
    Each player receives 2 strategic points at the start of the league. They will receive more upon the outcome of the battle. The winner will receive 1 point. His opponent will receive 2. In the event of a tie, both players recieve 1. Once points are bid, they are lost.

    Because you like book keeping right?

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