Competitive Player Primer

[CitadelArmyGuy]

Greetings Folks. As a 7-year veteran player of 40k (shorter than many, longer than many) I have been brewing and stewing over an idea.

 

In 40k, there is a large Experience Gap. Players who have been playing longer are proportionately better and win more often, shocking surprise I know :lol: . What I propose is the creation of a tool, a Competitive Primer if you will, that a player can hold a printout in their hands and run down a checklist-- and this checklist will aid both new players or veteran players alike in improving their situational awareness, their decision making and their strategic gameplay.

 

They can simply read down the checklist and think about the items, there should be no need to write anything down or anything like that. I want the Primer to be useful at all levels, but tailored more to the high-end so that it retains utility for experienced players. It can't be too convoluted or else it will slow gameplay down too much, which is a no-no if we are talking Tournaments. But hopefully the Primer could even help out with semi-competitive friendly games as well.

 

Now I wouldn't throw this proposal out and ask for community involvement if I didn't think I had a good start on something-- asking for input on a blank sheet would be pretty asinine. No, the Primer I'm proposing I've semi-developed myself from two places--- the first one is from an OODA 40k Strategy thread I wrote and the second is from applying that concept to my battle reports.

 

The Primer itself developed out of the my most recent Battle Report. So here is what I've got so far: (note-- the red text would be removed from The Primer to avoid clutter-- this is just my notation to explain what that bulletpoint is all about)

• TURN ZERO (Deployment)
  • OBSERVE
    • Opponent List-- Consider Difficult Threats, Defining Characteristics
      
    • Terrain-- Consider Objectives Placement, Turn 1 Night Fight, Fire Lanes, Chokepoints, Avenues of Approach
      
    • Opponent Deployment (If going Second)-- Examine Threat Ranges, Deadspace, Weakest Flank, Concentration Areas
      
    • Opponent-- Examine Personality, Attitude, Experience, Demeanor (Aggressive/Defensive/Reactive)
      

    [*]ORIENT

    • Opponent List with Respect to Mission-- Amount and resilience of scoring units or KPs. Also, List's ability to attack or defend (odd-numbered objective missions, etc)
      
    • My List with Respect to Mission-- Same As Above
      
    • Asset Allocation Prediction-- Match the Units in your List against Theirs, forming rough prediction of what could defeat what
      

    [*]DECIDE

    • Strategy-- Form a hypothesis on how you will win the game, in general terms
      
    • Tactics-- Specific deployments/maneuvers/attacks/defenses which will support your Strategy. Include consideration of using Reserves
      

    [*]ACT

    • Roll Warlord Abilities, Psychic Powers, Army Special Rules
      
    • Deploy
      

  [*]TURN ONE (RECYCLE FOR ALL FOLLOWING TURNS):

  • OBSERVE
    • Score, Advantage, Initiative-- Score is calculating current VPs. Advantage is identifying which player has near-term dominance in winning by mission conditions. Initiative is identifying which player who is controlling the majority of both players' decisions (usually The Attacker, not always)
      
    • Reserves-- Identify the capabilities of units off-table
      
    • Situation & Threat Timing-- Calculate in which turn all given threats may affect your forces using their movement+attack range (shooting or melee)
      

    [*]ORIENT

    • Opponent Prediction-- Predict your opponent's strategy and the actions they will make next turn. If possible, predict their actions farther than next turn as well
      
    • Action Options-- Goals+Targets prioritization. Also, examine Attack/Defense/Retrograde postures for all units using cost-benefit analysis
      

  • DECIDE
    • Strategy-- Adjust chosen Turn Zero hypothesis (if necessary) in accordance with maximizing win conditions
      
    • Tactics-- Examine and select specific tricks/maneuvers/attacks/defenses for this turn which support your Strategy
      

    [*]ACT

    • Psychic Powers
      
    • Movement
      
    • Shooting, Running, Flat Out
      • Casualty Morale Checks
        

      [*]Assault

So you can see I've got a good start on what I'd like it to look like, but I'm absolutely certain there's some tweaks that can be made. I'd like to see what the community thinks, and also any input ya'll have.

 

Also, here is the Battle Report where I came up with this idea from: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...=0#entry3249220

[Demus Ragnok]

I like this. The first thing that came to my mind was if an acronym could be worked out. I'm not sure that is the correct term. Here is what I mean.

 

P-pull the pin.

A-aim.

S-squeeze the trigger.

S-sweep side to side.

 

Now that is for the operation of a fire exstinguisher but I believe it conveys the idea. Like PASS, work out a four letter word to represent the four steps. A word can easily be remembered and maybe simplify the process. OODA doesn't really have a ring to it, but I'm a language arts guy so...

 

Thats just my two cents. But i say KISS at all times.

[CitadelArmyGuy]

Thanks Demus! I also agree that OODA is a little silly. However, it's not mine-- it's part of US military doctrine.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop

 

So I can't really change that-- it's been trained into me. :)

[Demus Ragnok]

Yeah I had a feeling you picked that up in your line of work. I'll see if I can play with some synonyms and come up with something easy to remember, easy on the ears and yet conveys the original meaning of the instructions.

[Captain Idaho]

I'm definitely agree a "primer" could be very useful to play, but let's not make it too complex or as a tool no one will use it! I'll post up my own idea a later date.

[Paulochromis]

Well, CitadelArmyGuy, OODA-man! :lol:

[CitadelArmyGuy]

let's not make it too complex or as a tool no one will use it! I'll post up my own idea a later date.

Absolutely concur. Obviously the red text will be removed, but it's still just a bit convoluted.

 

Obviously it should help ensure you don't miss any important actions, thats always a major pain---- even veterans forget to do things every once in awhile (ie "crap! I started shooting already and I forgot to move Mephiston!" lol etcetc)

 

But it should be more than that-- It should help provide a framework for decision making to ensure you look at the game objectively. It will have to fish out key Game Theory concepts thats pro-players are always looking for and analyzing.

 

Each bullet-point shouldn't be more than 1-3 words. Just a key concept catchword or catchphrase that reminds you of something you should be considering. I think we can manage this, I know my initial product above isn't where we want to be, just wanted to get the ball rolling with what has been working for me.

[Polythemus]

This could be total crap but here goes, its a mnemonic for turn 0 and turn 1+ i cant figure out how to make it the same for each.

 

Turn 0

 

Observe and

LEAD

List, opponents'

Environment, of the table

Attitude, of my opponent

Deployment, of my opponent

 

Orient with HAM MAM WhAM

His attitude toward mission

My attitude towards mission

Warhost assesment matchup

 

Then need to decide

Strat,

Tact,

Act

 

Turn 1+

 

OPQRST

Observe patiently and quietly the

Reserves

Situation on the table

Threat timing of various units

 

Orient

POST and TAG ME

P.redict O.pponent S.T.rategy

T.argets A.ctions and G.oals for M.ovement and E.gagement

 

Then you must decide on

Strat

Tact.ics

Act

 

Its not perfect but its a start. Their are several components to each step so simiplifying them is not easy. Ive tried to pick concepts that can help to coalescece steps and give a general thing that you need to think about. Honestly the last three steps are something everyone probably does but not always well. so what this is really good for is steps 1observe and 2orient as it formalizes your ability to consider information. This is can what can help you make better use of the final three steps so long as you know how to use the information with regard to your list, (something that comes with experience).

[maturin]

@Polythemus - bravo! Three thumbs up for effort! :(

 

But if there's one thing medical school taught me, it's that learning mnemonics and acronyms can be more difficult than learning the concepts behind them. And the concepts are the key...I'd prefer something simpler.

 

 

 

@CitadelArmyGuy - This is great idea! I've actually written notecards like this for myself to review during tournies, though not in nearly as much detail. Plus I didn't have the structure of OODA to use...

 

One of the challenges I see in adapting this to 40k is that most of the players (including myself) aren't that familiar with the details of military terminology - at least, the precise meanings and implications of the terms. So reading and understanding the concepts as written takes a bit of brainpower. Which is fine, but may be a barrier to entry.

 

So I'd like to propose a modified version of your (absolutely fantastic) list. I've tried to condense the concepts into a single question, in lay terms, which will at least serve as a reminder of the various things to consider. It's not quite as comprehensive, but I think it's more approachable.

 

• TURN ZERO (Deployment)
  • OBSERVE
    • What are the strengths and weaknesses of my opponent's list?
      
    • How will the terrain, weather, and objectives affect the game?
      
    • If going second, what are the strengths and weaknesses of my opponent's deployment?
      

    [*]ORIENT

    • How will my opponent's army try to win this mission? How will it try to not lose?
      
    • How will my army try to win this mission? How will it try to not lose?
      
    • What are my army's strengths and weaknesses compared to my opponent's army?
      

    [*]DECIDE

    • How am I going to try to win this mission? How can I avoid losing this mission?
      
    • How will I Deploy and Reserve units to best execute my plan?
      

    [*]ACT

    • Roll Warlord Abilities, Psychic Powers, Army Special Rules
      
    • Deploy
      

  [*]TURN ONE (RECYCLE FOR ALL FOLLOWING TURNS):

  • OBSERVE
    • Who is currently winning the mission? Which army is forcing the other to react?
      
    • Identify units still in reserves, and their capabilities
      
    • Which enemy units are threats? Which ones are about to become threats?
      

    [*]ORIENT

    • What will my opponent do to win this mission, this turn and next?
      
    • What must I do to win this mission? How are my units positioned to carry out this goal?
      

  • DECIDE
    • What do my units need to do to achieve my mission while interfering with the enemy's?
      

    [*]ACT

    • Psychic Powers
      
    • Movement
      
    • Shooting, Running, Flat Out
      • Casualty Morale Checks
        

      [*]Assault

 

Ok, there's my contribution - hopefully it contributes something to the final version!

[Demus Ragnok]

This just a rough idea of what I had in mind.

Rather than

Observe

Orient

Decide

Act

 

We might try

Study-the board, armies, mission

Locate-threats and objectives

Adjust-your plan to the situation/enemy

Perform-the actions in your plan

 

SLAP. Use SLAP to slap your opponant.

[Fibonacci]

Begin

Examine

Engage

Repeat

[TheCrimsonLancer]

Begin

Examine

Engage

Repeat

 

By far the easiest acronym to remember, although it does lose some of the original meaning...

[maturin]

Begin

Examine

Engage

Repeat

 

By far the easiest acronym to remember, although it does lose some of the original meaning...

 

Pleasantly malted acronyms aside, this is the key challenge to CitadelArmyGuy's idea. How do you make something simple to remember and easy to use, while making it comprehensive enough that you don't forget anything?

 

I think the only way is through some intensive study and memorization. Use a more detailed document to study the concept (like his original post), and then use the short version to remind yourself during the game. The hard work will be writing the long form in a form that's easy to digest and remember.

 

 

I like Demus Ragnok's short version the most, so far.

[CitadelArmyGuy]

Honestly the last three steps are something everyone probably does but not always well. so what this is really good for is steps 1observe and 2orient as it formalizes your ability to consider information. This is can what can help you make better use of the final three steps so long as you know how to use the information with regard to your list, (something that comes with experience).

 

Agree Polythemus. OBSERVE is information collection whereas ORIENT is information analyzation.

 

I'm not sure the acronyms route will pay off for what we'd need. As Maturin has been noting, I don't think we can come up with a mnemonic that will still capture the depth we're hoping for.

 

I really think it should be a handheld printout, but not something to studiously enslave yourself to. It should be something to quickly scan over before you begin your actions. Bascially scanning over it will help 'prime' you brain (linky-fu: wikipedia on Priming) to remember to remain objective and help you gain a calculating eye towards your game.

 

With that in mind, I like the shortened up layman's terms version that Maturin did. I want to digest that and tweak from there.

[PaganLinuxGeek]

This is EXACTLY what a newbie player like myself needs.

I would like to thank the poster for his contribution. :-)

[Polythemus]

Well i agree with what has been said so far. The thing is the information density and specificity has only fallen from the original post, with respect to all posters so far, myself included. The question then becomes do you want to bring this paper with you or do you want to memorize and learn the info. I guess i am more in the memorization camp but if your going to bring it with you it would just be best to print the original wouldn't it?

 

Another question might be if your taking this primer with you would you also want to bring on the same paper the capabilies of your own army units? Might make it easier to know your average number of wounds ouput for say 50% of the squad in shooting and assault. This way there is less calculus required to make threat assesments for what your army capabilities are, removing one more step in the orient phase.

 

Admittedly maturin's summary falls closest to the original but its still just as cumbersome to memorize, so as he said, it feels like it comes down to an effeort in academic discipline. In that regard you've got a good head start on us CAG!

[Calnus]

I really like the idea of a written short/medium OODA primer to keep at hand for gaming. Instead of memorizing it, just keep it as a reference. Then it goes into your 40K tournament book. Keeps the mind clear to process rather than store information.

 

I've read elsewhere ( I think 3++?) about making a tournament folder if you go to events regularly, to assist with both your organization and your decision making. I'd like to think that this OODA/SLAP/BEER primer is perfect as a sort of table of contents/summary for such a thing.

 

So I'm planning on printing and binding these (probably in a 3-ring of some kind), and taking them to my next tournament. Please take a look and see if this is what we're looking for in a "competitive primer":

 

1- Army List (your own, preferably in a plastic sleeve so you can mark on it for things like wounds, warp charge, etc.)

2- OODA Primer (I like maturin's form best for this part)

3- Math Hammer (wounds on MEQ/GEQ/TEQ from your main threats, i.e., 10 man ASM, Stormraven, DC, etc. Probably 3 units analyzed max to avoid confusion)

4- Codex (I'd want to scan and copy, but not sure if I can just take it in to a shop and get them to do it)

5- Codex FAQ print-out

6- 6th Edition quick sheet (tables of to-wound, to-hit, speeds, etc. Basically the reference section at the end of the book. Or the mini-book in a pocket of the folder)

 

I think that would only come to about 50 pages max if you don't bring the lore portions of the codex, just the summary page and individual unit entries. And it would have all the reference info you want to really make a primer for competition. Mission information could be printed out before-hand and put before Math Hammer section, if available. Opponent's army list goes into front pocket (if available), so you've got the opposite page comparison easily visible.

 

Thoughts?

[maturin]

Good ideas, Calnus.

 

#3 is interesting - because I think it brings up a point which has been implied in the OODA discussion, but never explicitly mentioned. To use OODA to its fullest potential, you must know your own army intimately - its capabilities and its weaknesses, for each individual unit and as a whole.

 

Something that I've done in the past is to write up note cards for each of the units in my army, listing their main role (anti-armor, anti-infantry, CC, etc), secondary role, mobility, etc. And then I've turned around and written up the various units available in my army for each role. I memorized both lists before a tourney until I was able to rattle them off instantly, so I could focus more of my in-game thinking on winning the game.

 

As part of the "homework" to use OODA well, you'll need to do this type of preparation for whatever armylist you're going to be using.

[Polythemus]

Both of these thoughts seem like a really good expansion of the intial post.

Calnus i think that your very comprehensive with your items here. If you already had acess to one i might reccomend a tablet (ipad or similar) to make all that stuff a little more manageable for quick refernce.

 

Maturin - i am curious about your reasoning behind the use of two lists. It seems like you could acheive this with just one look at a unit. Could you give an example specifically of what you did, and why you used two lists?

[maturin]

The first list is to memorize the capabilities of each unit (primary and secondary roles/capabilities), so that your can list them off instantly when a unit is named. This allows you to know how to use each unit in the context of the game situation it finds itself. Should it shoot at a tank? Shoot at the passengers? Not shoot and hide instead? Maneuver to assault?

 

I think this is pretty intuitive for all of us.

 

The second list is more for deployment decisions and overall strategy. By listing and memorizing (again, until you can rattle them off in seconds) the units available to fill the different roles in each army, you can decide more quickly and more accurately how to deploy your units according to the situation at hand. If you don't have to spend time going through your list unit by unit and recalling their capabilities, but instead instantly know you only need to consider units A,B, and C, then you'll save some time which can be spent pondering other variables.

 

Overall it exercises your brain and gets it focused on your army as a whole, instead of just a collection of individual units.

[Garath]

I used to memorize each unit's role in the army . Then assigned each unit a second /third duty when the first one is fulfilled.

 

Example :

 

 

Predator Annihilator

 

Twin las cannons + 2 lass cannons

 

1. Kill heavy tank

2. Kill transprts

3. Target their HQs

 

 

Or Tactical squad ,10 man with Missile launcher, Flamer and Sarge with combi flamer

 

1.Kill large units of cheap infantry

2.Kill elite units

3.Kill transports

 

 

The different roles of each unit depends naturally on my army composition (and my opponent's), so Aninihilator switches his no 1 with no 2 if I'm playing for example against an army with lots of transports and only one tank that has a single heavy weapon (example would be Ork speed freaks or IG parking lot with Leaman Russ ).

 

That way, it's easier to build an army (you got to have everything covered ,and some units excel at certain jobs ) , and you have no doubt how to deploy . Squad of 10 tacticals and 2 flamers? - up front naturally .

 

Expensive squads make this very difficult, however. Land Raider Crusader with Termies and a character in there might be called upon to deal with masses of cheap troops , or pop a tank or two- but do I leave it in reserve (waiting for my other elements to destroy as much enemy anti tank as possible ) , or do I go straight for the throat ( trusting the big tanks AV to protect the guys inside )?

[muadib02]

I always preferred using this method.

 

COPED

 

Cover (What provides protection/concealment for myself/the enemy)

Obstacles (What limits freedom of movement for me/the enemy)

Positions of Fire (Identify ideal locations to maximize damage output while minimizing incoming fire)

Enemy (consider how the enemy will react, their capabilities, etc)

-Most deadly (how can they cause the most destruction to you, how do you avoid this)

-Most dangerous (how can they decrease your ability to achieve your objective)

Distance (consider ranges, movements etc)

 

If done at the beginning of every turn you will always have a tactical level plan. Remember to consider every unit and its impact on the table.

 

For deployment/pregame planning I use the following

 

FLOCARK

 

Features (Take in the terrain/deployment zones, consider their utility/hindrance)

Lanes (identify the least obstructed paths through the given terrain)

Objectives (identify and consider the mission and secondary objectives, be sure of their locations, etc)

Canalizing Ground (what terrain forces you/the enemy into the open or into other terrain)

Avenues of Approach (how can you get through the terrain to your objectives)

Rate Approaches (determine the most/least dangerous and most/least deadly approaches for yourself and the enemy)

Key Terrain (identify pieces of terrain which dominate the field, identify how to hold/sieze/mitigate them)

 

Considered before deployment, this helps to develop an overall plan for the game. The factors found here will help you throughout the game.

[Raven of the Wing]

at the risk of not actually adding anything to this discussion but taking,

 

if i had to vote im afraid BEER gets my vote ;)

 

Great thread, and concept, im going to try a few out in my next battle for sure, as with many things is design.

 

Develop concept

Review

Prototype

Test

Modify

Test

Modify

Test

 

and rinse, no plan is ever foolproof and you have to continually develop or are left standing wondering how did i miss that lascannon .

[Storm Dragons 3rd Company]

I just want to toss out that there is a benefit to using a well-established term like OODA - specifically that you can do supplemental research on it which may lead you to better understanding and/or additional strategic or tactical concepts. But then again, I don't think remembering OODA is any harder than remembering Beer, Slap, wumpa wumpa, or anything else.

[MrSocks]

This sounds interesting, the list is very similar to a simplified version of the US and UK way of assessing combat situations. Look forward to seeing it develop and might try it out in a few games :).

 

Edit: from reading some of the above posts, it is the US version. Similar to the UK one.