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At times throughtout my gaming experiances i have made lists that are meant for overal use and other times i've made lists before hand that were meant to counter someone elses list and wipe them out.

I feel bad about them afterwards becuz i don't like to table anyone but yet i don't like to lose.

My question is that is it wrong to make a list beant on completely destroying another persons list right before you play them?

Hmmm, I answered the poll before reading the post, assuming it was about bringing a crushing tourney all comers list.

However, from your post, I think its lame to tailor a list if you know who you're facing, or making one up after seeing your opponents list. Print off a list and bring it before hand, and ensure your opponenet does the same. Winning is nice and all, but its just a game. Experiment with units and learn to be a better player by fighting the uphill battle every so often.

I think it depends on the setting and atmosphere. In a Friendly game i wouldn't do it, since it can seriously ruin the fun. Fun is the most important, so people shouldn't making lists just to counter 1 persons army.
On the other hand, against a opponent who does the same, it could be ok, depending on the person and circumstances.

An odd question. You can make the best list in the world, and still make yourself lose. If you feel so bad about it, then do stupid things like forget to move a unit, or don't move into cover when you know you'll need it.

I feel like your question is not specific enough. The answer is it really depends. If you are going to a VERY COMPETITIVE tournament, then the answer is no it is not wrong. If you are going to play a friendly game or in a fluffy league or something that is not super competitive I say it is wrong to bring a list that is supposed to do nothing but beat face, but again this varies by opponent and local gaming group.

It's just for friendly games

Then I say it is generally wrong to, but as I said this will vary by opponent and gaming group. Some people think that there is no such thing as a "friendly game" and that you should always play a list that is super competitive. (There is a guy like this in our group.) Then you have other players who view it kind of like me. Super competitive lists are for competitive events.

You should edit your poll question to be a bit more specific. Something along the lines of "is it ok to list tailor?". I voted before I read your post.

I think there is nothing wrong with bringing strong lists to friendly games. It will turn your opponents into competitive gamers as well, and a game between two opponents with strong lists can still be a "fun" game.

But, as far as the OP is saying, list tailoring is a very weak move. Knowing your friend plays orks, and bringing nothing but flamers, Thunderfire cannons, and LC terminators is a very beardy thing to do. A true challenge for a competitive list is making it viable for any and all armies that could be put in front of you.

If both players know what army the other is going to bring, I don't see a problem. If I'm playing against my Ork buddy this weekend and he knows I'm playing IG, we'll both take stuff to beat the crap out of each other. However, I played an opponent who said he'd be using an army he "hadn't used in a long time" - assuming it was his Necrons, I loaded up on plasma, lascannons, and similar firepower. It was a surprise when he brought mechvet Guard, and it was an interesting tactical challenge to use gear meant to crush MEQs to fight Eldar.

Now the one thing I am NOT okay with is looking at somebody's list and specifically tailoring yours to crush it. I played a game a couple years ago where a guy asked me what army I was playing. I saw Space Wolves. He asked what kind, and I said Terminator-heavy. He wrote a list then and there with three Vindicators in it. And that's one of the reasons I don't game at Pandemonium anymore!

It's not even legal. You're supposed to exchange your army lists before you play, meaning, both your armies are made without knowing what's in the other army.

If your opponent hasn't been a gigantic jerk, and are just bringing a general all comers army that isn't built specifically to fight your army, then yeah, it's wrong, and very unsportsmanlike. It doesn't enhance the game or add much fun other than contributing to the need to win at all costs, which really shouldn't be what you are in the game for. Winning in the goal of the game but not the point of playing.

Not only that, but it doesn't do anything to make you a better player, probably the opposite since you aren't challenged as much (if at all).

You'll be a better player and enjoy the game more in the long run I think if you build all comers armies and stick to them. I know I get much more enjoyment out of 40k and play better by doing that, and even with all comers lists I very rarely lose games.

If your opponents are arrogant jerkwads that feel like they can't be beaten or just aren't fun to play, then yeah, a lot of the above has gone out the window and so sure, go for it, though it may also be better at that point to simply find a different opponent or playgroup.

Making a strong list is fine, but tailoring isn't really. One can make punishing all comers armies that are difficult to defeat, but at the same time are still fun to play both with and against and offer a chance to the opponent but also stand a good chance against any type of army they may come across. Tailoring an army just takes too much out of the game.

Shades of gray and all that, but the way the OP phrased it, I'd say it's wrong.

Tweaking lists to counter general army/play styles is fine, to a degree. If you're pitting your marines against your buddy's hoard orks, you'll want to be packing guns to mow down the boys, just like he'll be planning how to pop your transports and get krumpin' - the key is that you're on an even footing, with each player knowing what he wants his list to do, based on what he expects (but can't know, for sure) his opponent to bring to the table. Knowing who you're fighting should affect your general strategy more than your list, but if everyone is on even terms, gearing up for the fight at hand can be kept fun and friendly.

Looking at someone's finalized list and drafting up the hardest counter you can is a completely different story, as here, there's no parity. You've intentionally given yourself a distinct advantage with winning at all costs being the only conceivable motive. I can see a situation like this being intentionally used as a sort of training exercise ("Here's my list. Counter it, as best you can, and we'll see how well I can cope."), but that's stretching a bit beyond the scope of the original question.

Really, it's all about keeping that even footing that gives competition merit. Nothing wrong with tabling an opponent that was genuinely outplayed, but there shouldn't be a need to resort to what arguably amounts to cheating in order to do so. Learn to love the competition, not the victory. Then you'll be able to appreciate any game, win or lose, and your gamesmanship will invariably improve.

do whatever you want. just realise your friends might not be much longer after a game with you doing the above. your local gaming group will let you know PDQ what they think of this, and will be the ultimate deciding factor.

footnote:
if you have to ask then your already probally having a moral issue with it, and should give you a clue.

give the person a good challenge.

It is really annoying in a friendly enviroment with the WAAC player....

I tend to do it in friendly games, not so much by choice, but by the fact that the person i play the most only uses one army and i know, more or less, what he is going to bring on any given day.

I avoid it happening to me by switching armies between CSM and Necrons every now and again.

I have told him to do the same by bringing his SM sometime but he is committed to using his IG army.....every time.

If i go to my local GW for example, i tend to take 3 or 4 different value lists (1k, 1.5k 2k etc) so i dont need to write lists on the fly.

There's a differnece between you're facing jimmy the orc player so you take flamers not meltas. No real harm, makes for a fun game

There's a big difference in seeing his list and min/maxing the amount of missiles:melta ratio and pie plates to hard counter his list.

I have gotten to the point where I run army builder twice. I have my real list and then the list that I show when someone comes over to look at the screen. Man people are bad for it. They just love to see what you are running.

with my local group we all know what each other plays, and we all have a bit of friendly competetion in building our lists to counter and re counter.. but flat out list changes after seeing the other guys list, before the game is a big etiquite no no. little things like swapping a commander or something, as long as your opponent knows about it and gives the ok is fine...but a list min max tailoring so you can win... thats poor form in our group. we have 1 person who loves to math hammer and min max his lists based on the other guys army and what he knows is in it, and even changed his lists before hand when he faced an army he wasent expecting. it got bad enough he was told in no uncertain terms to lay off it or he would be lacking in games very very quick.