Why do any of us play the game of 40k, and/or hobby endlessly for hours? Checkout one player’s journey to find out what makes this hobby so great!
I love 40k. Really, I do. The models, the fluff, the rules, the games…I think it is all awesome. The 40k Universe is just an extremely interesting place in which to play and imagine, and the tabletop game provides ample opportunity for both. One aspect of the game I really like is going to tournaments. While I do enjoy playing competitively, to me it is just great to play new people and have interesting matchups for my army.
The past year has seen me play in many more tournament games than casual games, but I was able to mix it up a bit recently when a buddy and I crammed 4 games of 30k into a Saturday. This was the first real venture into 30k for each of us and we were not quite sure how it would go. We just threw some lists together and went at it. We had four absolutely fantastic games. I can’t say enough good things about 30k. Seriously, if you have not yet done so, then check this game out.
But these games of 30k really got me thinking. The whole mindset of the weekend was to just play 30k and have a good time. We were not trying to smash each other, and this really affected our attitudes in the game as well as the lists we brought.
In a particularly memorable series of events, my army of World Eaters led by Angron himself decimated the lines of the Salamanders and it looked like the game could come to a conclusion by turn 3. However, the Primarch Vulkan proceeded to go on a rampage and obliterate everything he touched, and the game ended with Vulkan and Angron locked in single combat, with no other survivors. I was not frustrated by my opponent’s comeback, I was excited about it! Seeing Vulkan tear through more than 50 World Eater models was a sight to behold! Just being a part of the action was incredibly fun. In a later game that saw the Iron Warriors clash with the World Eaters, Angron struck down Perturabo in single combat and set his sights on his Shadowsword transport. It was looking grim for the Iron Warriors but a single shot changed the game. Yes, The Strength D Volcano Cannon Hit Angron head on and rolled the dreaded “deathblow” result, wiping Angron out in a single shot!
My opponent and I cheered and gave a high-five over the action. It was only right, we said, that the shadowsword be what took out Angron. No other means could possibly do it! These, and other moments made the weekend truly memorable and fun. We were both able to appreciate the epic moment for what is was, not who was doing it and it really let us enjoy both sides of the tabletop action.
It was really refreshing to play some games this way, and it got me thinking, why can’t I bring this attitude to 40k tournaments? There is so much cool stuff in 40k, that I feel we just have to celebrate it when it happens and really imagine the fluff behind the dice. The terminator squad that is able to bring down the Knight Titan, the Las cannon that strikes down a Land Raider in one shot, or the Razorback that shoots down the enemy flyer…these are epic 40k moments that make our hobby unique.
I can remember playing at game at the NOVA open where Commissar Yarrick fought the bloodthirster of Insensate rage in a challenge for 3 rounds! Imagine that for a second: The earth around the duel exploding with Khornate fury from Great Axe of Khorne, and Old Man Yarrick taking all the punishment the armories of Khorne can dish out and coming back for more! My opponent and I were both pumped up about this, snapping pictures and just having a blast imagining the fight. When the duel ended in their mutual destruction we could only cheer in response. It is not always easy to do, but I really want to try and have this attitude about all my 40k games and see the fun positive side of all the action on the table, regardless of what it is. You D out my bloodthirster? Oh man! At least I get a blood point!
Your Tau Overwatch kills 20 flesh hounds and makes me fail the charge? Well, maybe now you are out of bullets! My Chaos Bikers fail a morale check and fall back off the board? Well, they did not actually fail a morale check, they actually got sooooo angry that they couldn’t see straight and simply charged off in the wrong direction.
I think this attitude will make for more enjoyable and memorable games for all involved. As others have said before me, the best things in 40k happen when you play with your opponent, not against them, and I think we could all benefit for playing simply for the love of the game.
Truer words may have never been said about our hobby!
About the Author: Horton Doughton
