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I'm starting to think about my army for next March in a tournament using Power Level. Is it silly to use units without upgrades, like Obliterators, instead of Havocs in Power Level games?

In Power Level games, then maybe a Lord of Skulls is okay because the gatling cannon is the same price as the skullhurler? Or is that crazy talk and a Renegade Castellan is just plain better in any game?

The important question you need to ask is why the event is using PL. PL is objectively worse for everything tournament-related, so the primary reason to use it is as a warning of "do not optimize your list, competitive players are not welcome here" without having the courage to say it directly. And in that context making choices about the "best" units to use in a PL game is just going to get you kicked out of the group (whether you consider that a loss or not is up to you). The tournament undoubtedly has a bunch of unwritten rules about what is "too competitive" and will get you booted, so you should probably deliberately take bad units and try to lose at least a game or two.

That said, if you somehow found a PL event where competitive play is welcome "take lots of free upgrades" is just a general guideline. The real thing you're looking for is the same as always: units that have a point cost that is too low for what you get. Often this means loading up on expensive upgrades, but that depends on the unit's point cost being set on the assumption that you take less-powerful upgrades. If the unit is priced according to the best gun then you aren't taking advantage of PL, the unit might be balanced but not overpowered with the best gun and suicidally weak with anything else. You still have to look at it unit by unit and find the best choices.

a turny using PL, get redy for tons of drama if there is not several A4 pages of house rules.

as for your question, it is impossible to say.
if every single army is kitted out for all upgrades you would be a fool not to do the same.
but then again how can you know?

this is why PL is for casual mutual agreement games ONLY.

 Peregrine wrote:
The important question you need to ask is why the event is using PL. PL is objectively worse for everything tournament-related... The tournament undoubtedly has a bunch of unwritten rules about what is "too competitive" and will get you booted, so you should probably deliberately take bad units and try to lose at least a game or two.

While I agree with the first couple of lines here, I think you're being uncharitable (if not facetious) with the last sentence.

I would recommend contacting the TO and checking why they are going with PL instead of points and whether they see this primarily as a competitive event or an excuse to spend a day playing a bunch of games and having fun. If it is competitive, go nuts; if it's an excuse for fun, then start by listing the models / units you've always wanted to take and build from there.

Heck, for all we know they're making it a PL event as a way to demonstrate why PL doesn't suit a competitive tournament environment, in which case you'll be doing them a favour by going a bit nuts.

Most of the time the best PL units are ones with very little extra rules and the ability to takes lots of wargear, or no abilities and no wargear.

Just look at Tac marines vs Scouts and you will see what i mean, GW favors rules over stats. A prime example of this are Hellions, they can fly, shoot, melee, fallback shoot and charge, have drugs, can ds, etc... but they are only T3 5+ base guys and they cost 3 PL for 5 guys, but if you look at Wyches they are 2PL for 5, sure they dont have fly and movement is 1/2, but they get more and better weapons, including a S8 pistol, -1 LD gun, re-roll wound weapons, 4++ and can do more damage if they get there. Hellions 10man are 10PL, Wych 10man with all the weapons are 6PL, you can easily get more bodies and i turn get there/objectives better.

Its just math like always, but you need to look at a different number.

power level is for power gamers and lazy listbuilders

It is the most WAAC format

Essentially its a format where you min max everything and take every availiable upgrade since its free meaning the most customisable units tend to be the best.

Its why I disprove of the format but if your going to play with the power gamers your list needs to be OP. Otherwise you will be stomped into nothing because someone is going to take 40 pts of upgrades onto every model and a fluff list wont function against that.

Note different units are good and you need to be aware of that take BA Death company in pts they are overcosted in power levels you add on 30pts of free thunderhammers and plasma pistols and they are hugly powerfull

PL is intended for introductory and casual games, which might be the TO has selected it. It’s also the way GW wants the game played. Matched is how the long time players want to play the game, and just so happens to be the “easier” introduction for newer players as in requires min-maxing which in turn let’s you understand your army faster.

There is no real stigma to using PL, just salt and bad feels.

SJ

What GW intended and what GW created are very different things. PL requres more min maxing than matched play. Just compare competative lists

Thank you all for the inputs! Gotta find my thinking cap, and probably a few new units. Many months til Adepticon though, plenty of time!

 Malathrim wrote:
Thank you all for the inputs! Gotta find my thinking cap, and probably a few new units. Many months til Adepticon though, plenty of time!

You doing Adepticon for PL? Why not do the normal Points tournament instead?

I don't want to do 4 40k games in 1 day, which is the Championships. 75 PL is a nice size, not too crazy. And looks like my friend is not available to do the 40k Doubles.

Plus I gotta save my stamina for the Age of Sigmar Championships!

The way PL is calculated is dumb.

A local tournament did a 150 PL game.

I brought 5k points of units to prove a point.

I had to burn most of my CP on Ambush because I had too many batteries to fit in my deployment zone.

Nobody had fun.