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I have been on both sides of the "Rules Lawyer" debate. Since I was a kid I have been gaming, and the one advantage I have gained is my quick and accurate learning of game rules/systems. Early in my 20's, I realized that I had become a rules lawyer. I would only argue a rule on the occasion that my opponent was just so wrong that correcting them was an imperative.

Early this year, my gamer win instincts kicked in and I started finding myself getting in long, albeit drunken, debates over rules during heated 40k matches. I know that this was a mixture of different causes, such as booze, my and my opponents desire to win, and our knowledge of the rules, (5th ED had just come out).

Now I have calmed down and found that my friend still acts the same way.

To wrap up, a Rules Lawyer is a catch all term for one who knows a large portion of the rules for a particular game or set of games. This does not mean they understand the INTENT of the rules. Some lawyers do, some don't. This does not mean they enforce said rules fairly. This only means they have the knowledge, and POSSIBLY the wisdom of the rules.

Also, don't get drunk and argue that IG are the best army because they can spam fire. My buddy thinks Lasguns are the pintacle of technology in the 41st millineum and I make a point of using Vulkan He'Stan to school him on the regular.