Goatboy here, I just got back from a big 40K team event, and want to talk about what you and I can do to try get better at this game.
I just got back from the Challengers Cup Team Event run by Green Banner Events. I will talk more about my experience later this week. I had a ton of fun even though I didn’t do too well. But I’ll talk about that later. Today I want to talk about what I plan on doing to try and get better at this game I write about.
Make Time to Practice
I think the biggest factor in increasing my skill is just finding time to practice. There were a lot of games that recognizing the Trap and then being able to properly prepare for the Trap are two different things. Just being able to understand how to get out of an issue would be helpful and that relies on just practicing a ton. I played World Eaters for a long time, but have I really gathered my experience? I know I don’t get enough reps in. I know I will never have the time to play like I used too but I could strive to get a few games in a month instead of just waiting to flounder around at a tournament.
Lock In Your Armylist
I also think locking in my army design more would be helpful. I am constantly painting small new additions and shifting focus from what makes the army work. It is the whole issue with being an efficient painter that wants to play with a new toy on the tabletop. This might mean I go find some old Land Raider and spruce it up to make it more World Eater like or find a new HQ to convert and build. It could also mean I am trying something out instead of working with what works. I know I get focused on the new shiny thing I can paint up and while I have been sticking with one army I really haven’t stuck with that design.
Study The Event Tables & Terrain
The other thing I think I need to look at is what kind of tables and terrain am I rolling into. There has been a pretty good push to lock terrain this edition but with GW, WTC, and UKTC being different makes it a factor in deciding what I play. Each one shifts an army in different directions. One might be set up to stage attacks better and the other will be full of shooting lanes for days. It is a big factor in figuring out how you should approach a match up. It also informs on how you move your units throughout the game. The simple things like making sure a unit can’t consolidate into something important is a huge thing I didn’t do very well this past week.
Mentally Game Out Common Army Opponents
This leads into figuring out plans for the major armies you might face. It might just be figuring out army styles and how you react to them. You might be bringing a sword to a fight but if you run into a ton of rocks how are you expected to win the game? I feel that just having more knowledge or experience is the key to figuring out what might make me a better general on the battlefield. Which again leads to move practice, more research, and just more engagement with the game.
How often do you get to play games? Are you just locked in figuring out times to go to events and hope your dice follow thru? Do you have a good group you can smash your ideas into? Are you on a team that helps you figure things out? Is it even worth it to practice as much as you can for a fun competitive game?
Tell me your little cheat sheet for getting better at 40K
Thomas Reidy, aka Goatboy, the ever-evil member of BoLS. I do arts, play 40k, and even paint a lot of stuff. I have been playing Warhammer 40K since the 1990s, and have won multiple national events including Adepticon and GW GTs. I’ve been writing for BoLS for 15 years. Look at my Instagram to see what I am working on – or working on for someone. I am always doing something hobby related.