The 7 Stages of Nerd Grief

[Chris Copeland]

Troops, every once in a while we are confronted by a rules-exploit that makes us question why we even play these games. Some Win-At-All-Costs player figures out a way to push the ruleset until it SNAPS and then they go rushing through the hole. When that happens we are overwhelmed by Nerd Grief. Be aware that passing through all of the stages of Nerd Grief is perfectly normal and acceptable. It's healthy. Here is what you can expect as you deal with Nerd Grief:

Here are the Seven Stages of Nerd Grief:


Nerd Shock and Disbelief: Are you kidding me? That’s not a rule! There is NO way that’s legal in this game!
Nerd Denial: I’m not playing by that goddam rule! It goes completely against the Spirit of the Game!
Nerd Anger: Man, the guys who wrote this game suck! The guys who found this exploit suck harder! Arrrrgh! I’m SO mad!
Nerd Bargaining: Screw it! I’ll go play that other game... or I’ll play this one if everyone agrees to play it the way I think it should be played!
Nerd Guilt: I’ll buy a blister pack or two... that’ll make the pain go away... crap, now I just feel bad that I spent the grocery money on models... now I feel guilty AND I’m still upset about this rule!
Nerd Depression: I hate this hobby. This sucks...
Nerd Acceptance: Fine. That’s what the rule is. That’s how everyone else is playing it. I guess I will just keep playing. Hey, anyone up for a game?


Cheers all! Copeland

[Duke]

I have for sure been through all of those! too true.

[Caldera02]

Hehe, awww....

[warpcrafter]

When 3rd edition 40K came out, I went into Nerd Grief, HARD. I was only up to anger when 4th ed. came out, and it helped me along. I have some gripe with 5th, but all in all it's not so bad. Now I'm cautiously optimistic about 6th ed. If it drives me back into the depths of nerd grief, I fear I may not come back out again. Or I will snap and start referring to the Leakhammer rules as 6th edition and throttling anyone who dares contradict me. However, a long-time Space Wolves player at my FLGS rage-quit 40K because of 5th ed, and I have it on good authority that when he sells off an army and swears off of a game forever, its next edition represents a quantum improvement, so I am trying to stay positive.

[Chris Copeland]

Ha! I'd never seen a gamer go through all seven stages of Nerd Grief because of an edition change (but I've only witnessed a few edition changes). I saw 40K go from 4th to 5th, WFB go from 7th to 8th, and Warmachine go from 1.5 to 2...

I recently went through these stages when a player smacked me with a rule that seemed completely counter to the spirit of the game. It was a painful experience. I was glad to finally make it to Nerd Acceptance and move on... I'm just glad it came up OUTSIDE of tournament play!

In general, I've enjoyed 5th edition. The only two rules I've not particularly cared for have been True Line of Sight and 5th's wound allocation rules. TLOS got rid of forests having any particular value (since most players I know used green cloth and a few tree models for forests) and the current wound allocation rules have led to some shenanigans...

Cheers! Copeland

[warpcrafter]

Ha! I'd never seen a gamer go through all seven stages of Nerd Grief because of an edition change (but I've only witnessed a few edition changes). I saw 40K go from 4th to 5th, WFB go from 7th to 8th, and Warmachine go from 1.5 to 2...

I recently went through these stages when a player smacked me with a rule that seemed completely counter to the spirit of the game. It was a painful experience. I was glad to finally make it to Nerd Acceptance and move on... I'm just glad it came up OUTSIDE of tournament play!

In general, I've enjoyed 5th edition. The only two rules I've not particularly cared for have been True Line of Sight and 5th's wound allocation rules. TLOS got rid of forests having any particular value (since most players I know used green cloth and a few tree models for forests) and the current wound allocation rules have led to some shenanigans...

Cheers! Copeland

Most people I play against still use the 4th edition area terrain rules for woods and ruins, and it would be hypocritical for me to be bothered by wound allocation because I always field Ork Nobs. I tolerate all of the things I don't like about 5th edition because they are very minor, and balanced out by the run rule. As a footslogging Ork player, I love the run rule.

[TheWildRider]

Ahahahaha. That's brilliant.

I will admit to causing some nerd grief in my time. Mostly to eleven year olds who've just bought their first battleforce of Ultrasmurfs, and set them up, thinking they're god's gift to 40k.

And then my Tau gunline shreads them in four turns o.o

[Bat Manuel]

I usually stop at stage 4, skip 5, hang out at 6 and maybe go to 7.

[Plowboy22]

LOL I have been through them all

[Face Stabbity]

Oh, I can just buy a couple blister packs to make the pain go away? Man, that's more manageable than buying half an army.

[Frankio9]

This could have been much shorter.

Codex Grey Knights.

[Phoibos]

I have been actually been dissapointed by GW often enough that I am kind of stuck at stage six in the moment. They ruined WFB for me with the new edition of the rules and I think this time I am stubborn enough to actually put the hobby aside until they come up with proper rules again. Ah well, at least I still have 40k.

[Duskstorm]

I don't Nerd Rage over rules, I wait and Nerd Rage when I find out somebody has been using a rule wrong or purposely trying to ignore or twist a rule. If the rule is being used properly, good on my opponent for knowing it better than me!

[greendestiny]

:) Thanks for the laugh man, I could litterly hear the words coming out my game group friends lol

[Chris Copeland]

Glad I could elicit a laugh. What part of TX are you in? If you are ever in the San Antonio area let's get in a game!

[doom-kitten]

Never really gone through all 7 stages but I have been in a number of them or simply skipped one or two, the worst experience I've evered had with Nerd Rage was when at the end of a tournament I suddenly realized my opponent had fielded Abaddon in a Rhino. I was skimming through my codeex at the time making a new army to play an opponent after the tourney when I stumbled on the Rhino's entry (I love this tank like kittens), and I pretty much facepalmed, laughed and drowned my sorrows in a large coffee. Sadly the offence happened in the first game and I had lost because Abaddon managed to kill off my unit holding the objective before the Exorcist finally got him, regardless the game went to killpoints and I lost...damn Rhinos ( I jest I loves them so much). My rage was mostly at myself for not spotting it, but it was pretty sneaky and as he had no termie bodyguard my Exo would have had longer to nuke him not only that but the squad he slaughtered might have managed an AP 1 volley of Bolter fire (back in the witch hunters days).

[marsdonut]

Today I heard that moving through a wrecked vehicle causes a dangerous terrain test per model making its move through. What came next was my opponent telling me that all forms of movement through that area (running, assaulting thru) caused more of the same tests.

Now that I remember this occurred, I'm angry all over again. Time for me to read up and hope we were merely misunderstanding the rule! :mad: