Fixing alpha strike

[BrainFireBob]

Vague theory question:

 

Do you think giving the player who goes 2nd a pregame command phase/psychic buffs only phase prior to player 1 starting would fix the turn one alpha strike problem?

 

Why or why not?

Edited August 4, 2021 by BrainFireBob

[tychobi]

No because it will only help armies that have big buffs and does nothing to address positional advantage. Better terrain rules could help more. Damage phase a la Apocalypse would solve the issue almost entirely

[Xenith]

The T1 alpha strike problem can be resolved by adding more terrain to your boards. Most of my 9th ed games, only a handful of models get killed T1 due to both players being cautious, the killing starts in T2.

[chapter master 454]

You can't solve the Turn 1 advantage just because one side will always prefer one side or the other if there are benefits from going second.

In Hearthstone the coin is a novel idea but of all classes, Rogues love the coin and often can make far bigger plays with it than other classes due to their inherit combo mechanic. You give armies an extra command phase or psychic phase then who benefits? Tau certainly don't care, they don't even get half the benefit while Grey Knights and Thousand Sons are insisting we all go first.

 

The main thing is that has helped is terrain, having the ability to hide has been the biggest way to deal with it as now it isn't up to dice when the opponent gets to shoot at you, it is you deciding to reveal your hand that causes it, or you make a boo boo and left someones leg showing like a slannesh daemon.

[Xenith]

Take a look at this game from Glashammer. Two high level players with tourney armies, on a board with enough terrain. I dont think there's a sigle casualty in the entire first battle round.

 

[MegaVolt87]

Yeah lack of terrain has been an issue since I was a young Timmy back in 3rd ed. I always found it amusing players will advocate for literally anything while ignoring the obvious solution to first turn advantage which is simply more terrain. While that video table is a-symmetrical, it offers the same advantages/ disadvantages/ opportunities to either side. Army comp and player skill/ experience with their faction then become more important than a terrain advantage. Terrain advantage means nothing to the more skilled player, because it will only widen the margin of their victory and its an obstacle to the novice because they won't learn effectively vs a even layout. Or worse, a crutch to actual skill. 

[Xenith]

I think glashammer also have the philosophy that you get one big terrain piece in each DZ so you can totally hide at least one big unit T1 so they don't die immediately. The new Ork terrain is good, giving each player half that for their own dz with other stuff in the middle would be a good start

[Tawnis]

Totally agree on the terrain side of things, I like my boards loaded up pretty heavily (and not just because I'm playing a lot of Kroot at the moment. XD). 

 

One other thing that could solve it, though it would require a massive revamp of the game would be a transition to alternating activations. Similar system to what we see in Kill Team, Apoc, Aeronautica, Necromunda, ect... It seems like almost every supplement game uses this now because it makes things much more fair by completely removing alpha strike potential. I'm hoping that we see this in 40k one day as it really makes it feel like both armies are acting at the same time. 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Tawnis

[jarms48]

I'd just bring back the old Prepared Positions stratagem. In the 1st battle round all units (excluding aircraft) gain Light Cover. 

 

It's not perfect, but it certainly helps. 

[Diagramdude]

The old prepared positions was nice. some resurrection of the old night fighting rules might help too. Giving the second turn player access to a redeploy X number of units would also help the positional disadvantage, maybe for free or by universal stratagem.

 

The other massive advantage for the player going first is his reinforcements can come onto the board after the second player’s first turn. If you’re going second, you only have one turn to screen out deep strike, potentially with significantly less of your army already due to casualties taken before you get to move your guys. Maybe letting the second player bring in reinforcements turn one, or restricting only the player going first to waiting for turn 3 reinforcement while second player can bring in on turn 2 would help.

Edited November 23, 2021 by Diagramdude