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I don't remember which chapter approved book in 8th edition introduced this, but here is how it worked:
-Players roll off
-Winner chooses attacker or defender
-Defender chooses his deployment zone
-Attacker has to deploy all his units in the other deployment zone
-then defending player deploys all hit unts, thus being able to react to attackers deployment
-attacking player gets first turn, no roll-off

Since the beginning of 9th I have very much been wondering why GW hasn't kept that style of deployment/choosing who gets first turn going forward. It just personally seems to be the more tactical and less random solution than the current roll-off and winner has to go first.
Would you give this style of deployment/choosing who gets first turn a go? Or do you think it wouldn't fit into 9th ed?

9th doesn't use this method because it's too generous to alpha strikes in an edition that already has problems with alpha strikes. When the attacker knows they have first turn they can deploy without any concern for defense and not get punished for it, when you don't know who has first turn you have to deploy more conservatively and consider maximizing turn-1 effect vs. being protected behind LOS blocking terrain.

CadianSgtBob wrote:
9th doesn't use this method because it's too generous to alpha strikes in an edition that already has problems with alpha strikes. When the attacker knows they have first turn they can deploy without any concern for defense and not get punished for it, when you don't know who has first turn you have to deploy more conservatively and consider maximizing turn-1 effect vs. being protected behind LOS blocking terrain.

Yeah, we stopped using the old deployment method because it didn't work.

I kinda miss the alternating deployment method.

You get some of that with Open War/Tempest of War, but it was an interesting way of making deployment more reactive and interactive, rather than just one person doing it whilst the other guy goes to get lunch.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I kinda miss the alternating deployment method.

You get some of that with Open War/Tempest of War, but it was an interesting way of making deployment more reactive and interactive, rather than just one person doing it whilst the other guy goes to get lunch.

?? It is alternating, currently.

Shows how much attention I play to the matched-play rules.

But there was more to it back then, as you'd start with HS, then move onto troops, HQ, elites and FA. Meant that the makeup of your army played a role in how it was set up.

Oh, yea - I remember that now. I didn't mind it.

CadianSgtBob wrote:
9th doesn't use this method because it's too generous to alpha strikes in an edition that already has problems with alpha strikes. When the attacker knows they have first turn they can deploy without any concern for defense and not get punished for it, when you don't know who has first turn you have to deploy more conservatively and consider maximizing turn-1 effect vs. being protected behind LOS blocking terrain.

Wait, but if the defender knows they won't get first turn, they also can deploy more defensively to avoid being alpha striked. So I don't quite understand how this method is too generous to alpha strikes.

Tiberias wrote:

CadianSgtBob wrote:
9th doesn't use this method because it's too generous to alpha strikes in an edition that already has problems with alpha strikes. When the attacker knows they have first turn they can deploy without any concern for defense and not get punished for it, when you don't know who has first turn you have to deploy more conservatively and consider maximizing turn-1 effect vs. being protected behind LOS blocking terrain.

Wait, but if the defender knows they won't get first turn, they also can deploy more defensively to avoid being alpha striked. So I don't quite understand how this method is too generous to alpha strikes.

Two reasons: because it's very hard to protect your whole army when your opponent can deploy as aggressively as possible without any fear of retaliation, and because a full defensive deployment means conceding the middle of the table and putting yourself at a major scoring disadvantage.

CadianSgtBob wrote:

Tiberias wrote:

CadianSgtBob wrote:
9th doesn't use this method because it's too generous to alpha strikes in an edition that already has problems with alpha strikes. When the attacker knows they have first turn they can deploy without any concern for defense and not get punished for it, when you don't know who has first turn you have to deploy more conservatively and consider maximizing turn-1 effect vs. being protected behind LOS blocking terrain.

Wait, but if the defender knows they won't get first turn, they also can deploy more defensively to avoid being alpha striked. So I don't quite understand how this method is too generous to alpha strikes.

Two reasons: because it's very hard to protect your whole army when your opponent can deploy as aggressively as possible without any fear of retaliation, and because a full defensive deployment means conceding the middle of the table and putting yourself at a major scoring disadvantage.

But that would come as a risk to the attacker wouldn't it? If they deploy aggressively and take the midboard immediately while the defender deploys as defensively as possible, then the attacker runs the risk of being alpha striked in the defenders turn since they exposed themselves taking the midboard, no?

Edit: right now both parties have to deploy with the possibility in mind that they might get first turn, thus exposing some of their units and probably losing them if they don't go first, which is just random chance. In this old deployment method that is not the case the way experienced it.