I know I don't get tired of winning games. However, I especially enjoy the games were my opponent is putting up his best, playing his best, both armies are painted, table looks great, and we have a hard hitting game. Those games are absolutely the best of what warhammer 40k has to bring on the tabletop. The hard part becomes when you don't know the player very well, and you don't know his army and play level. Here I tend to blow someone out often too quickly. There is nothing worse than playing a single round of game play, and your opponent surrendering. I've come to the conclusion that most often, I have the most fun, bringing a very sub par list. It helps game play, helps my opponent last a few rounds, and in general it helps improve the game talk afterwards, which I enjoy tremendously. League nights, Saturday 40k day, etc, I have started doing this where ever I am going to play. I only bring out my faeit 212 list when asked to, or prepping for a tournament.
Tournament play. Here is where I have been having issues with tournaments of late. To start. I don't enjoy soft score tournaments. Ive never played anyone that acted like a prick at an ard boyz, or ard boyz style tournament, even know I am sure they exist. (its up to the store to get rid of these players). Painted scores tied into the tournament are often far too subjective, it should just be called a popularity contest.
Even through all this. What I do not enjoy about tournaments is the fact that they don't encourage good games. You are judged simply on how well you blow out your opponent, or how lucky you get with your opponent. If two top players face off, they will knock each other out of the running in the tournament. This is what I am a little bored with. The game should be a simple win or loss. Play more, not less, this is how you get the best of the best. I know 40k is not a sport, but I cant think of any game out there competitively, that you are judged on how well you blow each of your opponents out. You either win or lose.
What I am proposing any tournament system that gets rid of the current blow your opponent out of the water scenarios. Take 8 or 16 or whatever number of players, and play a single elimination tournament until you have a set of winners. Even a round robin tournament would work. What I am proposing is to get rid of tournament scenarios that we see every tournament, that rely upon point systems based on how badly you kill your opponent. I want good games, not blow outs, especially on the top tables. I want a finals match, that is mind blowing, not one that knocks both players out of winning the tournament, so that a lesser player wins.
I am going to work hard on a tournament type here. I will be posting it once it is done, and hopefully running such tournament here in a month or so at a local store. No tournament that relies upon your chance of playing the weakest link in the tournament, or relies upon soft scores.
Your comments on tournament types are welcome.
