# The 'Meta' @ > 1000 Points



## Hasnat (Apr 15, 2012)

By the word 'meta', I refer to this question: what do people usually field and how do they usually intend to use it?

Apparently, the current trend seems to be monsters (e.g. Hydras) and hordes when it comes to low points games. To what extent is this true?

Specifically, assuming the above summary is true, would expect the 'meta' to change if the points limit is 800 and the character total limit is 200?


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

The "meta" is non existant. It's either a points level suited for balanced lists, or complete gimmick lists.

People who play 1K limits for competitive purposes are laughed on by people who play 1800/2400 limit games, where games are longer than "do you have x in your army list? no? oh, i win/lose".


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

I've played a lot of 1k games in warm up to 2*1k doubles and its a fun points limit where you really have to think about every upgrade you take: just adding full command to everything is a very bad plan and you won't necessarily have the points for a mage, general and BSB.

we've found you can get some horrible mismatchs but generally the games work very well, but that you really need to focus on movement: with so few points on the table you get a LOT of space, so its very easy to avoid things you don't want to fight. That means that slow deathstars often suffer.
There are some units that really break the game at 1k: HPAs are horrible and if you have nothing to deal with them (and hydras are a little nastier then normal) but its the stupid steam tank that takes the biscuit... its almost unkillable for most 1k armies.

Overall I'd say that if people aren't complete cocks then its a fantastic points limit to play: quick games, lots of tactics and manoeuvring and a real focus on good lsit building... very fun.


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## Masked Jackal (Dec 16, 2009)

At that low a points level, it can be really fun, quick games, but you have to watch out for some of the sillier stuff. If someone decides to play, say, a horde of Saurus or Chaos Warriors, or some specific character builds, there could be absolute Rock/Paper/Scissors going on, which is never fun. Competitively, at that low a point-level, you can't counter everything, so there'll be matches you just can't win if anyone uses something ridiculous.


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## Hasnat (Apr 15, 2012)

Tim/Steve said:


> I've played a lot of 1k games in warm up to 2*1k doubles and its a fun points limit where you really have to think about every upgrade you take: just adding full command to everything is a very bad plan and you won't necessarily have the points for a mage, general and BSB.
> 
> we've found you can get some horrible mismatchs but generally the games work very well, but that you really need to focus on movement: with so few points on the table you get a LOT of space, so its very easy to avoid things you don't want to fight. That means that slow deathstars often suffer.
> There are some units that really break the game at 1k: HPAs are horrible and if you have nothing to deal with them (and hydras are a little nastier then normal) but its the stupid steam tank that takes the biscuit... its almost unkillable for most 1k armies.
> ...


Fortunately, I will only be playing 800 points so no Rare units above 200 points. However, I certainly agree about the movement - thank you for that tip.



Masked Jackal said:


> At that low a points level, it can be really fun, quick games, but you have to watch out for some of the sillier stuff. If someone decides to play, say, a horde of Saurus or Chaos Warriors, or some specific character builds, there could be absolute Rock/Paper/Scissors going on, which is never fun. Competitively, at that low a point-level, you can't counter everything, so there'll be matches you just can't win if anyone uses something ridiculous.


I agree also.



Vaz said:


> The "meta" is non existant. It's either a points level suited for balanced lists, or complete gimmick lists.
> 
> People who play 1K limits for competitive purposes are laughed on by people who play 1800/2400 limit games, where games are longer than "do you have x in your army list? no? oh, i win/lose".


However, I do not have time for large games... I just cannot fit them in. Warhammer is important but a few other things take priority. Also, the points level I play is 800 and there is a 200 points character cap, so usually there are no "unkillable" lists.


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

I often find mismatches the most fun and most instructive: learning how to play with an army to try to avoid losing is often quite fun (weirdly its less fun for an under-matched opponent who can't get to grips with a weaker enemy). Getting a draw out of a game that you could never have won is immensely satisfying.

There are some games where there is simply no possible result other then you getting utterly trounced... they're no fun for either side (so long as you aren't playing one of 'those' players) and can normally be avoided. Few players want to bother going through the hassle of getting all their models on the board to play a game with an inevitable conclusion.



Worst mismatch I ever had was my fluffy skink list against a VC infantry army playing watchtower. My army was entirely based around outmanoeuvring anything that came against it (I loved anything remotely deathstar-ish)... but when I've got a big unit of grave guard with shields sitting in a watchtower with a Lv4 necromancer healing any wounds then throwing 2D6 S4 magic missiles at my fragile units its never going to work. Didn't help that he miscast his magic missiles about 5 times during the game, rolled 10+ hits for at least 4 of them (kept taking 8 wounds off my 4 strong terradon units) and then got either the small blast S10 or base contact results on the misfire table... which he could easily heal with a single spell.
Then again I played a few games where slow block units couldn't hope to counter my mobility while I could weaken them with skinks/sallies until I dropped all my rocks to massacre a unit (often with a general/mage)...


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## Hasnat (Apr 15, 2012)

I agree... when I am facing a supposedly difficult list, I play harder and concentrate more, sometimes end up winning.


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