Superstitions (or how YOU defy the odds to WIN!)

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**Ovion**

I have a question...
How did he have 11 Railguns and a HQ with 5 bodyguards?

Unless 2000+ pts, the max on Railguns is 9 on 9 Broadsides, and the only way to have more than 2 bodyguard suits (or 3 battlesuits with an IC) is taking Farsight, who limits you to 1 squad of Broadsides and 1 Hammerhead for a max of 4 Railguns...
Unless it's Stealth Suits, in which case.. Not a bodyguard. :p

**RegalPhantom**

I've switched to using square edged dice ever since somebody posted a link on an article here which shows, from a physics standpoint, that round-edged dice have a greater tendency to roll a one than the average. But I don't really have any superstitions.

Anymore that is, when I was a kid playing the game in 4th my first space marines were the 'Sand Dragons' with a crappy brown and beige paint scheme. I kept on loosing with them. So I decided that my chapter was cursed so I repainted them all as a different home-brew chapter and I started to do better (mind you, this was after I stopped using crappy units like TH/SS Terminators from before SS were a 3++)

**Sigvatr**

TheCaptain wrote:
I use units with favorable mathematical odds to accomplish the job at hand.

Call me old fashioned.

Same here. I calculate the chances of certain events happening and then decide on whether the risk is worth taking or not.

**Goat**

"Oh, I need 3, 5++ invuln saves? No problem boss." <blows on three dice> 6... 6... 6... "NUMBER OF THE BEAST!!!" Yeah that happened.

**Flinty**

Sigvatr wrote:
TheCaptain wrote:
I use units with favorable mathematical odds to accomplish the job at hand.

Call me old fashioned.

Same here. I calculate the chances of certain events happening and then decide on whether the risk is worth taking or not.

I do that to a certain extent, but if there is a choice between roughly equally poor options then I ususally pick the more amusing option and shout "DANGER CLOSE"

Also units that have been bled on during construction are obviously luckier... right?

**g0atsticks**

I've had brother corbulo stand in front of an entire army and taken every shot fired at him. it is about confidance.

**Exalbaru**

Pray to the emperor that my beginners luck still holds firm

**Instinctual**

I've found good luck with naming any last man standing models that make it through the game.

For example, if I drop pod in a 10 man sternguard squad and only one of them is left at the end of round 7, he gets a name.

Then, in all subsequent games I always remove the named guys last if possible (6th has changed this a bit) and it has worked out well.

Also, any model that makes it through 5 games without going down also gets a name

**Sigvatr**

Flinty wrote:

I do that to a certain extent, but if there is a choice between roughly equally poor options then I ususally pick the more amusing option and shout "YOLO!

Changed that a bit

**wfischer**

Not exactly a superstition, but I've been using an empty flying base as a proxy for a Ghost Ark. People tend to forget it's there and ignore it, even as it blows holes in their infantry.

When I first started playing, I bought a bunch of random d6's out of my store's loose dice box. I lost a LOT of games. Eventually we started stocking the GW dice cubes, so I got one of those and I've had (in my opinion, anyway) better than average luck. Every time I use those old dice mixed with my GW dice, the old ones roll significantly worse.

Come to think of it, the dice may be cursed. I've bought 3 new d20's lately for roleplaying because I keep rolling crappy numbers.

Back to 40K though, it seems like my models with weighted bases are harder to kill.

And I agree with previous posters about confidence. It may not be the confidence itself that wins games, but losing confidence definitely causes you to make poorer tactical decisions.

**TheCaptain**

wfischer wrote:
Not exactly a superstition, but I've been using an empty flying base as a proxy for a Ghost Ark. People tend to forget it's there and ignore it, even as it blows holes in their infantry.

Sounds like cheating.

**wfischer**

TheCaptain wrote:
wfischer wrote:
Not exactly a superstition, but I've been using an empty flying base as a proxy for a Ghost Ark. People tend to forget it's there and ignore it, even as it blows holes in their infantry.

Sounds like cheating.

To be fair, I make it as clear as possible in every game that it's a Ghost Ark. Like, telling my opponents beforehand, and mentioning it every time it moves or fires. Also, proxies are allowed in our games because the shop is relatively new, and a lot of the players are still building up their armies. We're just now getting to the point where people are able to field ~1500 points without too many proxies.

Still, I'll be replacing that empty base with an actual ark soon.

**TheCaptain**

wfischer wrote:
TheCaptain wrote:
wfischer wrote:
Not exactly a superstition, but I've been using an empty flying base as a proxy for a Ghost Ark. People tend to forget it's there and ignore it, even as it blows holes in their infantry.

Sounds like cheating.

To be fair, I make it as clear as possible in every game that it's a Ghost Ark. Like, telling my opponents beforehand, and mentioning it every time it moves or fires. Also, proxies are allowed in our games because the shop is relatively new, and a lot of the players are still building up their armies. We're just now getting to the point where people are able to field ~1500 points without too many proxies.

Still, I'll be replacing that empty base with an actual ark soon.

Still; proxies should be something of at least similar size.

For determining cover, and, as you've mentioned, so it's clear that it is there.

**S.K.Ren**

Speshul Taktiks

Well I have a mish mash of dice and I have this thing about rolling similar dice together so I try to roll all rounded dice or square dice and only have different ones when I'm rolling en masse. I also think really hard about the kind of roll I want. Last game I played I got two precision shots with my Illuminor Szeras and sniped 2 plasma Grey Hunters. I believe in the observer effect of prescience. Hence negative thoughts affect reality negatively. And thinking of rolling that 6 makes it that much more likely

**nightsorrow**

i find knowing the damage out put of my army on average and knowing what to kill to insure that damage out put doesn't go down followed by playing the objects and doing math i round down because i assume ill roll badly

. that all being said if a unit performs really well they are rewarded with a paint job

**Robbietobbie**

My gaming group calls it's MISSile launchers rocket launchers instead

**The Crusader**

When I need to make an important roll, I always shut my eyes. And I always issue a challenge. No matter how foolish it may be. Another thing I do if I'm obviously going to lose is that I decide how to sell my troops' lives most dearly. i might be hoping to even the odds or maybe I just like the whole "Last Stand" thing.

**barnowl**

I always find that I win more games when I am taking "statistically bad" units in well round army, than when I take lots of "statistically good" units in a WAACesque list.

My best nid lists run Shrike broods, my best SMurfs run whirlwinds and I suspect my best tau lists will be running with Stealth suits and sniper drones.

**Flinty**

Sigvatr wrote:
Flinty wrote:

I do that to a certain extent, but if there is a choice between roughly equally poor options then I ususally pick the more amusing option and shout "YOLO!

Changed that a bit

But I don't love owls... Sure they're fun and all, but love is a bit strong.

**wfischer**

So I just finished a game vs. Space Marines where Obyron and some warriors got locked in close combat with a Terminator unit. It took me a full three rounds (5 assault phases) to get rid of the Terminators, but it wasn't Obyron that did it. oh no. Out of his total 15 attacks, only 3 hit, and they failed to wound. After the 5th failed assault, I threw the dice over my shoulder in frustration. At the end of the turn I went to go pick them up, and I kid you not, what I found was:

**Jancoran**

I make sound effects when cool things happen. Like a lot.

I am a roleplayer who happened to get into 40K about 8 years ago and so those lessons die hard after 28 years of Dungeons and Dragons. So when I explode tanks, I make explosion sounds and when I fire a BUNCH of dice off I make machine gun sounds in rhythm with my roll and then make an explosion sound as I release them.

This brings me victory.

**g0atsticks**

Jancoran wrote:
I make sound effects when cool things happen. Like a lot.

I am a roleplayer who happened to get into 40K about 8 years ago and so those lessons die hard after 28 years of Dungeons and Dragons. So when I explode tanks, I make explosion sounds and when I fire a BUNCH of dice off I make machine gun sounds in rhythm with my roll and then make an explosion sound as I release them.

This brings me victory.

I'm in the same boat. It doesn't matter whos looking.....I have little or no morals and definately no shame.

**Bonesnapper**

Sorginak wrote:
I've found that the more I play my armies "in character" which is to say approach the battle the way I would see my warlord approaching it, the more I find the crucial dice rolls going my way.

For example: I will almost always start Duke Sliscus now in a squad of warriors on a Bastion or building if possible and have Sliscus jump from the squad into the Raider Transport below after taking the impact test. Since I started performing such unnecessary but flashy maneuvers (moving raiders and ravengers on difficult terrain for no reason other than for a slightly better look at the target) with my DE I haven't lost a battle or failed any crucial assaults (rolling a 1 and a 2 and then re-rolling the 2 to get a 1 and then the first 1 only to get a 2 [when your opponent is only 5 F*&#$ING inches away!] making a mockery of fleet and assault in 6th hasn't happened to me again since I started).

Conversely I held my Nids back for a turn instead of running at the opponent when I should have and the dice seemed to reflect my hesitation in me not making a single save the next shooting phase and almost getting completely wiped out in the ensuing game, but when I charge them forward with reckless abandon they make more 5+ cover and feel no pains than when I try to hold them back with a 2+ cover from invisibility and force my opponent a little closer with their weapons before unleashing.

I haven't gone so far as to set up a shrine to the Dice Gods in my house yet, but I will dramatically offer up a short prayer to them when I want something and openly mock those who doubt their existence; just like a true religion.

I fully agree, but I am also aware that the Dice God hates it when you get cocky, and when you deny him, and when you praise him too fervently (kinda like The Lady of Pain if anyone remembers her). I will try to mimic your approach on fighting as the army i question was probably intended. If nothing else it sounds like a really funny way of playing.

I hate it when my opponent touches my dice as I imagine him filling them with bad thoughts, and also weakens their resolve to remain loyal to me and me alone! When playing RPGs I "load" my dice by plaing them in the position I want them to roll. I also keep them i a sealed box while not rolling.

I also love that people get provoced by the superstitions concerning dice and dice rolls.

**Shadowclaimer**

I was born with stupid good luck, and it continues.

My friends sometimes refuse to play Heroclix with me because of it..

**techsoldaten**

My superstition is trading models. Regardless of whether I win or lose, I will offer to swap a model with an opponent at the end of a game (provided I like the guy and want to play him again).

Always feels like this affects the outcomes of the next match. It's all in my head, I know, but it's unsettling when someone walks away from a board angry.

I can calculate most probabilities in my head during a game, which often gives me a little bit of an advantage, and my tactics are a little unorthodox and sometimes break the mechanics of a 40k game. When I sense my gaming is ticking people off, it screws with me a little bit. The sense that there is some camaraderie amongst players and this is all a game is important, when I don't have it I tend to become over-analytical and have less fun. Less fun means less winning.

So yeah, doing a little horse trading is a superstition of mine.

**Chancetragedy**

The only superstition that works for me is to ignore all superstitions. If I try to do something that's worked before it always fails me the second time. But when I just bunker down and roll dice normal and don't think about it I roll AWESOME! It's weird and annoying.

Edit: actually one of the few superstitions I have is I never gloat or mock my opponent. I let them do all the crap talking. Bad Karma is a beach you don't want to be on.

**HawaiiMatt**

I have a set of yellow dice that have never won a game (0:20 or so).

I now only keep them to loan to opponents who forget dice, and the losing streak is still unbroken.

-Matt

**Swiftblade**

Units who perform well get painting priority. It inspires my men to fight better. Occasionally I give my models pep talks too.

Also, I always, ALWAYS try and please the dice gods.

**UnadoptedPuppy**

I never use "mathammer."

It's usually "Hmm, something needs to kill that Hammerhead. You, with the lascannon, shoot it. If you miss, I'll find something else."

For me, there are too many variables for mathhammer to be worth it. If you want to think about the game that much, enjoy a 7 hour 1000 point game with no fun. Just roll some dice!

Oh, and one time I unloaded 8 termies from an LRC first turn to kill a few crisis suits. They took an entire Tau gunline's firepower to the face after raping their target. One died. None had storm shields.

**Stormrider**

I always pick up showing sixes when I need good rolls. Not necessarily high or low rolls, just good ones.

Another superstition I have is that I always turn my Scatter die "Hit" up, I never leave them on an arrow.

I also employ mental guerilla tactics on my opponents to make them think I don't know the rules. So when I do catch them bull gaking me, they get a nice visit from Mr. TO