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I haven't played since 4th (about 10 years). I am finishing up the rulebook now. There is alot here and some of it I have either forgotten or never seen. Most of the game is the same though.

What do you guys think are THE most important things I need to remember (from the 7th rules) before I begin playing. I played a lot during 2nd and 4th, so I know the basic mechanics really well.

Stuff like jump/jet/packs, swooping/gliding, psychic phase, new missions/objectives, new force org, and lots of special abilities and rules are a bit much to remember.

Perhaps this is a vague question. Are there some things new (or returning) players often get wrong or do wrong?

•Remember your phase order. If you move a unit and then immediately shoot, I have the right to deny you all further movement and psychic power use. If you charge and make attack rolls, I have the right to deny you any other charges you can make, due to the fact that you skipped the charge sub-phase.
•Remember unit type special rules, such as Beasts having Move Through Cover, ect.
•Always remember to draw your maelstrom cards at the beginning of your turn.

Most important thing to remember is to have fun, and enjoy the game and your models.

After that, everything else is cake

Being a shiny new player I have noticed even the guy I play against (who has been playing for years) will still reference a few rules or other information during our games. Not as much as I do, but it makes it fun and I learn a lot when he looks up stuff. Basically know the basics then learn (or in your case - RE-learn) the details as you go.

Spend a lot of time going over the army building section. You've probably never played with Detachments/Formations/Unbound before. There is no such thing as a "standard force org" anymore. Be prepared to see some pretty strange looking (and sometimes ultra-cheesy and unfluffy) armies.

I notice there are a ton of restrictions on everything. "If this unit did this, or if this happened, then they can't do this this round". It's almost half the rulebook.

I mean, there are SO many of these types of rules...

The most important thing to learn about 40k I think is best summed up like one of the vets at our FLGS always says "No one has ever played a perfect game of 40k. If you both walk away from the table thinking no one cheated, neither of you were paying close enough attention."

Never forget the mission objective.

Most important thing? You WILL forget rules. Move on, and keep playing.

That, and everyone forgets the Night Fighting rules

As someone else who came back to 7th after last playing in 4th, I'd say the things that've tripped me up the most are the assault rules and the vehicle rules. Lots of other tweaks to the core mechanics but those are the ones I've found most confusing.

ERJAK wrote:
The most important thing to learn about 40k I think is best summed up like one of the vets at our FLGS always says "No one has ever played a perfect game of 40k. If you both walk away from the table thinking no one cheated, neither of you were paying close enough attention."

That scares me a bit...

 Whitebeard wrote:

ERJAK wrote:
The most important thing to learn about 40k I think is best summed up like one of the vets at our FLGS always says "No one has ever played a perfect game of 40k. If you both walk away from the table thinking no one cheated, neither of you were paying close enough attention."

That scares me a bit...

True though even worse for vets who have older rules still rattling around inside their noggin, we call the effect garryhammer locally.

Games simply a bloated mess no one can keep straight anymore .

 Whitebeard wrote:

ERJAK wrote:
The most important thing to learn about 40k I think is best summed up like one of the vets at our FLGS always says "No one has ever played a perfect game of 40k. If you both walk away from the table thinking no one cheated, neither of you were paying close enough attention."

That scares me a bit...

It's not really that bad, it's more "expect to forget rules". It happens even to seasoned players who forget to roll for Reserves. The point is to keep going with the game, fix it if you can, if it's too far gone, then move on.

ERJAK wrote:
The most important thing to learn about 40k I think is best summed up like one of the vets at our FLGS always says "No one has ever played a perfect game of 40k. If you both walk away from the table thinking no one cheated, neither of you were paying close enough attention."

I played against a Nid who dropped a bunch of units into the back of my line on deepstrike in perfect spots because "They have an ability and they don't scatter". He misunderstood how Pheromone Trail worked and I didn't know any better at the time to question it!

I started about 6 months ago and the best thing I found to do is to walk into the game being honest about your level of knowledge. Have fun playing. Then spend hours after the game looking up rules and things that confused you so that the next time you are prepared. People tend to get frustrated if you are trying to learn as you play so just go with the flow (even if you lose for reasons you don't understand) and do your research in between games.

Fleet doesn't allow you to charge after running anymore. That's a pretty big change. Other than that, just remember what you have to wound/hit on and the rest you just look up as you go.
And remember there is a psychic phase now. well and flying if you play with that but I haven't seen anybody use the new flyer rules.

 Verviedi wrote:
•Remember your phase order. If you move a unit and then immediately shoot, I have the right to deny you all further movement and psychic power use. If you charge and make attack rolls, I have the right to deny you any other charges you can make, due to the fact that you skipped the charge sub-phase.

If you actually do those things without previously asking: hey, don't you wanna continue on x before doing y? You're bound to be labeled TFG. Honestly this isn't something one should remember and be under such a threat in such a one-sided way.

Since I am playing Death Guard/Nurgle, I am writing down all my special rules, trying to memorize them.

I know nothing of other codecies, so I just have to trust everyone.

Back in the day (2nd, 4th) I knew literally every rule, codex, and wargear like the back of my hand...

Limit your units to a couple of types, and get the rules for them down pat.
Then use vehicles...
Then Psykers...
and so on.
There are a LOT of silly little rules and processes in 7th.

Lord Kragan wrote:

 Verviedi wrote:
•Remember your phase order. If you move a unit and then immediately shoot, I have the right to deny you all further movement and psychic power use. If you charge and make attack rolls, I have the right to deny you any other charges you can make, due to the fact that you skipped the charge sub-phase.

If you actually do those things without previously asking: hey, don't you wanna continue on x before doing y? You're bound to be labeled TFG. Honestly this isn't something one should remember and be under such a threat in such a one-sided way.

Word. I have a house rule of "never play against pricks who pull this sort of thing more than once".

As a fairly recently returning, and very infrequent player, I've found this resource very useful...

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/597998.page

 alanmckenzie wrote:
As a fairly recently returning, and very infrequent player, I've found this resource very useful...
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/597998.page

This "cheat sheet" is invaluable for reminding the order of things and putting relevant rules for that phase in front of you.
The most important thing I find is to have a pretty good idea of the rules if you can: read the rule book a few times.
Put bookmarks on pages of the BRB like the "special rules" and anything else that you have trouble remembering.
It makes for a more enjoyable experience when players do not have to look everything up quite so much.

I have been around this game since 2nd edition.
The building on rules or "bloat" certainly makes me feel senile when rules from 3rd edition spring to mind in a 7th edition game.
It is hard to unlearn the prior rules you knew "cold" and now desperately need to forget.

I agree taking a look at the army selection portion of the rule book is important because it can be confusing.
I find this is the greatest source of unintentional cheating when people do not understand allies rules and detachments.

The best contribution I can make is REALLY know your codex(s) for the armies you field.
Mark off the gear and special rules sections with book marks.
I used to buy every single codex for every army up to 5th edition but from 6th edition-on it is almost impossible to keep up with it all.
So YOU need to know your rules, your opponent may not.
Be ready to show him some of the rules and educate (and prove you are not a cheating TFG).
You may not have anyone who can help with your army and the game will bog down like nobody's business.

I would say from a gaming / leisure side: you can be as serious as you want to strategize (internally) and do your best but PLEASE be polite to your opponent.
Head-games might be a consideration in a tournament but for weekly games it is more important to remember this is supposed to be leisure time.
Show your rolls, give benefit of the doubt once for each type of rule error, celebrate what he does well as well as your own outcomes, thank them for spending their time to play a game with you.

It is largely a social game and you need to consider that or we would all be at home playing console/computer games.

 Whitebeard wrote:
I haven't played since 4th (about 10 years). I am finishing up the rulebook now. There is alot here and some of it I have either forgotten or never seen. Most of the game is the same though.

What do you guys think are THE most important things I need to remember (from the 7th rules) before I begin playing. I played a lot during 2nd and 4th, so I know the basic mechanics really well.

Stuff like jump/jet/packs, swooping/gliding, psychic phase, new missions/objectives, new force org, and lots of special abilities and rules are a bit much to remember.

Perhaps this is a vague question. Are there some things new (or returning) players often get wrong or do wrong?

While the basic concept is the same, many of the details have changed. Here's the big 3 for Rules that, as a returning player, will likely trip you up. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THESE:

#1 - "Detachments" are how you build an army, not Force Org's:
The idea of 1 HQ and 2 Troops is pretty much out. Things still have those designations, but that's not how you build your army. Instead, you can have any number of DETACHMENTS. Anything that tells you how to take units is a detachment. So, a "Formation", which requires you take certain units (like, say, the Aspect Shrine, which requires 3 units of Aspect Warriors), is it's own detachment. You can't merge detachments, units will only ever belong to one of them! The Combined Arms Detachment (aka a CAD) is a type of detachment as well, and that one requires 1 HQ and 2 Troops and the rest that you're used to, but it's just one option of many. You may hear of "super formations", "decurions", "gladius-type formations", or "formations of formations" - these all mean the same thing, but have no official designation from Games Workshop, and are detachments that are composed primarily of other formations. Most major codexes have these now (though not all; Tyranids, Dark Eldar, Orks, Blood Angels, Space Wolves), and are a single detachment, so models in them get bonus abilities from both their formation and this detachment, but are still NOT part of multiple detachments. You can't shove a CAD into one of these!

#2 - True Line of Sight & Closest-to-Closest casualties:
40k is based right now on True Line of Sight. Unless you're shooting indirect-fire weapons like Mortars, or have special rules that allow you to shoot a unit without needing Line of Sight, you absolutely cannot kill what you can't see. This also means that you can't charge someone on the other side of a door if none of your models can see them. Then, when you do shoot at them or engage them in close combat, you MUST start removing models closest to the attackers as possible. You get to choose if they're equidistant (like having lots of models in base-to-base contact), but otherwise this means special weapons and characters can be more easily picked off. There is a way to avoid having characters die like this, and that's Look Out Sir! Read those rules.

#3 - Some Rules Extend to Units, others just to Models
Really be careful when reading the rules as to whether the rulebook says "a unit with at least one model with this special rule" or "a unit composed entirely of models with this special rule" or "models with this special rule". Each means something VERY different! For example; Furious Charge works just for models with Furious Charge, and those are the only models that will get +1S on the charge. However, Shrouded works for a whole unit if just one model has Shrouded, so a Venomthrope may only give Shrouded to "models" within 6 inches, but if that Termagant is part of a big squad that stretches far away, they ALL get the benefit of Shrouded!

-----------------

EDIT: Right, and now 3 very useful tips!

Tip #1 - Close Combat is far less effective, Shooting is far more powerful
This isn't because of lethality, but because of how these interact with movement. Since a ton of things can move and Snap Fire, or move and fire at maximum effectiveness (Bolters can fire once at 24", or twice at 12", regardless of how far they move), it's not very costly to move to a better position. However, close combat units have to advance and approach these units, meaning they're struggling to get closer, and often have to expose their position more. For shooting, if you fail to be in range, you can reselect a new target at no cost (you can check range between everything now), but if you fail to be in range with a charging unit, you don't move at all. Also, enemies can shoot at you as you charge, which while it won't kill many models itself, if that shooting puts you outside of your charge range, you are almost definitely dead next turn. AND, on top of that, since shooting kills closest-to-closest, swarms of infantry lose their lead models first, meaning that it'll feel like they're moving even SLOWER.

Tip #2 - You NEED some way to get into a better position during the game
The days of infantry-only battle-lines are truly dead and buried. Every army has the ability to take things that will allow them to have units come down where they want them, or quickly move from one spot to another. If a unit isn't FAST, it's mostly dead weight. If you do take some models to just hold down back-lines, make them as cost effective as possible, because otherwise they're not pulling their weight. And when I say fast, I mean they need to be coming in through Outflank, Deep Strike, appear on the board already in position, have insanely fast transports, be a bike, or teleport from the board to another spot.

Tip #3 - Discuss with your opponent BEFORE the game
Used to be that you could walk in with a 1500 point list and be reasonably confident that your opponent's list wasn't just going to dominate you. There were the odd times (like Grey Knights pwnage, or Chaos Lash), but they were pretty rare. Now, there are LOTS of armies that can "break" the game very easily. A lot of this has to do with those Decurions I mentioned earlier. You need to discuss with your opponent what kind of game you want to make sure you're on the same page. If they're playing a ton of Imperial Knights, and you're sitting there with a CAD of Ork Boyz, it won't be a fun game except for the fact that it'll just be about removing Orks from the table. But if you both are in the same mind-set for the game, it'll be fun.

Good luck!

Remember to read all unit entires very very well. Recently I made a long winded post about a formation that is infact, illegal. If i had payed more attention to the unit entry I would have seen the rule that makes it illegal. Missing one rule can throw off alot about your list or your game. Id only imagine the egg on my face if i had showed up to a tourney with that illegal list .

Thanks to everyone who responded. I am going over all my unit rules repeatedly, writing everything down I can to memorize.

Vehicles rules as well.

1 ) You're choosing to spend you time playing plastic man dollies, you're there for fun - it's important to remember since it's the most important thing
2 ) Reserves, moving, psychic, shooting, assault. I like to do a quick sweep of the table from left to right checking off each unit has done its thing before moving on to the next phase.
3 ) Don't forget to bring your books, don't rely on battlescribe in the middle of a game. IMHO, books are easier for looking stuff up on compared to tablets or whatever electronic device you use
4 ) Don't jump straight into 1850 point games. I'd suggest sarting at 500 - 1000 (though 500 is a bit low for some armies to achieve much). you can worry about growing into larger games when you're more comfortable with the ruleset and it allows you to identify things you have problems with so you can aim towards getting some models to address that as you go up in points.
5 ) Don't get so focused on killing things that you forget the mission objectives.
6 ) Be able to kill infantry
7 ) Be able to kill tanks
8 ) You're going to lose more than you win when you're starting out. Don't get discouraged because of that, instead, after the game, think about what worked and what didn't, ask you opponent what he thought you could have done better.
9 ) Shoot the markerlights first
10 ) Moving 6" a turn is generally bad, find a way to fix that for at least some, if not all of your units

This is the most important rule to remember about this game:

Forge the Narrative.

Yes, it's something of a running joke on this board, but I'm actually being serious.

If you want competition, go play Overwatch or DOTA or CS:GO or Starcraft or LoL. This game is not meant to be competitive. Hell, the company that owns this game has repeatedly said, let alone demonstrated, that they don't care about balance (not to mention editing their own released works...).

Use the setting to build a scenario. Use the rules as mechanics to get you through that scenario. Build memories of that lone guardsman finding some ridiculous way to take down that carnifex or how that warlock survived, against all odds, against the daemon prince. Be silly. Be invested. Be fun.

If you are going up against an army you have not fought before, ask what universal special rules they have on the army, and what give it to them.

Formations are a thing now and give powerful buffs but a lot can be broken once a specific unit is removed.

deathmagiks wrote:
This is the most important rule to remember about this game:

Forge the Narrative.

Yes, it's something of a running joke on this board, but I'm actually being serious.

If you want competition, go play Overwatch or DOTA or CS:GO or Starcraft or LoL. This game is not meant to be competitive. Hell, the company that owns this game has repeatedly said, let alone demonstrated, that they don't care about balance (not to mention editing their own released works...).

Use the setting to build a scenario. Use the rules as mechanics to get you through that scenario. Build memories of that lone guardsman finding some ridiculous way to take down that carnifex or how that warlock survived, against all odds, against the daemon prince. Be silly. Be invested. Be fun.

I am not a competitive player. But I dont think its a good idea to tell someone who is entering the hobby how to enjoy themselves. You can point out the lack of balance but leave it at that and let them decide how to have fun.

Table wrote:

deathmagiks wrote:
This is the most important rule to remember about this game:

Forge the Narrative.

Yes, it's something of a running joke on this board, but I'm actually being serious.

If you want competition, go play Overwatch or DOTA or CS:GO or Starcraft or LoL. This game is not meant to be competitive. Hell, the company that owns this game has repeatedly said, let alone demonstrated, that they don't care about balance (not to mention editing their own released works...).

Use the setting to build a scenario. Use the rules as mechanics to get you through that scenario. Build memories of that lone guardsman finding some ridiculous way to take down that carnifex or how that warlock survived, against all odds, against the daemon prince. Be silly. Be invested. Be fun.

I am not a competitive player. But I dont think its a good idea to tell someone who is entering the hobby how to enjoy themselves. You can point out the lack of balance but leave it at that and let them decide how to have fun.

Fair enough.

deathmagiks wrote:

Table wrote:
I am not a competitive player. But I dont think its a good idea to tell someone who is entering the hobby how to enjoy themselves. You can point out the lack of balance but leave it at that and let them decide how to have fun.

Fair enough.

I think some description of what is attractive to the game or a player type may be in order.
It was basically said that if you are in this game for competitive play, there may be some disappointment.
It was a perfectly valid statement that anything goofy can be done and may be appreciated by others.
The talking with your opponent before the game advice would be greatly recommended.
All we are trying to avoid here is someone being tabled in a game... that is no fun for either player (unless the relevant sadist / masochist traits apply).

I think the main draw of 40k is the insane amount of lore/fluff for the universe depicted.
That is probably why so many of us get foaming at the mouth when unholy alliances are made in army lists that go against canon.

deathmagiks wrote:
This is the most important rule to remember about this game:

Forge the Narrative.

Yes, it's something of a running joke on this board, but I'm actually being serious.

If you want competition, go play Overwatch or DOTA or CS:GO or Starcraft or LoL. This game is not meant to be competitive. Hell, the company that owns this game has repeatedly said, let alone demonstrated, that they don't care about balance (not to mention editing their own released works...).

Use the setting to build a scenario. Use the rules as mechanics to get you through that scenario. Build memories of that lone guardsman finding some ridiculous way to take down that carnifex or how that warlock survived, against all odds, against the daemon prince. Be silly. Be invested. Be fun.

See, to me this sounds like an 'everyone once in a while to put a new spin on things' thing to me. I could never play every game like that, building scenarios is boring to me. Sure the game itself is fun but the setup is just a slog. I'd much rather spend that time list building.

Not to critisize anyone who does play mainly narrative, it's an equally valid way to play, just throwing in my 2 cents.