Preferred game size?

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**ToBeWilly**

The first few years that I've played 40k, I played 2,000 pt games. They were fun, had alot of units on the table and provided a great challenge. They also took like 5 hours to play. If someone was playing a horde type army it took even longer.

The last maybe 2 years I've been playing 1,500 pt games. I know the differents are minimal, only 500 pts, but the differences in the game seemed huge! You still had a good amount of models on the table, even for elite armys. The people who played the same armys now didn't have almost the same composition. The whole game was a bigger challenge, and you could get a game in at almost 3 hours. So much better in my mind.

So, the question is, what is your preferred game size, and why?

**Monster Rain**

I like 2,000 points or more.

I think it has something to do with wanting to use all these models I have lying around.

**Steelmage99**

1.750 or 2.000, but I will gladly play any value (greater or smaller) as they all have their challenges, quirks and charme.

**Slarg232**

I usually play 1,000 point games, though lately we have been experimenting with 500 point games, and they have been pretty fun.

**willydstyle**

I prefer 1500-2000 points. I can generally finish a 2k point game in an hour and a half to two hours, given my opponent is not playing super-slow, so my preference is based solely on game balance. I think that games larger or smaller than my preferred range can be unbalancing in various ways, such as making the first turn too important.

**micahaphone**

1250-1500. You are restricted in what you take, you can't just throw down everything, but there are still enough points that you get decent sized armies.

**Blacksails**

I used to play a lot of 2000pt games, but I've been really enjoying 1000-1500pt games lately with my foot guard. Though there is something very satisfying at putting down a parking lot of chimeras and russes at 2000+ pts...

**Kolath**

Mostly my group plays 1500-1800 point games. But we have lately been playing a bunch of 250 point games using the Killzone rules: http://galaxyinflames.blogspot.com/2010/12/killzone-update-for-christmas-simply.html

**MechaEmperor7000**

500, 1000 and 1500 games. 2000 games tend to get really lopsided due to one force doing so much more damage in the opening turn. 1000 forces people to think tactically as they have few options, and 400-500 point combat patrol lets us get in more games per gathering (since our battles usually turn into a curbstomp about 2 turns in).

**mrblacksunshine_1978**

I like 2,00 points or more, most of my armies are only design for large tournament. Even at 2,000 point I play with a time limit.

**Hialmar**

I like any size game as I have had good games at 500 points and good games at 3,000+ points. It really depends on time constraints with the higher points value games being good for bringing in those toys that might not normally see the tabeltop.

Most often we play between 1,500-2,000 depending on opponent, what they have available and how much time we both have.

**juraigamer**

1,500 normally, good balanced and reasonably fast games imo.

**willydstyle**

One thing I'd like to comment on is that I get a little confused when people mention being able to use all the units you want to at 2k as a bad thing.

I find that people have the most fun when they get to play the army they *want* to play, rather than the army they are *forced* to play, and for me 2k is that magic points level where this becomes true for the widest variety of army lists.

**EmilCrane**

We play 2000 at my club but I'm partial to 1500. GW isn't wrong in making it the ideal game size.

**Wyrmalla**

1000-1500 pts usually for me. I can't be bothered playing long ass games, and find that with them its usually time to leave before the game's over, so I just don't bother. Anyhow I haven't got the will or the time to be painting up huge armies, so I just stick to small fluffy armies, giving me more time to convert each mini, and socialise.=P

**Battle Brother Lucifer**

10,000 pts a side Apoc.

(I have never played a game yet, so that is what I picture to be the most fun)

**Vaktathi**

I like 2000pts. It allows people to field well rounded forces that can pack in the ability to deal with anything and include the cool/fun stuff, while making the ultra-cheese builds a bit less potent (e.g. Nob Bikers has a much harder time at 2k than 1500). It raises the average power level of all armies while mitigating the worst, and allows people to get in some fluff stuff as well without hurting themselves the way they would at 1500. `

You can also play it in about 2 hours generally.

That said, I think anything above that should be left to Apoc, as armies start running into FoC issues past this point, while IG just get to be unbeatable with the sheer amount of *stuff* on the board. 2500pts for Hard Boyz is silly.

**Mr Nobody**

I've enjoyed 1'500 - 2'000pts. It's big enough that you get to see a variety of models, but not to big as to be slow.

**Brother SRM**

The game is balanced for 1500-2000 points, so I think it works best there. It gives you enough points to play with your cooler toys, but is still small enough to finish in three hours or so.

**-Loki-**

1500pts. It's what 40k is balanced for, and it shows. my friend and I used to be able to bang out 3-4 good 1500pt games in a day.

**willydstyle**

-Loki- wrote:1500pts. It's what 40k is balanced for, and it shows. my friend and I used to be able to bang out 3-4 good 1500pt games in a day.

While I don't mind playing at 1500, it is pretty clear that it favors armies that have solid troops, as the minimum required troops become a much larger part of your army. Armies that have troops that simply don't accomplish much (Tau, Eldar, non-biker SM) suffer at this points level.

**TheRedArmy**

We typically play 1,500 and use this as our basis for balanced armies. I would like to begin a "League" in my group that encompassed all points levels (500-2,000) in a round-robin format.

It's been a while since I've played low-points. I think I'll suggest it next time I play.

**Scott-S6**

2000 pts. 1500pts works but the armies tend to be boring.

**chaplaingrabthar**

I like 1500 points, gives a good balance between game time and unit variety.

That said, I'm thinking of playing a bunch of the 200pt Kill Team mission from the Battle Missions book just for a quick, snack size nugget of 40k.

**Corrode**

For competitive play I prefer 1500-1750pts. 2k+ starts becoming a bit ridiculous, especially on a 6' x 4' board.

For friendly games anywhere from 1500-2k is fine, although I'll happily play larger or smaller (although I don't like 1000pts for some reason - 1500 or 500 are both fun but 1000pts always feels like half a game to me).

**Phototoxin**

1500 to 2000 is where the game is at I think.

**Lexx**

1000 to 2000 is my favorite. Enough to have a breadth of units. But nothing too huge/time consuming.

**GamzaTheChaos**

1500-1850 is the happy scale for me though I don't mind 1000 and/or 2000 points. however my girlfriend just started playing 40K and she turns a 500 points into a 2 hour game. 1/3 of that time its her staring at her codex trying to understand what she is reading lol.

**Anubis_513**

We usually set up lists for 500; 1,000; and 1,500. this allows us to mix and match (when playing 2v2, 2v1, 3v1) This way a 2v2 battle can easily be played at 2000 pts. or a 1,000 pt battle of 2v1. It also alows for flexibility with missions, time constraints, and creating a campaign storyline. Less time is spent creating a list, and more time is spent with the minis on the tabletop (which is our goal!)

**Anidem**

i keep 750, 1000, and 1500 point lists for my armies laying around for team games, but i personally hate playing bellow 1750/2000.

I love have both me and my opponent bring all they can bring, generally i see more diversity with lists in higher points than i do with lower points.

it seems every SM (and variants) players i play 1500 pts with is tac-squad + Rhino, and maybe a razorback for the command squad.