In order to examine the differences between players concerned with winning and players concerned with competing it is necessary to take a look at the various paths towards victory in Warhammer 40,000. I categorize these methods into 6 inter-connected domains: (1) Strategy, (2) Tactics, (3) Match-up, (4) Mistakes, (5) Luck, and (6) Cheating. This article examines the first four.

Strategy

Strategy is your over-arching framework, your master plan from the point of conception of your army. Strategy begins with list building which in turn determines what assets your army will have at its disposal and, by extension, what you can or cannot hope to accomplish. Your choices will impact how you play 40k and they should always be made with fulfilling mission goals in mind. Each and every selection will affect the vital balancing act that is army composition.

Because mission goals are normally unknown at the outset of each match, whether rolled for randomly in a pickup game or kept secret prior to tournament rounds, strategy has a necessary fluid component. Based on the scenario presented to us we must be able to evaluate the abilities of our list, the abilities of the opposing list, and commit to a course of action that will lead to fulfillment of the victory conditions. This often involves identification and leverage of strengths, but can also include psychological elements, such as misdirection and surprise. Some strategies are geared towards combating a list and others towards combating an opponent—both are valid, effective, and can be employed concurrently.

An example of a employing a strategy would be building a mechanized, Chimera-based Imperial Guard list and pushing your tank line forward to establish a line of scrimmage on the enemy’s side of the board. In an objective-based mission this would ensure that you have control over the battlefield and, hopefully, the majority of the objectives. Leveraging your mechanized strengths (durability and volume) you can make it very difficult for the enemy to break through your line and reach objectives in later turns.

Tactics

Complementary to the broadly conceived master plan are the details-oriented tactics which are used to ensure the plan is carried out. Tactics are micro-strategies grounded in a low-level application of the rules. The best plan in the world is useless if you can’t figure out  how to make it work. Similarly, being detail-oriented without direction is equally doomed to fail. If you expect to beat competent opponents you must be capable of both coming up with adaptable plans and have the tools to set them in motion.

When I say “tools” I am really speaking of rules knowledge. Warhammer 40,000 is a game composed entirely of complex interactions between large numbers of rules pertaining to physical objects (models). Yes, the game is an approximation of science fiction warfare, but it is only that: an abstraction. Knowing how things function in real life has no bearing on how things play out in a game where evil robots and space aliens alternate turns murdering each other with laser cannons and psychic powers. However, understanding basic logic and knowing the individual rules gives you a distinct advantage of those who do not. It’s important to note that both of these traits are universally available to everyone with average intelligence and the willingness to put forth a even a modicum of effort. Because everyone is capable of developing this competency, exercising it becomes a fair part (in fact, integral part) of the game.

Continuing with the example put forth previously, let’s say one of the Chimeras on the end of the tank wall suffers a Vehicle Destroyed result by an assault-oriented unit shooting it at close range. The unit embarked must now disembark within range of the rear access point, however there are any number of ways that this unit can now be positioned even within the two-inch bubble. Knowledge of the rules becomes invaluable here as many players are unaware that the models each individually must be within 2”, but only partially so. Using this knowledge, the IG player can place the unit wholly on the side of the wrecked Chimera furthest from the attacking unit, outside of its 6” charge range. Not only does this prevent a charge, but it guarantees that the unit will be targetable in the following Shooting Phase.

Match-up

In any game system featuring distinct factions there will naturally be some that are better than others across domains. Even in a perfectly balanced rules set it is impossible to completely eliminate the rock-paper-scissors factor. Obviously, Warhammer 40,000 is not perfectly balanced and there are many match-ups which are heavily weighted in favor of one side winning over the other, even with all others factors being equal. For instance, take Necrons. Take them and drop kick them right out a third story window.

The hypothetical IG army suits our purposes again. Mechanized Imperial Guard excels in games versus opponents that struggle against vehicles, especially those who need to use assault troops as their can-openers. With players of equal skill, equally powerful lists, and equal luck, the IG player should be able to take out most Daemon and Ork armies with little effort. Likewise, well-built and well-played Dark Eldar (i.e., dark lance-heavy) will utterly crush IG armor spam.

Match-up is somewhat distinct from luck, but there are overlapping considerations. Most of the time our opponents are not selected at random, and we always have the discretion of turning down a match. In tournaments we have less control over who we face, especially in the first round where pairings are usually random. While all armies have good and bad match-ups, one of the most important features of a “good” army list is its ability to compete with a wide variety of opposing forces. Poorly designed lists (by virtue of being one-trick ponies or just plain sucktastic) will either have more direct counters or will be countered more efficiently. Consequently, more often than not, what players attribute to bad match-up luck is really rooted in bad army list design.

Mistakes

We all make mistakes, which are distinct from poor decisions. A poor decision is assuming your IG list doesn’t need any assault units; a mistake is forgetting to fire your Vendetta during the Shooting Phase. A poor decision is taking heavy flamers on your Crisis Suits; a mistake is forgetting that the unit you’re about to tank shock has three meltaguns in it. Often, a single mistake can determine how an entire game plays out, especially if that mistake is made at the game’s outset or during a critical turn.

You can minimize mistakes by exercising your 40k muscle (i.e., practicing), but, being merely human, you’ll never completely eradicate your own propensity to screw up. Just try and make less mistakes than the other guy.

(On deck: Part IV – Lucky You)