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I have read quite a few white dwarf battle reports and it seems that the army with the new tank/unit etc. Always wins. Im guessing this is so people buy their new stuff. I also noticed that space marines never ever loose. And they are one of gw's best selling armies.
Whats going on?

Your insight serves you well...

Pretty much this. They seem to be under the idea if you read about the new big unit beating face youl instantly run out and preorder 7, or read about the big great marines somehow getting amazing rolls, you go out and buy 1 of each marine army.

IIRC, they actually did mention in one recentish issue that they play a battle report game a few times until they get the kind of result they want. Which is dumb, because it's really not hard to fake it.

Yeah, I think they certainly are, although, having said that, I'm starting to see less of the new army winning nowadays, though maybe that's just when they're against Marines...

Generally, they do seem to be rigged. I get the impression though that they do it so the batreps are more cinematic, and exciting. a one sided battle wouldn't be all that fun to read, and heroic last stands make good reading. i also get the impression that they include a wider selection of units than would otherwise be taken because it looks 'cooler'. For many of the batreps in WD i've read recently, i've thought 'that army is rubbish, what is he thinking?'

Going back a few years though, Space marines always win, Jervis always loses, chaos always lose, guard always lose-unless they fight chaos, eldar beat everyone but marines and so forth... its kinda obvious tbh lol

No way, it's just random that in every report, the winner is about to lose and then suddenly gains the upper hand. Happens all the time at tournaments

/e: /irony

When the Necrons were released, they lost.
When the Vampire Counts were released, they lost.

thenoobbomb wrote:When the Necrons were released, they lost.

Sanctuary 101? How exactly do you define "lost"?
SoB got utterly slaughtered by the 'crons - then again, the scenario had them play with 1k points worth of units versus 2k, so it's not that surprising.

I am fairly certain that at least a large number of reports are rigged, at least in some way. Often, you can read in the notes that there were "test games" before the reported one, which may well mean that they just played as many games as it took the advertised army to win. Also, some army lists just sound rather fishy, as if one of the two players was deliberately foregoing advantageous units. Flavour or arrangement? You be the judge.

I tend to see the GENERAL pattern (not always this, but for them most part) to be

1: Marine's
2: The new army with the new expensive stuff
3: Anyone else, chosen at random, usually an army that has some expensive unit that they want to make look good

GW itself is rigged.

Don't Nids always lose theirs?

Chaos Space Marine just lost their "introduction-battle-report" two White Dwarfs ago, fairly badly too (0-4).

That said, I think the reports are clearly rigged, though probably more to make them more "exciting", show off different units and avoid "tabled-by-turn-3" outcomes, rather than simply "X needs to win".

Sometimes; the White Dwarf back when the new Necrons first appeared had them suffering a pretty crushing defeat.

I see the reports more of a mini story, pre written with editorial flair. Then acted out with minitures for pictures, its interesting to read and shows off new pieces.

there not going to bring out a new piece and have slaughtered everytime, no one will buy it!

uncommon amount of one's in cinematic game changing moments.

Sometimes the new army of the month loses, but it's pretty traditional that the new hotness performs in some stellar way to make you want to go buy what was advertised in the first few pages.It's been like that as far as I've been buying White Dwarf, which is about 12-15 years. I can vaguely remember the Eldar Falcon(either that or the metal Fire Prism) performing with huge success in the 2nd edition issue that it was released in along with the datafax card.

madtankbloke wrote:
Generally, they do seem to be rigged. I get the impression though that they do it so the batreps are more cinematic, and exciting. a one sided battle wouldn't be all that fun to read, and heroic last stands make good reading. i also get the impression that they include a wider selection of units than would otherwise be taken because it looks 'cooler'. For many of the batreps in WD i've read recently, i've thought 'that army is rubbish, what is he thinking?'

Going back a few years though, Space marines always win, Jervis always loses, chaos always lose, guard always lose-unless they fight chaos, eldar beat everyone but marines and so forth... its kinda obvious tbh lol

This is correct. The variety of units are used to showcase all the different models. That's ultimately the point. It's a sales pitch.