Need Motivation

[GrandmasterRay]

Hey guys. I need some help. Maybe some of you guys feel the same as I do. I'm hoping that you don't and if you did, what did you do to help yourself? This post is not to sway people to my frame of mind or to complain about things that realistically we can't change. I don't hate GW and I'm not trying to make this a rant against them. Quite the contrary. I'm hoping that someone could help me to get a new outlook about this game.

I find I'm having a hard time enjoying the game anymore.

First let me ask some questions. How often do you see SMvSM, SMvsIG, and IGvsIG games? How many gaming clubs had one of these armies win 'ard boyz? Of these, how many were the chimera and valkyree list? the salamander assault termy list?

See me, I don't like to play the same old armies as everyone else. This leaves me with the option to play armies such as Daemonhunters, Flesh Tearers (Blood Angels), Tau, and Eldar (which are the armies I play). I feel like I am being corralled out of the game.

Most people play SM and IG so GW makes the SM and IG codices first (and even if you disagree that most people play them, that point is irrelevant). From a business standpoint, I can't blame them. These new codecis get really cool new units and rules that are designed for 5th ed. In my experience these armies are better designed to win games in 5th ed. Most of the time, they only have to roll average to defeat the "other" models where a majority of the time the older armies have to roll exceptionally well.

Unfortunately, part of the enjoyment of the game is not only having cool looking armies (which they definitely are), but also to win some games with them. So this leads players to stop playing older armies frequently and play the newer, more exciting armies just to average out the win/loss stats and to reinvigorate their gaming experience. Of course, better tactical skills "could" win you some games. But when you have two good tacticians play each other (which is prevalent in my gaming club) and one has a newer codex, most of the time it still comes down to dice rolls and thus, see my previous point.

So what about guys like me? I want to play with armies that are new and exciting too but I don't want to play the same old games of SMvSM, SMvsIG, and IGvsIG. And there really are no plans to release anything new for the "other" players within the next year or so. SW and BA don't count. In my opinion they are still SM codices that are being released to keep pace with C:SM.

What do I do? Do I continue to play the armies that must have static builds to be competitive, all the while dissatisfied, or quit until it is more fair for "us" (the "other" players)? I love the game (or at least the idea of it) and think it needs to be a little less lopsided. I'm like a patriot that loves his country but is not satisfied with what it's government is doing to the minorities therein.

Please someone give me some hope for this game. Does anyone have an outlook that could be uplifting to me?

[Valdore]

Well, although I can certainly see your standpoint, and I have seen the situation before, I will say that the new armies don't always win. Heck, we have a Dark Eldar player at our local that regularly beats the living daylights out of Marines and Guard, let alone the other armies!

However, if you want an uplifting outlook, hmmmm, you could look at it as a challenge, to see if you can make an army and a strategy to beat those that follow the trend, or just try a bit further afield (if it is possible) and see if opponents elsewhere are the same. If they are, then maybe just focus on the hobby side for a while, get those armies looking all nice and lovely, then when you get your new codex, go and take revenge for having felt this way at all on all those SM & IG players! (Guilty as charged, though for seven years I might add ;))

I know that again at my local we have nearly all the armies represented, sure there are more SM and Guard, but you can always find a game against someone else.

EDIT: Hope it helped ;)

[BuFFo]

....

You make it sound like the game is one dimensional, and everything seems to be GW's fault.

The fault lies squarely on the laps of your opponents, who CHOOSE to play the same lists.

Since you are being honest, let me be frank as well.

In my local gaming store, I am the ONLY active dark eldar player. I haven't lost a game with my dark Eldar since middle of 2006. I play other armies, and I do lose with those, but with my dark eldar, I dominate anyone I come across.

This disproves your idea that new codex = powerful army. My 11 year old book runs trains all up in my opponent's marine, chaos and IG armies without breaking a sweat. I scored triple massacres in my local 'ard boyz, and I would have scored triple massacres in the semi finals if my one tie wasn't against ANOTHER dark eldar opponent!

So what I am basically saying is this; you need to step up your game and use an army no one in your area is using. Pick yourself up, wipe your tears, and dig deep inside your creativity and beat the living snot out of your opponents with a new army. Heck, try Dark Eldar lol! Maybe Kroot Mercs? How about Tyranids?

If all else fails, get a campaign going in your store! Campaigns are always fun, and almost never about just winning.

Yeah, I think a campaign is just what the art clown ordered!

[GrandmasterRay]

You make it sound like the game is one dimensional, and everything seems to be GW's fault.

No no no. GW is a business and they can't be blamed for doing what makes money no matter how much I or anyone else dislikes their time lines lol.


In my local gaming store, I am the ONLY active dark eldar player. I haven't lost a game with my dark Eldar since middle of 2006. I play other armies, and I do lose with those, but with my dark eldar, I dominate anyone I come across.This disproves your idea that new codex = powerful army

I agree. You are right in saying that DE kick fanny (especially in good hands) and not many people play them. I've been kickin around the idea of starting an army for the last little bit. Only one problem though is that they are the exception when I said the armies look good. I may start them when the new model line comes out. So again to the waiting :(


If all else fails, get a campaign going in your store! Campaigns are always fun, and almost never about just winning.

Yeah, I think a campaign is just what the art clown ordered!

That is actually a really good idea. I just may punch my store owner in the face and tell him to run one instead of escalation.

It's less about the ability to win as I'm not too shabby and win a decent amount. It's about the variety of my games and wanting to play a cool new army with new models and junk, but not playing the same armies as everybody else. Meh.... you're right. I'll stop crying. I still don't like it though.

[BuFFo]

You should give Planetary Empires a shot in your area, see if players would be interested in doing a campaign. The rules are pretty good and the map looks awesome.

Before you commit to anything, just make sure your fellow gamers are interested as well.

We are doing a PE campaign in my area next month. Looks like a lot of fun.

[GrandmasterRay]

Has that come out yet? I didn't realize if it has.

[Drunkencorgimaster]

It seems to me that you are outlining two different goals: 1) playing with a unique army, and 2) winning. I'd say that some of the other posts should give you hope that you can still win but even if you cannot, ask yourself if that is your real goal? I am still just as good at losing with Marines and IG as I am with Nids or Orks. Sure it is fun to win, but the game is more than that. Playing an interesting themed army in a narrative style can be pretty fun in and of itself. If my Nids or Orks get blasted to shreds, well... I figure at least humanity has prevailed even if I did not.

Good Luck!

[Nabterayl]

BuFFo's already suggested (well, implied) talking to the rest of your gaming group to see if they wouldn't mind switching up their lists. I don't know how feasible that is for them (based on budget, local attitudes about painting standards, proxying, etc.), but it's definitely something I'd try.

Something else you might try is something that's worked well for my local group. We generally tell each other which army we're bringing, and engage in a certain amount of guessing to try to build lists tailored to each other based on our known personalities, tactical styles, and the codex in question. Most of the exploring I've done in my codex on the tabletop has come from knowing that if I play what I played last game, my opponent can be expected to have a list that will smash it.

This works for us because we are all friends at this point, and our conception of "fun" is pretty common. We all recognize that we aren't trying to build power lists so much as we are encouraging each other to not run the same thing over and over. If the relational dynamics in your local group are similar, you might try something like this. Or heck, you might even just start doing it yourself, until your opponents adapt out of desperation.

[ChrisW]

my suggestions:

- if your group involves a few players it may be time to start a campaign much like the 'eye of terror' or simply a planetary invasion.

- dig out a copy of the rules for the old space hulk game and adapt something for a current army that you play. also makes a fun project to cut out some of the tiles that were availible a while back on the auzzie site and run through a couple 'old school' missions..... ahh memories

- offer to swap armies for a game or two to play with a different force.

as with painting you may find yourself 40ked out for a time. it does go away. :) i was patiently waiting for my friends to get involved again, however after the righteous smack down i handed out with my chaos force i might have to wait again for another game :P

-Chris

[RandomX]

When I decided to start up some new Armies, I ran a poll, on what my OPPONENT would like to see across the table from them.

I was in a bit of the same boat as you. Except that I (not bragging, but I have a fantastic Black Templar army, and it has been played in the last 3 editions) always got "ANOTHER Black Templar army..." when I pulled it out of the cases. And I am not a cookie cutter list. I can fill two force org charts with fully painted Templar, and I vary my list on how I feel that day. And that to me got really annoying. Another thing was that I hated the constant SMvSM games.

So I ran the poll and got Adeptus Mechanicus, orks runners up. AM appealed to me for their heavy converting options, which I love the idea of. But then I decided to take the second pick and do an Ork army instead. It was a good choice. I believe the game needs more Xenos, and I have not played a Xenos army since late 3rd, when I ran a 'Nid army.

And just like what was said, run a campaign. Start it small, and then move up the army lists from there, points wise. That way you will be less prevalent to see the cookie cutter lists, and it will breathe a breath of fresh air into your gaming enviorns.