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There are ways of handicapping yourself without points discrepencies. In every codex there's tons of low-power junk you can throw in to lower the over all power level to make the game closer/more of a challenge/more fair.

Plus, you get other advantages as well, like getting to play with strange or fluffy lists.

 Jimsolo wrote:

 Ailaros wrote:
There are ways of handicapping yourself without points discrepencies. In every codex there's tons of low-power junk you can throw in to lower the over all power level to make the game closer/more of a challenge/more fair.

Plus, you get other advantages as well, like getting to play with strange or fluffy lists.

These are all true, and if that's the kind of game you want, they are great options. I think we're exploring the handicap system as a way to play games that are a little closer to fair/balanced without having to sacrifice competitiveness.

I don't understand this.

The point of handicapping is to make a game competitive. If one player is just going to steamroll the other, and the outcome of the game isn't all that seriously in question, then there isn't a competition - just an exercise in a good player beating a bad one.

Anything you do to restore competition to the game is making your game and, by extension, your list, more competitive. That includes taking fewer points than your opponent, but it also includes taking non-optimised lists or taking low-power units.

Saying that you want a handicap but you also want your list to be competitive is like saying that you want to eat ice cream, but it has to be made from dairy products, or like saying that you want to have a pizza delivered to you, but it has to be brought to you. There isn't actually a conflict in there.

I don't see how suddenly only being able to take 2 riptides because you don't have the points anymore is much different than choosing to only take 2 riptides and use your remaining points on piranhas instead.

Yes, but it's still overt.

The problem with a points handicap is that it's obvious and quantifiable. It's sort of like giving someone a $10 gift card for christmas.