Struggling Quite a Bit with Mars

[Stray]

 

 

I know Incontrol Robertson (something like that) is a very experienced ITC guy. We have events here, but only a handful are ITC. I don't even know if I would enjoy 4 shooty bots (at 1750) and Stygiies. That kind of list feels like it would be very monochromatic and I'm not sure if that level of inflexibility lends itself well enough to ITC.

 

 

When Geoff Robinson started out in competitive 40k he played Tyranids. Back then, they were really not a competitive option - or at least, not rated as one in the meta of the time. But that was the army he loved, and that excited him...

 

...and he did damn well with them.

 

There's a lesson there somewhere, probably :)

 

Maybe go with a list that you feel comfortable with, and feel will give a decent performance so you can get some tournament play experience. Then, once our codex drops, you'll potentially be in a better place to design and play a Knight-centric list in the next event?

[Heliomanes]

Yeah, Stray has a good point. And I never meant to warn you off playing the army you love. I just meant to warn you, so that you don't go into a competitive event with unrealistic expectations. I find that expectation management is key to getting what you want out of the hobby. If I go in and don't expect to win, I'm much more relaxed when I meet people with more competitive armies and playing experience than I have, and the laws of probability do their thing.

[brother_b]

Well Admech Stygies are still one of the only armies that can potentially get into someone's face for turn 1 assaults. I think that, coupled with an insane firebase makes them really strong.

 

I'm excited to try out some options, like 20 stick priests attacking turn 1, or some dragoon assaults. 

[Vel'Cona]

 

When Geoff Robinson started out in competitive 40k he played Tyranids. Back then, they were really not a competitive option - or at least, not rated as one in the meta of the time. But that was the army he loved, and that excited him...

 

...and he did damn well with them.

 

There's a lesson there somewhere, probably

 

Maybe go with a list that you feel comfortable with, and feel will give a decent performance so you can get some tournament play experience. Then, once our codex drops, you'll potentially be in a better place to design and play a Knight-centric list in the next event?

 

 

I like everything about this post.  If I could sig all of it, I would.  Play what you like, and it'll be what you enjoy, and with enough practice could be what you succeed with.

 

In the past I've tried to play what was purely strong at the time (Eldar, Tau, yes really) and just been disappointed because I couldn't enjoy the army.  Unless a codex is truly potato I'm willing to play/try nearly anything these days.

[Stray]

 

 

 

I like everything about this post.  If I could sig all of it, I would.  Play what you like, and it'll be what you enjoy, and with enough practice could be what you succeed with.

 

In the past I've tried to play what was purely strong at the time (Eldar, Tau, yes really) and just been disappointed because I couldn't enjoy the army.  Unless a codex is truly potato I'm willing to play/try nearly anything these days.

 

 

Vel is absolutely right. While I see nothing wrong with being a competitive 40K player, it seems futile to place well at a tournament if you're not enjoying yourself. Playing the army you feel most enthused about is a big part of that.

 

I think, on occasion, the highly competitive scene can be in danger of forgetting that this is primarily a hobby - something we do to unwind, relax and have fun. I think if you can keep that central to whatever you do in gaming, you're going to 'win', regardless of the result of any tournament or individual match ;)

 

As an aside, there are several good 40K communities/forums across the internet, but from the short amount of time I've been a member of B+C, it's very apparent that the above isn't lost on people here, and the experience is the better for it. The community has really been welcoming, enthusiastic and engaging - so thanks all! :)

[Subtle Discord]

Yeah, B&C is just different, in the best possible way. It can be hard to believe at first, but then you just become spoiled by the community here and if you spend time in other corners of the interweb it becomes more-and-more apparent.

 

I've always been an advocate for playing what appeals to you and you're passionate about. Don't roll over and completely handicap yourself doing it, but there should be some broader appeal of a faction beyond how they measure up on paper. 

 

While a large part of how a list will perform comes down the composition that only takes a player so far before they need to use the list effectively or the performance will plateau. I'm rarely as impressed when I see a spammy cherrypicking list take a top spot at a competition then I am when I see someone take a list that shows a blend of passion for the army and an attempt to put a strong competitive force on the table. Not that I play competitively, but if I did, I'd rather take 3rd, 4th, or even land in the top-10, with an army I'm passionate about than 1st place with some flavor of the month list. An outcome is always more satisfying when you know you didn't avoid challenges in getting there.