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Honestly, I usually feel out how my opponent feels about trash talk and humor by making a few self-deprecating remarks at the start at my own expense. If I get some laughs, then humor flows forth. If I get some ribbing, friendly trash talk ensues.

If I get silence except for essentials, then I give silence except for essentials. Seems to work so far without hurting anyones' feelings.

 vercingatorix wrote:
Then quit saying stuff like that! You should know better. I know that's a stereotype about athletes but we don't need to re-enforce it.

Besides, every study I've seen of college athletes shows them doing better than their peers in and out of the classroom.

You seem to be condoning trash talk but getting hung up on a (clearly in jest) generalisation.

Oh the irony!

Stop being such a baby feller. You won't last long in a sports team if banter isn't your thing.

This is the exact reason why I despise "competitive 40k" and generally refuse to partake in it. Hell, the only reason I go to the LVO is to see friends and have fun in Vegas. I could care less about playing the "Formation Dick Measuring contest.

What your opponent did wasn't just bad sportsmanship, however. It was also terribly embarrassing, and potentially damaging to your local community.

A while back we had a small tournament going on at my LGS. Our community is small, and pretty close. Ironically this story is about a Magic player who wandered over into our area and started making comments. He drove off a perspective female newcomer with his asinine comments. The point is, this behavior in all it's forms only hurts our community and does nothing of any value for it.

Sorry you had to deal with this person and his behavior.

I have a friend who delights in making TFG quit the game. I've seen him do it twice. The gaming group at the tournaments actually thanked him for driving away the A-hole. He never wins by playing a netlist army. He always plays what he likes, and that's it. I've always approved of it. He's also always friendly in a tournament and offers pointers after every match for improvements.

 timetowaste85 wrote:
I have a friend who delights in making TFG quit the game. I've seen him do it twice. The gaming group at the tournaments actually thanked him for driving away the A-hole. He never wins by playing a netlist army. He always plays what he likes, and that's it. I've always approved of it. He's also always friendly in a tournament and offers pointers after every match for improvements.

How did he make the TFGs quit the game, though?

 privateer4hire wrote:

 timetowaste85 wrote:
I have a friend who delights in making TFG quit the game. I've seen him do it twice. The gaming group at the tournaments actually thanked him for driving away the A-hole. He never wins by playing a netlist army. He always plays what he likes, and that's it. I've always approved of it. He's also always friendly in a tournament and offers pointers after every match for improvements.

How did he make the TFGs quit the game, though?

By outplaying them. No cheese (he played Skaven in 8th with no Slave tarpits one tourney, high elves in 7th against a Daemon army and wiped him off the board). Straight up outplayed. MSU, maneuvers, counters, and knowing his targets.

I don't play in many tournaments of any sort (let alone ones for minis games), but I'm more on the 'playful banter' side. Mock my own units performance (failure or 'oh look at the over-achiever with a pile of 6's' success). My goal is that both players have fun, win or lose.

Conversely, when prizes are on the line and things are serious, I'll try to keep it light, but am content to let us both be focused on what we're doing.

Honestly, it's something I appreciate about professional e-sports, where in DotA2 or Starcraft 2 matches the players often have two layers of earphones and a soundproofed booth around them, and another set around their opponents, and likely can't even see them without craning around for it.

And even with that, there are 'swagger' moves pulled, a little clear gloating, or simply plays that become known in the community to mean something. These guys/gals aren't saints, but the emphasis is on their play and teamwork. They get into the heads and under the skin of their opponents by being incredibly good at the game, by knowing themselves, their team, the game, and their opponents better than the opposition knows them/those aspects.

I agree that the drive for everyone to be dispassionate and 'above it all' can get to an unhealthy point. The whole 'u mad bro?' thing, trolling, concern trolling, especially in games, the need not to just challenge or beat the opponent, but to rile them up or make them feel bad is toxic.

If I traveled and paid money for an event, I'm there to play the event. If I wanted to watch an amateur insult comedian ply his trade I'd go to Yuk Yuks on open mic night and at least have (overpriced) beers on hand to ensure something good came of the night.

Have I been rattled in a gaming setting? Sure. In a Malifaux game I misjudged what another crew could do and they wiped half my forces off the board (including my most important pieces) on the first turn. Fething Leviticus...

 timetowaste85 wrote:
I have a friend who delights in making TFG quit the game. I've seen him do it twice. The gaming group at the tournaments actually thanked him for driving away the A-hole. He never wins by playing a netlist army. He always plays what he likes, and that's it. I've always approved of it. He's also always friendly in a tournament and offers pointers after every match for improvements. [/quote

Now that does sound like a right and proper professional. I'd not mind getting my ass handed by such people.

I've played a few sports in my life. One was held by the organization I'm part of that consists of not really having rules other than attempted murder is somewhat frowned upon.

Trash talking is easy in fast sports. You run by the guy, make some rude comments about his mother and sister or elderberries. You fly by. It's to shake it up, take them off their foot.

Doing that in a game of 40k?

I'm sorry, you're literally standing four feet in front of me for a few hours. Trash talking is one thing, but after a few hours of constantly hearing it; I'm going to throw my chair at you. It's not affecting my strategy or performance, it's just going to push someone to the point of homicide. It works in fast sports because retaliation can be done just as swift as the trash talk. As well, trash talking can cause a break in concentration or a slip up in a goal. This game takes hours to play, where I can literally stop for ten minutes just to think about which angle I can put my Trukk into position to get a cover save.

Hockey is a perfect example. A player will skate by a bench and trash talk. Next period, that guy will probably getting checked into the boards, forcing a penalty.

It would never be an issue for me. My job right now consists of trash talking people into exceeding their limits. But to put that over a game is very off putting.

Considering our hobby is sometimes played with the not so social bunch of individuals, I can see the trash talking getting really pathetic. It would be somewhat reminiscent of Reddit's roastme page. On one hand, some of them are extremely clever. On the other, it's lame or stupid.

Especially if the odds are in their favor one minute, and down the tube the next because of bad dice.

Like someone mentioned before, trash talking is an art.

Just because I doodle on my notebook, it doesn't make me a Picasso.

Yeah 40k isn't really the right place to trash talk. It works in sports because the penalty for doing something horrifically violent are what, couple minutes in the box? 15 yards? Heck a red card? It's definitely not assault charges and a lifetime ban. Trash talking from behind a shield with no physical stakes is kinda pathetic.

I enjoy the occasional bit of teasing and banter, or chewing out my models for failing me, but actually personally insulting somebody? Trash talk is not 'banter' it's trying to anger somebody so that they don't play at full focus.

And if people ask me to tone it back, I do. I like harmless banter, not making the other person feel bad. I did give one of my squads a speech because they failed to do anything. Or teasing somebody if they've forgotten a lot of rules, but I'd still help them with the rule and not hang on to it too long.

I never did get much trash talk, but I am not the type who looks like I take trash talk well.

 Fenrir Kitsune wrote:

 feeder wrote:

Melevolence wrote:

 NInjatactiks wrote:
Playing devil's advocate here, I wonder why trash talking is so frowned upon in 40k tournaments. It's actually a valid tactic to use against your opponent to get under their skin and lose concentration in other sports and games. Even golf supposedly has its fair share despite being a gentlemen's sport.

To be honest, I feel 'trash talking' with the pure intent of getting your opponent frustrated shows a lack of confidence in your own abilities, so you're stooping as low as to sabotage instead of just lose (or win) gracefully. I mean, there's playful trash talk banter, but to go into a game with the intent to get your opponent legitimately upset/angry is incredibly poor sportsmanship.

Edit: This is for ANY game. Not just 40k. Like I said, playful banter is fine. But the if the intent is to affect your opponent's abilities in some degree, that's where it crosses the line, imo.

Trash talk is a skill in itself. Do it well, you get under your opponent's skin and get him off his game. Do it poorly, you can push him to greater feats.

Trash talk is just another skill in a well-rounded skillset.

Or its just acting like a rude person.

Precisely. I've played plenty of rugby and plenty of 40k. I have had a lot of playful exchanges on the pitch and it doesn't compare. It's also perfectly accepted to stand on someone's head (I still have dents in my head and have done more than my fair share of others).

The idea that 'trash talk is a skill' is bizarre and bollocks. it's not a part of the rules. It's not a tactic, it's being a prick. If you want to include it, expect me to include 'seeing you after school for a swift trip to the deck' as my 'suprise l33t skill'...

Play like a good player, be a gent, win like a gent or lose like a gent. Anything else is TFG.

Show your mark and measure in your decorum.

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:

 Fenrir Kitsune wrote:

 feeder wrote:

Melevolence wrote:

 NInjatactiks wrote:
Playing devil's advocate here, I wonder why trash talking is so frowned upon in 40k tournaments. It's actually a valid tactic to use against your opponent to get under their skin and lose concentration in other sports and games. Even golf supposedly has its fair share despite being a gentlemen's sport.

To be honest, I feel 'trash talking' with the pure intent of getting your opponent frustrated shows a lack of confidence in your own abilities, so you're stooping as low as to sabotage instead of just lose (or win) gracefully. I mean, there's playful trash talk banter, but to go into a game with the intent to get your opponent legitimately upset/angry is incredibly poor sportsmanship.

Edit: This is for ANY game. Not just 40k. Like I said, playful banter is fine. But the if the intent is to affect your opponent's abilities in some degree, that's where it crosses the line, imo.

Trash talk is a skill in itself. Do it well, you get under your opponent's skin and get him off his game. Do it poorly, you can push him to greater feats.

Trash talk is just another skill in a well-rounded skillset.

Or its just acting like a rude person.

Precisely. I've played plenty of rugby and plenty of 40k. I have had a lot of playful exchanges on the pitch and it doesn't compare. It's also perfectly accepted to stand on someone's head (I still have dents in my head and have done more than my fair share of others).

The idea that 'trash talk is a skill' is bizarre and bollocks. it's not a part of the rules. It's not a tactic, it's being a prick. If you want to include it, expect me to include 'seeing you after school for a swift trip to the deck' as my 'suprise l33t skill'...

Play like a good player, be a gent, win like a gent or lose like a gent. Anything else is TFG.

Show your mark and measure in your decorum.

If words spoken during a game of toy soldiers can motivate you to commit aggravated assault, then the attempt to get under your skin has indeed worked.

Unless you're just ITG-ing it up in here.

 feeder wrote:

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:

 Fenrir Kitsune wrote:

 feeder wrote:

Melevolence wrote:

 NInjatactiks wrote:
Playing devil's advocate here, I wonder why trash talking is so frowned upon in 40k tournaments. It's actually a valid tactic to use against your opponent to get under their skin and lose concentration in other sports and games. Even golf supposedly has its fair share despite being a gentlemen's sport.

To be honest, I feel 'trash talking' with the pure intent of getting your opponent frustrated shows a lack of confidence in your own abilities, so you're stooping as low as to sabotage instead of just lose (or win) gracefully. I mean, there's playful trash talk banter, but to go into a game with the intent to get your opponent legitimately upset/angry is incredibly poor sportsmanship.

Edit: This is for ANY game. Not just 40k. Like I said, playful banter is fine. But the if the intent is to affect your opponent's abilities in some degree, that's where it crosses the line, imo.

Trash talk is a skill in itself. Do it well, you get under your opponent's skin and get him off his game. Do it poorly, you can push him to greater feats.

Trash talk is just another skill in a well-rounded skillset.

Or its just acting like a rude person.

Precisely. I've played plenty of rugby and plenty of 40k. I have had a lot of playful exchanges on the pitch and it doesn't compare. It's also perfectly accepted to stand on someone's head (I still have dents in my head and have done more than my fair share of others).

The idea that 'trash talk is a skill' is bizarre and bollocks. it's not a part of the rules. It's not a tactic, it's being a prick. If you want to include it, expect me to include 'seeing you after school for a swift trip to the deck' as my 'suprise l33t skill'...

Play like a good player, be a gent, win like a gent or lose like a gent. Anything else is TFG.

Show your mark and measure in your decorum.

If words spoken during a game of toy soldiers can motivate you to commit aggravated assault, then the attempt to get under your skin has indeed worked.

Unless you're just ITG-ing it up in here.

Different cultures. not everyone's Canadian. MeanGreen is Scottish. I'm Texan. He'll fight you and throw haggis bombs at your friends. I'll stampede a herd of longhorns over you.

Apologies for jumping in 5 pages later, but what kind of tournament allows you to bring 3 Imperial Knights!? I think even ITC limited this by allowing no more than one Knight.

 DalinCriid wrote:
Apologies for jumping in 5 pages later, but what kind of tournament allows you to bring 3 Imperial Knights!? I think even ITC limited this by allowing no more than one Knight.

'

You can have more then one knight in ITC. Check out their FAQ's about it.


I recently baited a player who was not outright trash talking but was so over confident in his army and what they did it was annoying. Top table at a small tournament he and I were playing for first place in the final round. He went on and on about how amazing Necron Decurion was and how he had such easy prior rounds. I just kept asking him what everything did ( I knew) and kept acting surprised and saying oh man thats so AWESOME!11! He went pushing up the board into my War Con, he conceded turn 3.

I think there is a difference between trash talking in a fun, jesting way (e.g. "You filthy heretic!") and straight up insulting your opponent and trying to be a douche.

Locked for thread necromancy.