A Competitive Gamer is, obviously, one who is concerned with competition. But what exactly is competition? Competition is a struggle between two opposing entities for a mutually desired but not mutually attainable goal. Games in general are not categorically required to have a goal as we have already established that play is not a means to an end, but an end itself. This is evidenced by the many games that have no outcome, no winning or losing (tag, hide and seek, jumping rope, etc.). However, there is no shortage of games that do have specific goals and have both winners and losers.

Like play, the struggle is an end but not a means for the Competitive Gamer. The Competitive Gamer revels in an equally matched struggle and he is just as happy to loser a well-played game as he is to win one. The outcome is subordinate; it is relevant only to the extent that it is determined by skill. The fun derived from the game is sporting and cerebral, not egoistic.

Sportsmanship rarely crosses the mind of the Competitive Gamer because sportsmanship comes naturally by means of self-interest: to gain an advantage through any means other than the application of skill would compromise the authenticity of the competitive struggle and dilute the fun that can be derived from it. It’s Adam Smith’s self-regulating “invisible hand” theory in the 41^st millennium. The Competitive Gamer is an athlete turned nerd with an uncompromising love and, more importantly, respect for the game, and for gaming in general.

The Competitive Gamer as described above is akin to a Greek ideal and rarely makes an appearance in real life. We’re all human and egos often overcome hubris. Nonetheless, those who really understand what it means to enjoy competition, fair competition, will incorporate these ideals into the gaming philosophy. (Call it perspective if you find the notion of a gaming philosophy pretentious). This incorporation can be conscious or unconscious, but it nonetheless forms the cornerstone of this approach to 40k.

The differences between the Competitive Gamer and the WAAC Gamer should now be readily apparent. While there exist those who have no interest in fulfilling game objectives (i.e., winning) and are content to play 40k as sci-fi role-play, most 40k gamers shuffle their plastic army men around with at least some intention of winning. Some may be less motivated to win than others, but playing the game as it is presented by the developers necessitates an attempt to accomplish some abstract goal at the expense of your opponent’s opportunity to do the same. The primary difference between Competitive and WAAC Gamers is how a win is achieved, namely that it matters to the former but not the latter.

(Continue reading: Part III – The Road to Victory)