How do YOU play 40K?

[Colonel Scipio]

This is basicaly a thread to find out how 'beardy' you are. Just to explain in case anyone has never heard the term:

Beard[y]: adj. (comp. -ier, sup. -iest): The process or status of playing the rules of the game rather than in the spirit.

This is an age-old question down at my club, and I wondered what you guys and gals thought of it.

Personaly, I'm sort of the opposite of 'beardy'. I only take units that are cool fluff-wise and fluff is a big part of my army. If an enemy commander dies in an un-heroic way we let him come back onto the field with one wound because its cool. On the other hand, it means that its been a good month since I last won a battle and that was against a ten year old.

My opponents are generaly a healthy mixture: playing in the spirit of the game, but still following the rules and picking units to win. They tend to win far more battles than I do (I've never won a club campaign in nine years of membership... )

There are a few people who only play to win: they take units and combos, which while being extremely effective are out of character for their army. They insist that it's playing the rules of the game in order to win which is the objective, but I think its more fun to play in character. What do you all think, and where do you think you all stand on the subject?

[Mabus]

Hmm, I wouldn't call myself "beardy", although I do like to win. I don't think winning is a vital part of enjoying the game but I enjoy it alot more when I do! naturally...

My army is anything but "beardy" it's basically a collection of the (in my opinion) nicest IG minis I can get my little paws on. Although, when buying minis, I usually go for models which are practical from a gaming point of view mind you.

[mardaddy]

I play pure fluff with my SM's, and there are some really effective combinations I could take (and my buddies keep telling me to take), but I refuse because it goes against my fluff. Like a Squad of Terminators or a Dreadnought. My fluff has my chapter as still young, newly established, so actually I will NEVER get a Dreadnought. And I only have four Sgt's promoted to Veteran/Terminator Honors so far, so if I take them and put them in a Terminator Squad, I have no Veterans for leading regular squads.

I'm still tweaking my DH lists, and though technically you could go seriously extreme with them (a possible 14 Landraiders or 8 deep striking units in a single force org? Hello?) I want to field a balanced force with a decent chance of winning - let the dice and generalship, not the list, decide the game.

[ssgtdude (M.I.A)]

It all depends on the game that I play and who I am playing against. If I know the other player is a tool then I will play them to the letter of the rules. Why? If you don't then they will pretty much cheat their backsides off from now to next Thursday. I don't give them the inch they want to establish a cheat. I have seen these players have the floating tape measure, Pull out the tape measure to 12" and lay it down on the board to measure 6" towards the closest unit, Try to claim that seekers missiles will not allow for obscured targets because they ignore LOS, etc...

So, with these players yeah I'm beardy.

However, when I am playing a game with someone who is just looking for a fun game and I know it is going to be fun I'll allow for rules to be bent if not outright broken in the spirit of just having fun. (e.g. Warp Spiders jumping into terrain getting their armor save to avoid being killed, This was not just taken we discussed that it was in fact wrong by the rules, but just to do for fun.). Why? Because even with the rules being bent I know that the spirit of the game is to just enjoy the game and to have a fun time.


I've played some hard games against someone who has out right cheated and still pulled the draw points wise. Had they not cheated it would have not been a draw but an overwhelming victory. Just don't understand why those, in my experience, who cheat usually have the hardest armies to play with all the special rules they have. Yeah, I'm talking about the Eldar, Dark Eldar, and Necron players.

[The Refined Gentleman (M.I.A)]

i like fluffy armies. like my pre-heresy death guard.

[Mabus]

I think Necrons sould be banned. They have no character or interesting fluff which you can use in games whatsoever. The only reason people have to collect Necrons is so that they can use N00bish rules to power-game. Get rid of 'em.

(The Night Lord and Pylon are so over-powered. I'm going on a rant about Necrons because last week a Pylon took out my Baneblade, it went nucleur and took about a third of my army out. I was not best pleased.)

[acolyte]

id vary depending on opponents. if i play a "wave serpent eldar uber 'orrible" list i take my sisters with 30+ap1 shots in 1000 pts normaly i limit myslef to a few cheesey units and fluff the rest, gives a nice competitive friendly balance. (anybody who plays fantasy with or against skaven no how hard this can be )

[Deleted]

I like to keep it positive and fluff orientated, but its hard when the other codexes are essentially "Take whatever you want and fluff it". I find usually make the fluff fit the type of army I want to play, and I keep playing it against all comers.

Playing wise - GOD I'm sooooo beardy, but after 20 years of falling out with my twin over battles - we're finally finishing a few and really enjoying it.

My pet hate: The drifting 6" model move ... I know its only a centimetre ... but I get soooo angry.

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2008 21:14:14 GMT -5 ssgtdude (M.I.A) said:

Just don't understand why those, in my experience, who cheat usually have the hardest armies to play with all the special rules they have. Yeah, I'm talking about the Eldar, Dark Eldar, and Necron players.

Remember, the more special rules you have, the more your opponent has to know too, or you can cheat and get away with stuff. It's sad but true, you almost have to know everyones special rules by heart to keep them honest.

When I play, I just want to have fun. If I lose to an awesome army with character (not 'characters' mind you), I don't feel bad at all. When I lose to a cheesed out army I get cranky. I don't mind losing, I just want to feel like you beat me fair and square! That's my two cents.

LSM

[majorjav]

My army is based purely on fluff....As I'm donig Elysian drop troops, I try to keep the feeling as much as possible so no tanks, chimeras or whatsoever...only sents and troops and valkyries/vultures/tbolts for Apocalypse (my objective, yet to realise!!).
The only thing I would say not very fluff are my heavy mortars (3) which are converted and made lighter (and so more real and fluff, I think) and keep them rare: only 1 batterie, no more!

I prefer guys playing with fluffy armies than uber armies meant only to win.....There is no challenge in doing that in my opinion..

[Rolling Thunder]

My play style, I am told, varies from the coldest fire-move combinations and support and combat, to absolute psychosis whereby i drop in my entire army and attempt to engage the enemy in melee combat. Funnily enough, I win more by playing insane, and it winds up the RAW rule lawyers so I only use it against the beards

[ssgtdude (M.I.A)]

Apr 15, 2008 15:07:59 GMT -5 @suneokun said:

My pet hate: The drifting 6" model move ... I know its only a centimetre ... but I get soooo angry.

You do realize that the drift was removed in 4th edition right?

[Woz]

I don't play often but when I do I play for fun. My pet hate is people who moan when things ain't gioing there way and I hate it when my opponent "forgets" a rule (even simple ones) then says I'm beardy when I point it out to him.

Last game my opponent forgot that Termies with powerfists have Ini 1 and therefore strike last. Boy he wasn't happy, and I had to spend 10 mins finding the rule in the rule book. He still wasn't happy and spent the rest of the game complaining that it's a stupid rule and he's going to write to GW and tell them it's stupid. (this was from a 37 year old).

[cathedralsquares]

My army is fluffy, so much so that I've even made little drop pods for my girls. I won't take lascannons or autocannons and if I could I wouldn't even take tanks (I however, cannot afford a vulture ;-

[Commissar]

I cant remember the last time I got a game in...its sad really...
But hopefully within the next two days I will send to 40th Soviet Guards Regiment into combat!

[Oztoon]

Well im more for following the fluff of an army and build it to fit the fluff so much that that i actually have 3/4 of the entire Ultramarines Chapter.

[The Refined Gentleman (M.I.A)]

i quite like fluffy army ideas, i got my pre-heresy death guard marine army up and running, and i'm trying to select a province for my empire army in fantasy. 3/4 of the ultramarines chapter?! are you serious?!

[Oztoon]

O yeah im serious. I felt that if im going to do marines i'll go all the way. I mean i only have to get some more support vehicles and finish off the 10th companyn and bam im done.