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So i i have a question that i wanted to get peoples thoughts on. When playing a game and lets say you have to cut the match early because of time or one of the players needs to leave etc..., how should you determin the end end of the game? Should you just call it a draw? Should you add up all the points and determin a winner? If so, is it fair to have a winner if the game couldnt go a full games length?

This has come up several times when ive played. Two examples would be...

1) Playing the other day with a buddy at my place it was my CSM against his DE. At the end of turn 4 but before we started turn 5 we decided since we didnt have enough time to finish a full turn that we would just call the game. Well in doing so my friend didnt want to give me the win because he says that "Well you shouldnt be able to win because even though you have more points, a number of things could have happened in the following turn." Now is this a pointless remark or does it have merit since the game was ended because of time.

2) During a friendly turnement meening no money involved but organised, When playing my SM/GK vs Chaos we went 4.5 turns. I was going second so i wasnt able to go through my phases during the bottom of turn 4. Since the game ended we tallied up the score and Chaos had won by 3 points. Now in this sitution what should be the right thing to do? Should i have been able to finish the turn so that it was even or does that not matter? At the time i let it be because it was a turnement. I'm new to playing in turnements so how does this usaully go in most turnements, big or small that is. and also how do you think it should go in a friendly game at home or at your local gaming store?

evilghost555 wrote:
So i i have a question that i wanted to get peoples thoughts on. When playing a game and lets say you have to cut the match early because of time or one of the players needs to leave etc..., how should you determin the end end of the game? Should you just call it a draw? Should you add up all the points and determin a winner? If so, is it fair to have a winner if the game couldnt go a full games length?

This has come up several times when ive played. Two examples would be...

1) Playing the other day with a buddy at my place it was my CSM against his DE. At the end of turn 4 but before we started turn 5 we decided since we didnt have enough time to finish a full turn that we would just call the game. Well in doing so my friend didnt want to give me the win because he says that "Well you shouldnt be able to win because even though you have more points, a number of things could have happened in the following turn." Now is this a pointless remark or does it have merit since the game was ended because of time.

2) During a friendly turnement meening no money involved but organised, When playing my SM/GK vs Chaos we went 4.5 turns. I was going second so i wasnt able to go through my phases during the bottom of turn 4. Since the game ended we tallied up the score and Chaos had won by 3 points. Now in this sitution what should be the right thing to do? Should i have been able to finish the turn so that it was even or does that not matter? At the time i let it be because it was a turnement. I'm new to playing in turnements so how does this usaully go in most turnements, big or small that is. and also how do you think it should go in a friendly game at home or at your local gaming store?

If the game ends due to time, it should end on the bottom of a turn. Keep track of time, and at the beginning of the turn it should be something "hey we don't have time to finish, lets call it after this turn."

2) Generally in a tournament you are not allowed to start a turn unless both players can finish.
Although it's both players faults for A) not stopping at 4, B) not playing faster.
Even though it's unfortunate I'd say the game would have to end as is.

When the game ends the game ends, that's it. If you have to pull out you should do so at the end of a game turn not on the 1st player turn of that game turn.

The TO that ran that game was a bit of a dope not to include time restraints and what happens when they are running out. A common thing I've seen is 2 hour game with a case of if you finish a turn with less than 30 mins to go you can play two rounds of ten minutes each to get another game turn in if and when it is needed.

In a friendly; it doesn't really matter. Call it however you agree, although generally speaking if you haven't completed at least 5 turns, I'd call it a No Decision.

In a tournament, it's whatever the organizer decides. The most common approach nowadays is to declare that no new Game Turn should be started if there is less than 15 min or 10min left; the players need to make sure each gets the same number of turns. Normal practice is that when time is getting short (but hasn't actually hit that hard limit yet), the players will look at the situation on the table, how many models are left (etc.) and agree on whether the next turn will be the last turn.

In rare circumstances I've seen a TO call a hard "dice down", meaning to end it and count up no matter where or what phase you're on, or whether both players got the same number of turns. This is usually only done if the logistics of the event mean they need the results immediately to avoid delaying the event and everyone else having to wait for the slow table.

Generally, we play that an unfinished game is scored a draw.

In my experience:

Ideally, try to time it to the end of the second player's turn (so that the first player doesn't get another in). Then just shake hands on it, base victory on what was on the table, and continue with the "man, I would have won and/or killed that unit on the next turn" banter afterwards. This is particularly important with (local) tournament play, where time up is game end based on results at that time.

Unless your opponent is actually intentionally wasting time for an early end. That's terrible. Not entirely sure how one handles that situation.

Sometimes I agree with the opponent to use half of the remaining time each (with say 15mins left) and use my watch/phone to time it.

Any phases/actions that can't be completed within your allotted half is over are lost.

We usually focusing on shooting/assault and don't move units that won't matter.

Try to end on an even number of turns. If you went first, your opponent should finish his turn. Unless one or the other of you massively beaten down by then, with no reserves, I'd call it a draw.

Thanks for everyones advice on this. I am going to show this to my buddy and see what he thinks. I think once he can read these replies and input, we will be able to agree on a set rule from now on. As for the TO time, if i recall correctly, the organiser of the event had a set time limit. When we were playing my oppenent did say he was new to this army and it showed because he had to look every single little rule up for any of his units which killed the games speed and cost me at least my phase's during the turn let alone finish the game. I meen should someone not be allowed to play an army in a TO if they are new to the army and take 20-30 minutes a turn in a 1750pt game? Are there rules or guidelines or at least should a player that is so new to an army that they have to look up things, that for TO play, should already be known?

evilghost555 wrote:
Thanks for everyones advice on this. I am going to show this to my buddy and see what he thinks. I think once he can read these replies and input, we will be able to agree on a set rule from now on. As for the TO time, if i recall correctly, the organiser of the event had a set time limit. When we were playing my oppenent did say he was new to this army and it showed because he had to look every single little rule up for any of his units which killed the games speed and cost me at least my phase's during the turn let alone finish the game. I meen should someone not be allowed to play an army in a TO if they are new to the army and take 20-30 minutes a turn in a 1750pt game? Are there rules or guidelines or at least should a player that is so new to an army that they have to look up things, that for TO play, should already be known?

You should know the rules if you're in a tournament. This is also why tournaments "should" have timed turns, at the VERY least timed games where each side gets an hour or 1.5 hours for the entire game.

If I was in a tournament and the guy had to constantly look up rules, I'd pull over a TO and ask for a new opponent or something like that. Not in a dick way, just in a "I want to actually play too" way.

I always refer to the quick reference for weapons and model stats - not because I don't have them memorized (I do for 99% of my units) but because I don't want to accidentally cheat the other player.

Also depends on how my opponent is playing.

rigeld2 wrote:
I always refer to the quick reference for weapons and model stats - not because I don't have them memorized (I do for 99% of my units) but because I don't want to accidentally cheat the other player.

Also depends on how my opponent is playing.

Quick references and such are fine, I have to do it now and then also. But if you have to consult the rulebook for standard rules or your codex every single turn, maybe multiple times...then you probably shouldn't be in tournaments just yet.

:I would say that if a party has to leave a game early hat the party then forfeits the match, but who cares really. An unfinished game is an unfinished game, who knows what would have happened?