The last few weeks of gaming before some friends moved was spent playing combat patrol while helping the guys refine ideas for Adepticon which is coming up soon.  It’s all I’ve been playing ever since!  We have found that the 400 point total limit makes for a fast and furious game.  The restrictions on other units keeps things from getting crazy too.  We combine this new format with the new DLT missions book which combines new missions and the ones in the base book!  It’s crazy fun!

So for those of you heading to Adepticon or just want to play a fun and fast game in under and hour here are the rules at Adepticon’s Website. So just a few rules to abide by.  It’s very much in the vein of 40k in 40 minutes.  So what about strategies!  Well here are the things I’ve learned by playing a LOT of combat patrol.

Number One: Have fun.  Don’t whine about what you aren’t allowed to use, don’t ask to use something not on the list.  It’s 400 points.  If you can’t fill 400 points without using vehicles with combined AV over 33 or without psychic powers you probably need to expand your army!  One great way to play is to only allow the LOSER to upgrade his list from game to game.  This way you get to see the “metagame” in fast forward.  You’ll be surprised how much fun that is.

Number Two: Play to win.  Accept that your opponent is doing the same.  Don’t take a loss personally and enjoy the cycle of refining a small list.  Every game think about what you can do better and then adapt.  If you can’t beat your friends “perfect 400″ don’t make him change.  Instead keep adapting.  Pretty soon you’ll figure out how to take advantage of the mission and terrain to beat him.  It will really up your game.

Number Three: Troops!  Take at least 2!  They don’t have to be full, but I find that at least 200 points in troops is a good starting place.  Troops with a transport is even better.  Rhinos, Razorbacks, Chimera’s and Devilfish are powerhouses on the table.  Smaller units are more viable as well, as there won’t be a dozen units available to blow them away.

Number Four: Speed!  Fast units like bikes, speeders and jump infantry make a big difference when every model counts.  Several units that you might normally not take really bring the paint at 400 points.  Re-read your codex and look for fast moving inexpensive units like outflanking Sentinels and Vipers.

Number Five: Strength 6 to 8 weapons reign supreme.  Autocannons can break any vehicle open, assault cannons can put out the shots and rocket launchers add inexpensive flexibility.  Volume of fire is more important than raw strength.  Unless that lascannon is BS 5 don’t waste points on it!

With these 5 rules you will find the “400 Meta” ,as we call it around here, to be a lot of fun.  What about each army though?  Well let’s make this article crazy long shall we!  Here are some thoughts on how each army functions!

Chaos Daemons: While many of the more power units are right out, the fact that Daemon “psychic powers” aren’t psychic powers really helps.  Nurgle Daemons really hold an objective against the limited AP 2 weapons and can be safely put on the board in 5 or 6 man squads.  Units like Flamers of Tzeentch can make a big splash when they land destroying half of your opponents army!  The deep striking in general is a huge help allowing Daemons to be a responsive army on the 4×4 table!  Icons can also be a big help!

Chaos Space Marines: 5 Troop Choices!  Every job you need a unit to do can be done with one of these!  Some of the lesser used units (such as Tzeentch or Sonic Marines) can make a big difference with a smaller unit.  5 noise marines can rip up a unit of guardsmen.  Possessed also rock at this point total!

Daemonhunters: Without terminators this army really took a hit.  An army without options is now down to even fewer.  All that said, Storm Troopers and Inquisitors can really pack a whollop.  Obviously psychic powers are out, but the sheer volume of wargear options can create a lot of synergy.  In a tournament it would be tough to run them, but with friends they can be a hoot!

Dark Eldar: Raiders!  I really don’t feel I need to say more here.  RAIDERS!  Seriously they are ridiculously good at combat patrol!  Wych’s are also good, and only having to take 1 troop actually gets used here.  Most armies still want to run 2, but with Dark Eldar 1 in reserve is enough!

Eldar: Without psychic powers or wave serpents the eldar need to do one thing and do it well.  Vipers with volume of fire guns really shell out the damage while staying out of range.  Small units of jetbikes let you hop in at the last minute to snag objectives.  6  bikes, a viper and some dire avengers can present a volume of fire front that is able to dodge around terrain and really hit opponents hard.

Imperial Guard: Chimera’s.  Oh.. did you want more?  1 Troop means you can take 5 Chimera’s.  Heavy weapons teams with Autocannons are a cheap way to decimate incoming transports as well.  The Guard Gunline is very playable here too, throwing 60 models with weapons at your opponent can be overwhelming.

Necrons: Destroyers are awesome.  Volume of fire and speed blow through enemy units and transports.  Warriors are resilient and will rarely face strength 8 or a ton of power weapons.  Rending also makes a bigger difference against the smaller number of vehicles.  Phase out is still a pain though.

Orks: Boyz with nobz & a klaw are great.  Throw them in a truck and they can hit your opponent before they have any response options.  Fewer guns and a smaller board really play to orks.  Combine that with some of the options on 2 wound models and you’re in good shape.  Nob bikers are only elites though, so take them cautiously!

Space Marines: Combat Squads and Razorbacks!  Scouts & Speeder Transports!  It’s so hard to choose between the two!  Bikes and scout bikes are also very resilient options.  The space marines are spoiled for choices and finding a good synergy can be tricky because of it.  Focus on speed and weapon options.  Lear your target priorities and you’ll do well!

Space Wolves: With the ridiculously efficient Grey Hunters the Space Wolves can really have a strong base to start from.  Hunters and guard punch it up another notch.  5 Hunters in a Razorback with a Wolfguard have a ton of great options, including big weapons and volume of melee attacks.  Oh and 3 man Long Fang squads are a god send.

Tau Empire: Crisis Suits with fire eye.  Stealth Suits dropping.  A block of fire warriors can put out range damage while being supported by suits.  Devilfish sneak in as the most heavily armored vehicle in the format as well!  That makes the tau very resilient when looking to score objectives.

Tyranids: Genestealers.  It sucks but the 2 wound limitation cuts the nidz in half and leaves them with only one option for synapse… and that one can’t use it’s psychic powers!  So stealers… which are surprisingly good in the format!  Just run tons of them!

Witch Hunters: Sisters of battle are queens of efficiency and this pays off in combat patrol.  Rush your opponent in rhinos, throw in some immolator’s and books of st. lucius and you’re looking at some serious small unit firepower with resilience.  The only real gap in the army list is long range tank hunting.  An immolator with multi-melta’s can help, but why give up the flamers?  Some of the lesser used toys (like braziers) and penitent engines can wreck faces as well.

All in all the game changes a LOT in this point bracket so be ready to change your tactics on the fly, not just while building your list.  Have fun!  Post your experiences with the format!

If I’m going to take over for Miggidy Mack I should begin by totally lambasting him.  I liked the article he wrote but it was actually game PLAY theory he was discussing.  So how about we talk about REAL game theory.  Let’s start with the basics!

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy says:  Game theory is the study of the ways in which strategic interactions among rational players produce outcomes with respect to the preferences (or utilities) of those players, none of which might have been intended by any of them.

Agents & Minigames

Game Theory uses the term Agents in place of players, but they are basically the same thing in any tabletop game.  Each player has a “preference” for an outcome, usually victory.  This can be broken down smaller, however.  The term “mini-game” refers to a game within a game.  The players still have preferences (win the assault, maneuver out of range) and those preferences effect the larger game.

The assault mini-game, for instance, is one of Odds and Chance.  We can do the math hammer to determine the likely hood of an event, but there is still a chance the numbers will not go in your favor.  The game has very few decisions at first glance, but when decisions need to be made they are very important.  Choosing whether or not to put attacks on an independent character or how to move models into an assault (or assault multiple units) can drastically complicate things.  These decisions are made and then the results are discovered.  It’s a gamble, although one whose odds are easily discernible.

Zero Sum vs. Non-Zero Sum

Zero Sum refers to a game where every interaction with the rules results in one player losing a set amount and another player gaining that same amount.  Poker is a great example, as one player gains $10 all the other players must have lost an amount totaling exactly $10 (ignoring the houses cut).

40k is NOT a zero sum game.  Players have a resources (units) and they can only lose them.  While it certainly puts my opponent at an advantage to deplete my resources, it does not give him more resources.  This is why “resources gain” is so rare in 40k, and why units like the Tervigon are considered so powerful… and such a big game changer.

Metagaming

Metagaming is the biggest factor in the tournament scene.  It refers to any strategy or course of action that transcends the rules.  When we build army lists this is typically our biggest concern.  Assume a tournament will have about 16 players consisting of: 4 space marines, 3 orks, 2 chaos marines, 2 guard, 2 tyranid, 1 space wolves, 1 daemonhunters and 1 eldar  With that break down the player is able to rationalize that half the players have a 3+ armor save, and that weapons capable of breaking through the save are important to his success at a tournament.

The metagame choices are not so simple, however.  If there is a large amount of terrain on the table, and 4+ cover saves will be common then weapons that have a higher volume of shots and a higher strength will yield better results over the course of a tournament.  If 2 of the marine players are running all scout lists then the choices change again.

Your choice of army further complicates the issue!  You have to assume other players are making the same decisions you are making and build your list to take cause their army list to be less effective against you, knowing what choices they are making.  As groups of players adjust their lists after each tournament to account for this information the metagame revolves.  Players buy new units and adjust.

Comp Scores attempt to stagnate the metagame, which only serves to make one army (whichever abuses the comp scores best) more powerful.  This is why discussions on forums are so important.  You have to create demographic overviews and build an army list to incorporate that information.

Here are a few books on Game Theory if this sparks your imagination.  I highly recommend:

Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction for beginners or those who haven’t had statistics.

Rock, Paper, Scissors for ways to actually apply game theory to Warhammer 40k and other games.

Game Theory: Analysis of Conflict is great for 40k as well, although a bit theoretical at times for what you’re probably wanting.

Strategy: An Introduction to Game Theory is for those who want to have a college reference book on hand with tons of examples.  This book is for serious math heads and those who really want to dig their teeth into something academic.  It’s also like 70 bucks… it doesn’t fuck around.

One of the discussions I have a lot lately is about comp scores. The reason they are so popular is that many players focus on one or two skill sets while learning the game and they feel this is the way the game “should” be played. Those players who throw down at 40k 3 or 4 times a weak usually feel that comp scores are unnecessary. It’s a matter of practice and a deeper understanding of the armies. This is basically what defines their play “style”. Modern Game Theory has many different skill sets and for the most part Warhammer 40k makes use of them all tactically and strategically, but many armies lean towards one skill more heavily than others. This is the typical “style” of the army. So what makes a good Marine player or Tyranid player?

I thought I would turn my BA in Game Design towards the world of 40k and talk about some rather esoteric stuff today… hope ya’ll don’t mind.

I’m going to walk through the current “Fifth” edition armies (as I see them) and talk a little about how each one uses a different skill set that many may not have thought about. It should be noted that every army requires ALL of these skills, some just function better in the hands of a player who has honed one area of expertise. This is typical referred to as “play style”. I (Miggidy Mack) function better with armies that focus on Dismantle tactics and find Space Wolves right up my ally. Richard is very skilled with Target Priority and plays Space Marines very well.

Chaos Daemons & Opponent Reading
The Chaos Daemon army is best played by a player who knows every other codex inside and out. Players who have had many other armies and know how they function are able to read their opponents army list and know exactly how to pull them apart. Many players attempt to field “powerful” forces with this codex. Those players who are successful field armies able to pull strategies apart. A good Daemon player has an army able to shift what goes into each half, and has a contingency plan for bad random selection. The Daemon player has to be able to read his opponents actions and through his own experience know how to counter act his opponents hidden strategy.

Daemons truly is a veterans army. Without a world of skill and lots of practice one will think that the army is weak. It is not, in the hands of a skilled player it decimates even the hardest “power list”. Poker players make good Daemon players as they know how to react to bad luck and to watch an opponents actions for strategy tip offs. Thus the importance of Opponent Reading in both poker and playing a Daemon army.

Orks & Field Manipulation
While the typical Ork army relies on volume of fire over quality of fire there are some notable exceptions that allows the force to field some very powerful elite units. It also combines speed and resilience, but rarely in the same unit. The obvious exception is Nob Bikers. Because of this the successful Ork player is able to manipulate the field to his advantage. Be it cover saves for his efficient Boyz or knowing when to Waaagh to cover those critical few inches into an assault. Orks take advantage of the game board as best as they can to bring their power to bear while protecting themselves.

Ork armies are more unforgiving than many players think, now that the metagame has calmed down. Go players find themselves at home with an Ork army. Their sheer volume of attacks makes “mathhammer” fairly predictable with them and this allows players well versed in strategic games able to make use of their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses.

Space Marines & Target Priority
With their resilience, variety of weaponry and higher than average ballistic skill the marines have a shooting answer for everything. Combine this with inexpensive transports and rapid assault units and you have a recipe for an army that does extremely well in the hands of a player who is good at target priority. Knowing what will do the most damage to your forces and taking out quickly (and reliably) is a complex topic but with marines it becomes much simpler. Ap 2 and 3 shooting becomes a priority, high strength shooting and power weapon wielding units need to die first. If this is done properly the Space Marine player will meet with much success.

Marine armies are often thought of as “beginner” armies because they are forgiving of mistakes. It is also true that they give new players a variety of options and let them learn the critical target priority skill. Players who are good at chess and can think several steps ahead while juggling multiple unit functions find Space Marines to be right up their ally. Just because people think that his is a “beginners” army that doesn’t mean it can rock your world!

Imperial Guard & Foresight
With big guns, lots of outflanking units and fragile units the Imperial Guard player finds himself needing a plan. He must choose his deployment very carefully and be ready to manipulate the pacing of the game from turn 1. Knowing his opponents deployment and holding units in reserve become critical to a guard player. The easiest way to defeat a guard player is to force him to go first! Guard players will often hold everything in reserve when going first, so that they can give themselves time to adjust to their opponents deployment.

Guard armies are attractive to players who appreciate redundant units, as it’s easier to plan when it’s unlikely to lose an entire strategic function in one round. Risk players are good Guard players. Their ability to plan the game out from deployment and then adapt to dice rolls makes a Risk player ready to handle bad scatter dice when his plan gets shaken up.

Space Wolves & Dismantling
Dismantling is a close relative of target priority, but it uses shock & awe to limit an opponents response options. By getting tied up in assaults the army protects itself from shooting. With the sheer number of characters the army also functions with fewer tactical assets. While a Space Wolves army might have 10 units, their are only 3 or 4 operating groups (HQ’s with troops in transports is 3 units that operate as one). This makes for hard hitting hammers that tear through enemy lines. Dismantle armies hit an opponent hard, forcing them to respond. A second unit then responds in turn and hopefully the opponents force is dismantled one piece at a time or at least reduced to intellectuality.

Space Wolves armies are another good army for a new player. In the hands of a veteran they can be even more devastating. Dungeons & Dragons players make good Space Wolves players, as they know the strengths of a few units and are able to support those units with each other.

Tyranids & Situational Analysis
The nids is a newer codex, but it really boils down to one thing… knowing the odds. With a relatively few number of attacks (4 or 5) on monstrous creatures they just won’t be able to take down a horde. Combine that with inefficient units (when compared to guard or orks) and you have a force that can field hordes, but not as well as other forces. It’s all about knowing the odds and not getting stuck in a war of attrition. It may seem like Tervigon’s will let you fight on forever, but often they just result in more dead bugs when a more powerful assault army hits your line. When faced with 30 Ork Boyz with a Klaw a much more expensive unit of Termigaunts and their Tervigon are just going to get crushed… so Nid players need to be able to guess ranges and do the math in their head or risk being ripped to shreds by attrition.

Nids are a great army for players who can deal with layers of complexity. It’s not 100% (as any statistician will tell you) but it does let the nid player know when he is up against a wall. Magic the Gathering players make good Nid players. They have to assess their tools and the metagame when building their army list. The nid codex is capable of several different strategies ranging form drop pod assaults, swarm tactics and hammer units. All these options operate differently and combining them well into one deck … er army list, is something Magic players have grown accustomed too.

So there you have it. The “5th edition” codex’s and their chosen “other skill”. I haven’t talked about older codex’s, but you can easily see how many function… but who knows how that will change! Eldar, for instance, are a focused fire army, bringing firepower to bear quickly and decisively. Daemonhunters operate similar to the Space Wolves but with an eye towards resilience. It’s an incredibly complicated topic that I could discuss for years without ever getting bored!

I spend a lot of time listening to lists and helping fine tune army builds. I am sure you’ve all heard terms like “tank hunting” and “horde killing” but there are other rolls that have pop’d up in the new 5th edition metagame. Everyone has their own style of building a list and we all intuitively have some understanding of these function, but I thought it would be a nice exercise to put them down in concrete terms.

So here are MY unit roles, ask yourself what units fill those rolls in your army. You’ll find the information far more applicable to your situation if you read actively and apply the concepts to your metagame.

Tank Hunting: This is a defensive shooting unit, focusing on destroying the threats before they can deal a lot of damage. These units are characterized by high strength weapons designed to punch through armor. There are a variety of weapon types that handle this job, but they are typically strength 8 or higher. If a unit doesn’t have range (usually 36+ inches) it should have the ability to outflank or deep strike during turns 1 or 2. The goal of tank hunting units is to destroy powerful tanks, not just transports. Anything with 2d6 armor penetration also falls into this category. AP 1 is also a biggie.

Horde Killing: This is another defensive unit. These units commonly have a high rate of fire able to put 10 or 12 wounds into a unit that might have 20 or 30 models. Large Blast Templates and flamers also fall into the role, as they allow the player to skip rolling to hit.

Objective Holding: Troops that can take a few hits. These units make you able to win two thirds of the game types. That makes them pretty important. Resilience, numbers or a combination of the two is the name of the game here. Transports can also buy a unit several turns and force your opponent to bring tank hunting and troop killing weapons to bear on the unit.

Transport Crushing: Many players expect tanks to handle their transport hunting duties as well. This can be a mistake, depending on the type of tank hunting you are using. If your tank hunting units rely on short range high penetration weapons (as many do) then a transport will have already done it’s job by the time you kill it. Transport hunting weapons are long range and typically have multiple strength 6 to 8 attacks.

Hammer Breaking: With the advent of the new Tyranids Codex this role becomes even more important. Monsters aren’t just monstrous creatures, but are any unit that has multiple wounds and is very resilient. Many armies rely on a central powerful unit and Hammer Breakers efficiently deal with the problem. These units feature high initiative, power weapons or sheer volume of attacks.

Hammer: These are the “broken” unit in your army. Usually an HQ, this unit can slam into most units and decimate it in one or two rounds of close combat. High strength power weapons, multiple attacks, high weapon skill and resilience all lead to a hammer units success.

Trouble Shooting: These units are designed to intercept problems that arise through the randomness of game play. Deep striking units can really wreak havoc and having a small template with a high ap can ruin their day. Assassination work can also fall to the trouble shooter, breaking down powerful units so that other units can finish them off. The trouble shooter is a gap filler and a final blow when one is needed.

Now the real key isn’t just to know these roles, but to choose units that fill these rolls along with your play style. Additionally you’re going to want units that fill more than just one of these tasks. An objective holding unit might also deep strike with a meltagun, allowing it to do some tank hunting. You might run a hammer unit that doubles as a hammer breaker or handles some of your transport hunting duties.