# Tournament Tactics and Tips



## Baalirock (Oct 6, 2008)

Hi, all! I'm going to be playing in my first tournament at the end of the month, so I am frantically trying to finish assembling and painting as many of my minis as I can between now and then. The tournament will be at my FLGS, and it will be 1500 points. My question for you is, does anyone have any tips or advice for general tournament play? I play Orks, but I'm really just looking for general tips, instead of anything Army-specific. Any input would be appreciated. :mrgreen:


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## Wounded (Jan 24, 2009)

Tip #1: Get a new avatar. that one un-nerves me.


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## m3rr3k (Oct 14, 2008)

1) Read your opponent's list before deploying. Ask questions.
2) Don't be a dick. A guy at fracas laughed when his opponent dropped his slinger & it exploded. Got 0-bombed pretty hard...
3) Have a shower the morning of & use anti-persperant - there's nothing worse than being in a small room with 50 guys with bad hygiene...
4) Try not to rule lawyer, it's not fun & nobody will respect you. playing RAW does not mean lawyering.
5) Bring all the FAQs, not just your own.
6) Bring an army list for yourself AND for EACH of your opponents. People like to take them with them so they can remember what they played & attempt to adjust their tactics seeing what did / didn't work against what.
7) Summarize your wargear on your armylist. Nothing worse than spending 5 minutes a turn flipping through codex' to find specific rules you should know.
8) Try to clear your mind between rounds. Don't let a massacre in round 2 affect the rest of your day...
9) Don't leave the table during your opponent's turn. Ask for bathroom breaks.
10) I had an opponent show up 1 hour late for a round after lunch... Don't do that. He was a very nice guy, had a fantastic army, but because he was late we only got to play 3 turns...


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## Revelations (Mar 17, 2008)

Tournaments are so static in my opinion; most tactics and army compositions are so similar, I question why someone doesn't take advantage of that and run the tables. I've played one, and got so rediculously bored with it, there are just so many bad things about them I generally avoid them. I hate WYSIWYG and the constant complaining. Figures that 3 of my group are bugging me to go to the next one. 

Most people run anti-MEQ armies (hence why Orc armies dominate). They tend to focus on one thing specifically without allowing for the possibility of something else; an example would be having 2 meltas or 2 flamers in a single squad instead of 1 each. Expect mostly low AP and low rate of fire from most armies. Everyone loves LasCannons, but no one cares about Heavy Bolters. 

Expect everything to be in a transport; nothing will deploy unless their in killydoom range and will stay in their protective armor shields of doom until they know they can massacre your units. Knowing this, high strength long range weapons are great. Expect lots of vehicles because of the 5th Ed rules. Expect everyone to have the nastiest combinations you can think of; Storm Shield Terminators, Lash Princes, Nob Bikers, Wing Tyrants, etc. If it's cheesy, it will be in a tourney. 

Try to have a good time, everyone is there to win, not to have fun. I REALLY don't believe anyone that tells me otherwise. Knowing this, play the game, not your opponent. People tend to ignore the actual objectives when they get flustered and favor destroying you over specific objectives. As said, don't be an ass, far too many of them at tourneys to begin with.

As an Orc player, I suggest using trucks with Red Paint and not concerning yourself with kiting out every single unit. Shoota boys, Nob with PK and Bosspole; cheap and effective. Take advantage that you have both speed, melee and mass fire power in your codex. Use cover, avoid rapid fire ranges; trucks will help you through them. Play aggressively, most people still don't know how to handle orcs and those that do, still have difficulties with it. And of course, be mindful of your objectives and focus on them.

Bring snacks, something to drink and a good attitude.


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## Grik (Jul 28, 2008)

m3rr3k said:


> 1) Read your opponent's list before deploying. Ask questions.
> 2) Don't be a dick. A guy at fracas laughed when his opponent dropped his slinger & it exploded. Got 0-bombed pretty hard...
> 3) Have a shower the morning of & use anti-persperant - there's nothing worse than being in a small room with 50 guys with bad hygiene...
> 4) Try not to rule lawyer, it's not fun & nobody will respect you. playing RAW does not mean lawyering.
> ...


Very well put! Very good advice. And Revelations hit it on the head too, the golden rule of a Tourney is If it's cheesy or massively broken/overpowered, it will be in Tourney in someone's army. If not 2 or 3 players' armies.

And I agree everyone loves and goes ga-ga over Lascannons and Plasma Weapons while forgetting about the always very useful Heavy Bolter. I personally like the Heavy Bolter the best.


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## Someguy (Nov 19, 2007)

If you go with an attitude of wanting to have fun, you are quite likely to have fun. If you go there wanting to win, your chance of winning remains small.

That said, I went to my first tournament (the UKGT in 1999) just looking to have fun, and came away with best general. Stuff happens.

M3rr3k has given a lot of good information. A key thing I would say is to think about the time stuff takes. It's almost always true that if it takes you a long time to do something at a tourney it will be less fun. Try not to take too long over deployment. Try not to move models one way, then decide you have done it wrong and move them somewhere else. Think, then do stuff.

*Know your rules*. If you don't know the rules you will spend time arguing about stuff only to find that you are wrong, flicking through rulebooks and talking to judges. That will reduce the fun you have by a lot.


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## Wounded (Jan 24, 2009)

> 3) Have a shower the morning of & use anti-persperant - there's nothing worse than being in a small room with 50 guys with bad hygiene...


oh god that is so true


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

If possible practice with your completed list against a range of armies.

Then you won't be surprised when your close combat unit bounces or is mired down forever by a cheap horde.

And as someguy said *know your rules.*


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## Wolf_Lord_Skoll (Jun 9, 2008)

Over here in Oz, you getting slammed if you don't have have a reasonably balanced army, power gaming lists get no comp points, which hurts your overall score real bad.


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## SpaNNerZ (Jun 17, 2008)

Merrecks basically stated most the points
1) Attitude: its all about it, as Someguy said, dont go having to win, go with a want but not a need to win. There is nothing worse than playing someone who just HAS to win, even thought they have the slimmest chance of getting a top 3 placement.

2)Balanced armies are generally fun to play against, especiallay when your opponent knows their rules and you know yours, I make it a point to know the basics of each codex, just as a basis of everyone elses armies. If you can get your hands on a few codexes and spend your down time just flicking through it could give you some pointers on what might give you trouble.

3) Last off, take a good mood, theres always people that will push you to the limits even if your not playing them, don let them affect the day your their to have fun, and the best way t have fun is have some laughs with your opponent when yur tank goes KABOOM from that random rokkit shot etc. don just play live the game. its always a cliche but just have fun, the best people to play against are the ones who are laughing with you.

As a side note Personal apperance and Hygeine are pretty high up their aswell, just cause were playing with toy soldiers doesnt mean we can look like we've just come from rolling in the mud puddles.

Peace out:victory:


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## Wounded (Jan 24, 2009)

Wolf_Lord_Skoll said:


> Over here in Oz, you getting slammed if you don't have have a reasonably balanced army, power gaming lists get no comp points, which hurts your overall score real bad.


Seriously? that's a pretty cool idea for local tourny's actually but i'd imagine you get the gamer from outta town once in a while that doesnt know about it and bitches up a storm


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## Khaos_Omen (Jan 15, 2009)

I've been to a few tourny's and noticed 75% of people love to cheat. An inch here, a made up rule there. Like everyone said before me, no your rules because if you dont, you'll pay for it like I did a few times. Winning is the only thing important to a lot of people, especially when there was a tourny fee...


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## Sieg (Dec 3, 2007)

Make sure you bring something to keep you awake if its going to be a long tourney. I have found that cheating goes up as people get more and more drained and less focused on the games


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## spike12225 (Aug 21, 2008)

Yeah i love the move where front model moves 6" and rest of squad moves up to 10" to get that pf to the front etc..

In australia as has been said before cheese list armies arn't played as they won't ever win anything because they get bad rep scores from everyone
when an out of towner comes an bitches whats he gunna do abuse judge.
But it is always written on tournament information in words like this (points will be given for army composition...)

But go have fun don't like the rule nazi get to you beleive me you will meet one normally only time you will play one is if forced to in league or tourny i never have random games with known rule nazi's as there never fun they make you want to put your UFC skills to good use lol.


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## sooch (Nov 25, 2008)

Don't bitch out the people that just want to play the game properly. Nothing pisses me off more than people who see me as a rules nazi just because I choose to obey all of the rules in the rulebook, when it shouldn't even be a choice.


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## Grik (Jul 28, 2008)

sooch said:


> Don't bitch out the people that just want to play the game properly. Nothing pisses me off more than people who see me as a rules nazi just because I choose to obey all of the rules in the rulebook, when it shouldn't even be a choice.


I agree. There is a HUGE difference in playing by the rules and being a Rules Nazi. Most people don't understand that. They think just because you play by the rules- GASP! :shok:- that you are a Rules Nazi.


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## spike12225 (Aug 21, 2008)

I'm talking about people who try and say your shooting out of cover because you've built a building on a flat base on the outside of the building is clear but has a 3" lip on it.
That's shooting out of cover i get save so trick i cut the lip of all the shops terrain base's then he got upset.
The person who uses bends GW's crappy wording into his armies benefit but then changes with his other army so i guess I'm referring to the f#@kwitt's who rule bend.
I follow the rules but when it comes too common sense rule Nazi's can't see that like the lip thing earlier it shits me and the other 20 people in our club..
I can play the rules Nazi's game you just have too say to the letter what is happening why he doesn't get a save set entire army at edge of terrain piece stuff like that just makes a game go longer and tests patience's.

so if your that type of rule Nazi then that's who comment is aimed at 

Sooch if you took offence thats your beef wasn't a bitch out sorry if it hit a soft spot and if you can't see from my new post the difference from some one who follows the rules and someone who abuses the rules then your one of them...


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## spike12225 (Aug 21, 2008)

and grik you agree with him then contradict yourself saying theres a big difference between rule follower and rule nazi??


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## Grik (Jul 28, 2008)

spike12225 said:


> and grik you agree with him then contradict yourself saying theres a big difference between rule follower and rule nazi??


There is. Just because you follow the rules doesn't mean you're a Rules Nazi.


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## Crimzzen (Jul 9, 2008)

Just be yourself...

Try to have fun and make sure to shower up before you head off.


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## Baalirock (Oct 6, 2008)

Wow! Great response, and a lot of excellent tips on this thread. Think we should sticky it?


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## Dafistofmork (Jan 9, 2009)

oh, never forget your objectives-it doesn't if you wiped out all his troops choices, if you do not hold an objective it will be a draw, and if you leave one man alive he will win. it is all about the objectives-even in kill points you need to think how you can beat each unit for the minimum of loss.

That said, dont be a jerk. no one loves a jerk, not even their mother.


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## sooch (Nov 25, 2008)

spike12225 said:


> I'm talking about people who try and say your shooting out of cover because you've built a building on a flat base on the outside of the building is clear but has a 3" lip on it.
> That's shooting out of cover i get save so trick i cut the lip of all the shops terrain base's then he got upset.
> The person who uses bends GW's crappy wording into his armies benefit but then changes with his other army so i guess I'm referring to the f#@kwitt's who rule bend.
> I follow the rules but when it comes too common sense rule Nazi's can't see that like the lip thing earlier it shits me and the other 20 people in our club..
> ...


My comment wasn't directed at you. I didn't even know you made a post about rules nazi'ing. Just a point I had to make.


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## Suntalon (Apr 9, 2008)

I tend to find that people don't read the rules properly and then get bent out of shape when someone points out their error. Then they start throwing around the "rules nazi" taunts.


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## spike12225 (Aug 21, 2008)

thats true suntalon sometimes when a player moves there genestealers 6" then move rest bumping front one closer each time getting extra inch or 2 then get up set when you make point about it but clearly its cheating


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