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OK, I know this is an ODD question to say the least, but I am curious. Let's say that I want to play a 2000 point army, and I don't want any of my games to ever last more than 90 minutes as my attention span seems to just flat out end at that point (unless something comes up, I'm playing with a new player or a player with a new army, etc.). By the 90 minute mark, the vast majority of the time, I'm wanting to play something else or start a new game.

I know that my army can play a big part in whether I win or lose in a game. For example, from what I've gathered, the main tactic for World Eaters is to get across the board as quickly as is possible and just start bashing face. If that's the case, my guess is that they are going to win pretty quickly or lose pretty quickly as all resources are dedicated to a single goal.

Is it possible that running fewer models, like Custodes or Imperial Knights, would make for a shorter game as well?

Thanks in advance!

SG

Mono Harlequins. Chances are you'll wreck your opponent or get wrecked pretty fast.

Honestly you're going to have a challenge making games last only 90 minutes unless you're playing hardcore cutthroat competitive 40k, where games are rarely not done after turn 2.

Can't you just play smaller games?

 Crimson wrote:
Can't you just play smaller games?

Excellent question that I should have addressed in the original post. I could pare the list down to 1000 points instead of 2000, but the reason I wanted a 2000 point army is so that I could take it to tournaments. Do I expect to win at these tournaments? Not at all. I'd just want to go for fun. Having a 2000 point list built and being able to practice with it would be preferable than upping a 1000 point list to 2000 points and just hoping I'd know how to play it at that point.

Again, great question though

SG

mono knight and mono custodes end game on turn 2. After that one can more or less say if the opposing army is going to be able wipe them out, or if they killed enough anti tank/anti heavy stuff in first turn of the game to be now invunerable. we play 60min, and it aint that hard to play save when one side has some 300 models and really wants to move their models one by one.

Take a few Knights or Guard super heavies. Your games should easily be in the 60 to 90 minute window if not less.

You could just play for 90 minutes & then determine the winner.

I like the suggestions to play smaller point games or just stop the game at the set time period far more than trying to build an army that wins/loses fast. Think of your opponent. Do you think any army list built for this would be fun for them? I kinda doubt it.

I'll second the Harlequins idea. Though Dark Eldar are renowned for according to plan or dying in a fire so do some comparing(If only Corsairs where still a thing...). I would probably do Harlequins with a Dark Eldar air detachment fully loaded all the missiles and mines would keep it interesting.

Grey Knights: you've lost before you've even taken your army out of the box.

(Sorry, someone was bound to say it eventually.)

The Newman wrote:
Grey Knights: you've lost before you've even taken your army out of the box.

(Sorry, someone was bound to say it eventually.)

I was about to say it...truth hurts!

To answer your question, lower model count armies will fit your requirements best.
Knights
Custodes
are the obvious 2. After that you can build lower model count armies with most factions. Drukhari with grotesque and talos spam. Astra/SM with FW vehicles also fits this bill.

Expanding on this any variant of the castellan list will have higher model counts but given that most of the points are sunk into the castellan and SM higher point models you will have less to do giving you faster games and faster kills.

Its been commonly stated by the top players that this game is won/lost in the movement phase. Giving yourself less to do in the movement phase gives you more time to think and will lead to shorter games. DON'T play with or against orks.

 ServiceGames wrote:

 Crimson wrote:
Can't you just play smaller games?

Excellent question that I should have addressed in the original post. I could pare the list down to 1000 points instead of 2000, but the reason I wanted a 2000 point army is so that I could take it to tournaments. Do I expect to win at these tournaments? Not at all. I'd just want to go for fun. Having a 2000 point list built and being able to practice with it would be preferable than upping a 1000 point list to 2000 points and just hoping I'd know how to play it at that point.

Again, great question though

SG

Well if you have tournaments in mind just play with the house rule that imposes 3 turns limitations, which is something you'll always have at tournaments. This combined to some practise (expert players go faster) and the avoidance of horde armies should lead towards 90 minutes games even without playing ultra elite armies like knights.

Well you could always bring a "Elite" army like custodes or bring terminators. Infact i did run a army list at around 1500 pts that mainly consisted off: Decimator, Termilord, Terminators 2x5, plague marine squad and a dakka fiend.

Turns go quite quick if you bring such a small body count army and made for some funny matches.

Run the smallest number of overall units possible. Your own turns will be much shorter because you have fewer unit activations to go through. The overall games will be shorter because your army will be less forgiving; if you screw up you will spiral and lose quickly. If you don't screw up, you run a strong possibility of annihilating your opponent before the 90 minute mark, or at least of them seeing the writing on the wall and scooping.

 Saturmorn Carvilli wrote:
I like the suggestions to play smaller point games or just stop the game at the set time period far more than trying to build an army that wins/loses fast. Think of your opponent. Do you think any army list built for this would be fun for them? I kinda doubt it.

I agree that it probably wouldn't be the most fun for the other player. Lower point games might be my best bet.

That said, to everyone else, the smallest number of models I could bring to the table at 2000 points that I currently have would be three Imperial Knights, a Shadowsword, and a few additional guardsmen to push the point count on up to 2000. I know that, since the Shadowsword doesn't have an Invul save, it'll get taken out first, but it'll draw a lot of first turn fire allowing me to hit hard with my Knights (and my Shadowsword if it lives).

SG

If you're going to a tournament, there's no reason to build a list that plays a full 6 turns in 90 minutes. You have 2.5 hours (or 3 hours at a major), which means if you finish early you'll be standing around.

As for casual games, just take an Imperial Guard + Knight(s) list. You will absolutely CRUSH other casual players. Games will be over on turn 3 and you'll be done in 90 minutes easy.

 Marmatag wrote:
If you're going to a tournament, there's no reason to build a list that plays a full 6 turns in 90 minutes. You have 2.5 hours (or 3 hours at a major), which means if you finish early you'll be standing around.

It's not about time restrictions but attention span. When it comes to something like a video game, I can definitely get caught up for hours. But, once I hit the 90 minute mark just rolling dice on a table and moving models, while fun during that time, I want to call it quits and move on to something else... even if that something else means standing around as it gives me some time to go get something to drink, eat, or just take a short breather before the next game. I went through this same kind of thing when I played Star Trek: Attack Wing which only lasted about an hour per game. I much preferred getting a bye if I could so that I would have time to grab a bite to eat or relax for a few minutes.

SG

Knights or Custodes, low model count.
Main problem is you aren't playing against yourself, play against another low model count list and you'll be good. Play against Orks or some other horde list and you'll be right back to 2.5 to 3 hour games though.

Or you could just improve your attention span. You know that in tournaments after your first game you don't just get to move on to something else cause you want to, right? You have to play another game. Then another game. Maybe Killteam would be a better fit for you?

 Creeping Dementia wrote:
You know that in tournaments after your first game you don't just get to move on to something else cause you want to, right? You have to play another game. Then another game.

You actually do get to move on to something different just because you want to. So, I get three hours for a game. I'm done in 90 minutes. That means that for those additional 90 minutes, I can go play Kill Team, Warhammer Underworlds, or any other game at a table where there's an opening and someone else who wants to play. I just need to make sure I'm done and ready to move on within 90 minutes (or within the time that everyone else finishes and is ready for the next game). That also means that I don't end up as one of those people who are rushing to find something to eat for lunch and/or dinner because they are taking the full three hours per game. I can take a full 90 minutes (possibly more if the TOs allow for a lunch break) to find a place to eat, sit down, take my time, and make it back to the tournament area. Yes, I do realize this means packing up models and carrying them with me. And, yes, that would be tedious. But, at least it would break up the time.

So, even if a tournament consists of four three hour games, I'd be free and available to do anything else I may want to do (including buying new models, looking at new products, maybe looking on at another table where someone is playing something like Flames of War to see if it's something I'd enjoy on a Skirmish basis). That means that for 6 of the 12 hours of that tournament, I could shift my attention from playing that one game to something different (be it looking on, looking at other models, maybe getting some painting tips from someone who has also finished playing, not being rushed for food, and so much more).

SG