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So I'm pretty new to the tournament scene and was considering going to my first Ard Boyz at my FLGS. Tau is the only army I have atm that is over 2500 points. I'm already getting intimated by the lists I see posted from other army lists and figure I don't have a chance. I've done ok with Tau in friendly tournaments, but the more I read up on Ard Boyz, the more I'm inclined to skip it and just stick with friendly non-WAAC tournaments for now. I lot of my friends who enjoy the hobby and play competitively are skipping Ard Boyz because of the reputation of the players they say play in it. I hate backing down from a challenge (to myself), but I think I'm not at that "level" of a player yet. I guess I'm asking, should I bother to even try?

It's free, so there's no reason not to try because even if you lose bad, you lost nothing. Also, this is the internet, where everything gets blown way out of proportions and people will take Any tournament too seriously. If you go to the same place, and play the same people, it will probably be just as friendly as any other event in that local.

I had fun in every game of the series, last year. Fortunately, there was only one TFG, and I didn't have to face him.

I'd say about half of the armies in the preliminary round were tuned to any degree, and only 65-75% were tuned in the semi's.

One way you can look at it is that it's a free event at a relatively uncommon scale. If you dismiss your chances of winning, you can just relax and have a good time. Probably my best game of the series was against an Ork player who was only there to have fun.

I say, what the heck. Give it a try. Just be prepared to deal with WAAC asshats. Just try to have fun with it.

The ratio of "that guy" to normal nice people is always like 1:100 in these sorts of events. Youll do fine.

Not all areas are the same.. I play competitively but would never EVER act like some of the people Ive read about on here.. Im sure the decent players outnumber the tards

Aduro wrote:It's free, so there's no reason not to try because even if you lose bad, you lost nothing. Also, this is the internet, where everything gets blown way out of proportions and people will take Any tournament too seriously. If you go to the same place, and play the same people, it will probably be just as friendly as any other event in that local.

This.

And what you posted above, OP, is the reason I don't study internet lists. I have every codex. I know the strong points in lists. I could make whatever list people are imagining. The lists I make are what work for me and I base my future lists on who/what I play against. My brother and I travel the tournament scene here in the south from Alabama to Tennessee to Florida and Georgia. We see all sorts of lists. Some are well-put-together and some aren't. Funny thing is, though, more often than not, when I see an internet list with someone else at the helm, it doesn't pull out first. The exception to this was Leafblower in the last tournament and it was because there were multiples of them.

I guess what I'm getting at is a list is a list. That's only a part of the game. The others parts are terrain, dice rolls, the general, the pairings, etc. You never know. And you never will know until you walk up there and put your men down and start to take aim.

In my last tournament, I was playing my 2K Eldar versus a Ghazzy Ork list. On paper I would have looked at it and said, "Whew, this is gonna be tough." I killed Ghazzy in his first turn, before his Waagh, the opponent pushed all his troops forward while using Lootas to secure his objective and, at the end of it, I walked away with a 22-0 massacre. At first I was intimidated by the list (hell, just by the color green!), but at the end of it, it pushed me into 1st place after Round 2.

When you play 40K, you don't just play the lists - you play the person as well (if not moreso). Hope that helps a little.

Note: this has been my experiences and observations from the past few years I have attended. Not saying it is like this everywhere but people I have met have had similar experiences for what it is worth.

I find 'ard boyz to be a lot more arguing and a lot more tension between opponents than normal tourneys. Even tourneys that don't use sportsmanships seem way more civil to me. There is just something about it where people seem to think they have a right and are expected to 'go there'.

Also this year and the lack of INAT usage, I expect a lot more RAW battles and other fights where people will build whole lists around particular interpretations and expect TOs to go thier way. Not saying INAT is perfect, but when there is a national event like this and we *ALL* agree that GW's FAQ doesn't cover all the situations, there needs to be a consistent ruling authority across all events.

The last thing is people at 'ard boyz when they lose that first game are basically 'out of it' and many people react accordingly. There are not soft scores or prizes they can hope to get. Also, since some events will be run on different days, I have seen the past 2 years where someone who loses round 1, QUITS so he can go home and attend a tourney elsewhere tomorrow.

Also... Expect Blue-TACed greys that are still being assembled before the event. Some people explicitly download a metalist and play it for 'ard boyz in hopes to win something and plan to ebay the grey army and they can get better price if it is unglued and unpainted. So beware you may play against that type of army/player. Often I know more about his metalist than he does which is odd and usually not a fun game.

If you can handle the fighting and un-civilness that is prone to break out, and can deal with the greys you might have a good time. I simply do not enjoy the underlying nastiness of it as I believe an event can be competitive without requiring nasty interactions over rules (which is why I support comprehensive, pre-posted FAQs) I also enjoy painted models but at least this event I am clearly warned before showing up.

You would know your area and its particular gaming drama and politics and should know best what to expect. It sounds from the posts in this forum, that some 'ard boyz events are going to be saturated with drama and politics this year.

Go and have fun bro, you will enjoy yourself if you go in with a positive attitude. Most people that show up to tournaments are just regular gamers like you. 90% of the big talk on the net is created by 10% of actual gamers, so don't worry about it.

Most people will just show up with the 2,500 points they have and make do with that.

Like others have said, it's free, and fun, so why not try it out? You have nothing to lose, and you could learn a lot, have a lot of fun and make some new friends.

I wouldn't not go just because it's Ard Boyz.

Just be prepared to get your arse waxed by some super-tough unpainted armies. Tau are one of the weaker codexes at the moment.

If you can deal with that and have fun anyway, why not go? Winning isn't everything. And just because someone beats you, it doesn't mean they are a bad person.

Free entry for 3 games against (hopefully) really hard lists is fun for me.

It's good advice for any tournament really, regardless of whether its ard boyz or not...don't expect to win. Go to play game and have fun.

Even a competitive MF like myself, I have to go into an event knowing that there's a chance that the perfect counter to my army could end up across the table from me. If this happens, there's nothing I can do, and I can either play my best and try and have a good time, or I can whine like a little bitch and let it ruin my day.

Since its up to me...I'd rather try and have a good time.

About the ONLY thing that really annoys me is slow play.

I break down tournaments this way, how much is invested, and I expect a zero return on that investment, as far as money and prizes are concerned. So lets assume an event 100 miles away will cost me a total 35 to play in, with gas, registration, and food. If I win I get 50 in prize support, so it was worth the trip. If I dont win I get no money back. So I wont bother playing unless I feel the event is worth it assuming I wont get any prizes. Ard boyz is free, itll cost me next to nothing to play in. I play eldar, one of the worst armies out there ATM. If I had to pay a total of 30-35 I probably wouldnt play in it. But because its free I might as well, whats the worst that I lose? A game or three of 40k? Anymore my goal in most events I attend is to win best sportsman. That means that people had the most fun playing against me, and I have fun if I dont try to win best general, for reasons about to be explained.

Centurian99 wrote:If this happens, there's nothing I can do, and I can either play my best and try and have a good time, or I can whine like a little bitch and let it ruin my day.

Ive started taking this advice to heart. There is nothing you can do about bad match ups, or dice rolls. I played a game Saturday against a friends chaos with my bugs. We tied 7-7 on kp and each held one objective. Abaddon single handedly killed off 20 genestealers with toxin sacs and 30+ gaunts in proximity of a tervigon. I would charge the bastard with 10 stealers and like 15 super gaunts, hed roll a 5 for demon weapon and kill 8 stealers total, my attacks would all bounce off his armor or not wound, and he would win combat by+8, a scary thing when your saves are all 5+. The bastard earned 5 kill points, while giving up one. Rather then get angry I just laughed about it and kept playing. Nothing you can do about bad dice, and its one of those games I wont forget for a while.

as others have said, it is a free tourney, just go and try to have fun and win, you will also see how your lists works against other really hard lists

Sure, I'm gonna play. Just taking my standard 2K army and adding a couple more units. What the heck, it's a day of playing 40K.

As others have said, you won't generally see hard armies in the first round save for maybe a few guys. Unless you drive to a distant location you'll probably be playing the same locals you normally play. Most people in the first round just slap extra points on to their normal lists, which leads them to play units that (1) they're not familiar with, and (2) suck. If you don't take a tuned list you'll probably be in good company.

The one thing you have to consider when you look at the ultimate style lists you see posted. First can the people at your LGS tatically run a list like them and 2nd can anyone locally afford to field the lists. A lot of the local players here tend to use everything they have to make a list rather then building a super list, especially at 2500 points.

Go for it and remember that it is free and have fun.

Aduro wrote:It's free, so there's no reason not to try because even if you lose bad, you lost nothing. Also, this is the internet, where everything gets blown way out of proportions and people will take Any tournament too seriously. If you go to the same place, and play the same people, it will probably be just as friendly as any other event in that local.

I'd disagree with that statement. My time is very valuable. Time wasted in bad games is time I could have spent with family.

I'd also disagree... if you know you're not going to max your list, it's not going to be too much fun, imho. It's made for that, so of course it's fine, but since I don't like doing that, and can only go to about a tournament a month or so, 'Ard Boyz wouldn't be in.

Of course, if you're free to game every weekend, there's not as much to lose... but I still think I'd rather do something else, since I don't like maxxing everything... to me it's obvious, and takes the fun out of making a unique / flavorful / beautiful army and list, and battling against another that is similarly built.

OK!

Thanks for the great replies all. I think I'll attend just to gain more experience in tournaments. I've read about all the lists I'll probably play against, but there's no substitute for actually playing.

Besides, I enjoy the game enough (win or lose) to make a day of it.

IMO there is no such thing as WAAC. There are a few jerks but it isnt that they want to win at all costs, they just want to be an ass in general.

FAAC (Fluff at all costs) is much more common. They created the phrase WAAC and also the dreaded comp system. After all FAAC players actually hate to lose more than competitive players (comp is proof of this), and they can also always hide behind the "well my army is just for fun" when they do lose.

Not all people who play for fluff are FAAC, but you will know them when you see footslogging Craftworld Eldar or homebrew Marines, mixed with dice and rules cheating.

Henners91 wrote:WAAC is gay...

Oh, so being gay is bad now? Shall I give Fred Phelps your phone number?

Lorek wrote:

Henners91 wrote:WAAC is gay...

Oh, so being gay is bad now? Shall I give Fred Phelps your phone number?

Not at all... quite otherwise, just a foolish choice of words, amendment time:

WAAC is for those types that don't play the game as a fun activity in which we all look at one anothers' models, smile, laugh and mess about with hilarious builds.

Centurian99 wrote:It's good advice for any tournament really, regardless of whether its ard boyz or not...don't expect to win. Go to play game and have fun.

This.

The only reason I don't go to 'ard boyz is because I do not enjoy gaming with, or against, unpainted armies, and I know that's part of this event. The people at 'ard boyz are likely to be the same people you regularly game with, and there's no reason to expect that they'll be douches. If you'll enjoy the gaming, win or lose, go game.

There are greater odds of running into a TFG at the semis & finals should you make it that far along. They are never fun to play even if you go into mentally prepared. 1st round is fun but sometimes traveling TFGs will show looking for an easy go.

G

PanamaG wrote:IMO there is no such thing as WAAC. There are a few jerks but it isnt that they want to win at all costs, they just want to be an ass in general.

FAAC (Fluff at all costs) is much more common. They created the phrase WAAC and also the dreaded comp system. After all FAAC players actually hate to lose more than competitive players (comp is proof of this), and they can also always hide behind the "well my army is just for fun" when they do lose.

Not all people who play for fluff are FAAC, but you will know them when you see footslogging Craftworld Eldar or homebrew Marines, mixed with dice and rules cheating.

Awww...how cute. Your mancrush / stalking finally turned into a signature quote! I don't know if I'm ready to take our relationship to the next level though.

@OP:

The people you play with on a regular basis are the same folks that you'll see at the preliminaries. If you have fun with them, you'll have fun at 'Ard Boyz, and its free to enter - if you place and get free loot....what's to complain about?

'Ard Boyz was the first tournament I ever attended, in 2008. Our shop had a small following at the time, so there were only a handful of us. I took Third with a random slap-together Marine Army that was blu-tacked and had a lot of unpainted stuff.
Last year Ard Boyz balooned into a 24-man affair, and it was an awful experience for me. I drew a shop regular in the first round, and we battled to a tie. That essentially meant we were both out of the running for placing in top-three. I had a lot of fun with the game, as it was the first time I'd ever not lost to a Nid list. Personal victory, I suppose.
I got tabled in the second game by a Railhead Tau list. it was less fun, but was a great learning experience.
I never got a third game, because about five people dropped out after losing in Round Two. They simply packed up their armies, and walked out. My opponent showed up at the table with his army in his cases, told me he was going home, and left. He didn't even have the decency to drop before the pairings so i could get another matchup. He claimed he was doing me a favor by handing me a free Massacre. I was livid. I'd cleared a whole day off my calendar to actually PLAY THE GAME, and he robbed me of a third of that day.

This year, I'm skipping it. I'm going to the Boston Brawl, instead. Sure, i have to pay to play, and will incur costs for food, lodging, and gas. But, as a friend who's also going pointed out, it's a $50 event that hands out $1000 in prizes, has a painted army requirement, and will feature real competition. Ard Boyz hands out $60 to the top placer, has no painting requirement, and causes people to act like jackholes when vying for that one GW box set or blister.

Sour taste is sour

Lol, I like that, I think most people are competeing for the second round, and I usually have fun at round one. My first experience in the first year the guy whined, screamed, tried to throw my dice, packed up and left. Other than that I have had fun at first round each year, second round is where I find the dill holes.

Interesting post.

I just played in my first 'Aard Boy. Had a very unsatisfying & un-fun minor loss in the first round, got slaughtered in the second. Thought about leaving, but decided that I thought better of myself than to quit... and fought the third game. Since they and I were the last table, I just relaxed and played... and think I got a better game out of them & hand more fun than anyone else had hand playing them (a team). I'm not a power-gamer, I don't like playing against plastic, thus 'Aard Boyz is not my cup of tea... but if you're going to show up... stick it out, come hell or high water. There is a "sportsmanship score" in Aard Boyz... it's called staying until the very end of the tourney, regardless of circumstances. You owe that much to your opponents.