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My friends and I have been playing about once or twice a month for 6 months or so, but we've never played more than 1000 points. When we go higher or sometimes even when we play 1000, we can't finish because we run out of time. We did a 500pt 2v2 and we called it at 5 hours without even properly finishing.

We'd like to get up to 2000 points, because A) our armies are getting there fast, and B) when you're sub-1000 some units just are not viable. One poor sap even has a Repulsor he's never got to use. So what are some tricks to speed up play? Our slowest moments seem to be setting up, picking objectives and mission etc. How do they do it in tourneys and finish in 2 hours?

Also, what points do you normally play? Is 2000 the norm?

I am ginne give 'assault dice' the 7th edition dice rolling app a shot the next time I need to roll over 10 dice. Like say when my gaunts shoot 90 shots in one turn. :-P

I am also ginne print out all my unit stats and weapons in a card so I can read the thing fast. 8th edition codexes are very user unfriendly with sumaries in odd places.

I usually play against myself first, if Iwant to learn a new tabletop game (e.g. Necromunda, Blood Bowl) in order to present it in future to potential new players. Therefore you´ll have to read the rules thoroughly. Not once but several times.
This also applies for fast play. When you know the rules like the back of your hand, you don´t waste time looking them up in a rulebook.

1000 points in 5 hours seems off. I mean, even with very slow play, this should've been able to have finished. Were there things interrupting you? Talking instead of playing?

Know your rules better so you dont have to look.
Use fast dice rolling (all the same profiles at the same time)
Dont talk to much about what your doing, just do it (still point out X is shooting Y)
Dont banter so much
Eat or drink only during your opponents movements

Know the rules.
Know the rules.
Know the rules.
Stop talking so much.
Know the rules.
Know what you're going to do when your turn starts.
Know the rules.
Dont take a bunch of smoke breaks.
Know the rules.
Know the rules.

And most importantly... know the rules.

5 hours seems like a lot for such low points...

just making assumptions here but id say first learn all your rules fully. going back and forth between books and game adds up time wise.

set up your lists and table ahead of time.

Dont get distracted and wander off (besides bathroom breaks)

those are the only real things i can think of that would take up time.

banter can be fun but keep it on topic or about the game you are playing while still playing.

a 2k game for me takes like 3 hours to play at the most.

 auticus wrote:
Know the rules.
Know the rules.
Know the rules.
Stop talking so much.
Know the rules.
Know what you're going to do when your turn starts.
Know the rules.
Dont take a bunch of smoke breaks.
Know the rules.
Know the rules.

And most importantly... know the rules.

This.

Know your rules inside and out when you go into a game: I know the WS/BS/S/T/A/W/Ld of all my models, I know what they're all equipped with and know what all their weapons and auras do, I know my psychic powers and their WC level and I know my stratagems. The only things I have to look up are situational rules that only apply once in a blue moon and what my Maelstorm objectives are. On top of that I've learnt a lot of the statlines for some of the more common enemy units I go up against so that I immediately know what I'm wounding on, what are the chances of wounds going through, how hard the unit can hit back if it survives, etc.

If you've played the game as much as you say you have then you should know your army and your friends army very well.

If you're frequently playing 2 on 2, that takes longer than two 1v1 games, because partners will discuss strategy and options, rather than one mind deciding what to do and doing it.

Knowing the rules is important to speed up play. If you are playing at 1000 points, print out your list with pointers on weapons and such. Add stats for your weapons as side notes to yourself, on the roster, so you don't need to flip between pages of rules all the time to remember what they do.

Know your opponent's units. If you know that a Gun-o-Doom has 4d6 shots, you won't need to ask to check their codex, you'll just know that while crazy, that's the rules.

Set up ahead of time. The more you can do ahead of time, the better.

Limit outside distractions. If you're taking smoke breaks, plan on one after the 1st and 2nd turn, then finish the game. Later turns go quicker.

Drink / smoke less... depending on your preferred poison. Helps to focus on the game.

I was going to say - know the rules and don't take breaks but auticus has that covered.

I don't even know the rules inside out so I'm double checking stats and rules here and there but still I can play 2k HH game in like 1.5h-2h. Know basics, don't worry about optimizing everything to 1mm accounting for 3 turns future(well this is easy in 8th ed since you don't really need to concern more than first 2 turns after which game is in bag one way or another). Learn to move edges leaving rest what you can quickly move inside those edges.

Learn to sort out dices quickly. 8th ed made that part slower but still if you can sort rerolls, failures and successes quickly that's big help.

While my normal response would be "play fewer points", you seem to be playing small games.

Some genuine suggestions outside of "know the rules" (which really is paramount). Some of these may seem silly/stupid, but they are little time-sinks.

1) Make sure everyone has their own dice, tape measures, and materials...and I don't mean on a smart phone. If you need to, print up a quick sheet with your stats on it, etc. The "can I borrow your tape measure..." or "Hold one, lemme look up his stats on my iPhone..." are massive time wasters.

2) If you're new to the game...play the same armies...over and over again. Become accustomed to your units and your play style. The worst thing you can do as a new player is run a different army list every single time. If need be, take the same exact spells and wargear...become accustomed to them all and get used to them.

3) If you're new to the game, skip the god-awful Maelstrom style missions. They're lengthy, confusing and can introduce more analysis-paralysis. Set up a simple objective and play the simple objective game while you're getting to know the rules and your army. Don't compile nonsense on top of learning the game. Play some of the simpler Narrative missions, etc.

4) Have everyone who's playing follow the above...one slacker can drag down an entire game. The guy who shows up with "most" of his models, rules pilfered on a PDF on his phone, no dice or tape measure, normally not terribly motivated and is the "everyone else plays this game so I will too" guy. A person like that can become an anchor (see also: unwilling girlfriend forced to play by boyfriend...etc.).

5) 8th edition is a longer game than 7th in many instances. While the game is more streamlined the added stratagems, etc. tend to make the game a little longer - more decisions being made. It's likely the standard game size for tournaments may drop to 1500-1750 simply based on play speed/time. Don't expect to roll through a 1000 point game in 45 minutes, but 2 hours would be reasonable.

6) Eliminate distractions, and have people focus. Don't have a movie on the TV off to the side, and don't let people in the game fall into the "I'll go sit on the couch and read Facebook while it's not my turn" trap. People who leave the game constantly during the course of it again become a massive anchor.

7) If you're new to the game, create a very simple cheat sheet or step-by-step card you can follow to guide you through the turn without missing anything. I have compiled the 8-page rules sheet into a single back/front PDF which I have printed and laminated and give out to new players. Allows you to the follow very quickly and check the rules easily.

Silly things, but they all add up.

I'm really curious to hear from you what you think eats up your own time. I have one friend who will waste a TON of time thinking through all the scenarios, but that's because he has a mental condition that will cause him to hyper-fixate on things. The game's too huge to carefully considered each and every option AND play it in a reasonable timeframe, so instead you have to make your decisions faster.

A 1000pt vs 1000pt game should take no longer than 3 hours, and that's assuming you're going slow, chatting, thinking hard. In a tournament, 2000pts vs 2000pts, you are supposed to be done in 2.5hrs.

Tips?

#1 - Know your rules. Spending 5min for every 1min of play looking things up is a huge way to slow the game down. When you all know your rules, you don't waste this time.

#2 - Make fast decisions. Just make a decision and go with it. It's A-okay to totally make the wrong decision and learn from it after the game. Chat about the right and wrong moves afterwards so that you can remember it for next time. You don't need to take out the calculator to determine the "optimum firing pattern" each and every turn.

#3 - Use agreed upon shortcuts. The rules are based on rolling one dice at a time, but fast rolling is ESSENTIAL to speedy game play. Other great shortcuts include just measuring the movement for a few models, then moving everyone else in the squad up a similar distance in roughly the same formation. This is very useful for horde armies to move quickly.

#4 - Give the benefit of the doubt. Your opponent says they have Line of Sight on you? Great, let them have it. Only dispute it if you totally think it's impossible, but in 8th, that's pretty rare.

#5 - Forgive mistakes if it keeps the game moving. Sometimes my buds and I forget we're in 8th, and we start doing attacks one after the other right away. Theoretically, my opponent could say "nope, let me finish, your attacks didn't count", but we tend to be "okay, we'll finish this attack here, since it won't change anything, but then let's get back to the right way".

#6 - Game now, chat & snacks later. If your'e interrupting turns to show each other cat videos, take washroom breaks, ask for water, and otherwise waste time, well, then you're wasting time! I love joking with my friends, but if we're trying to keep to a time schedule, the jokes will be quick and short, and then it's back to the match.

Hope these help!

'Know the rules' is the same as saying 'Get good' when people want to give bad advice in Dark Souls.

Find some shortcuts. Write up the units and weapons (the nid thread has this on the first page, for nids.) Then use the dice ap.

 Niiai wrote:
'Know the rules' is the same as saying 'Get good' when people want to give bad advice in Dark Souls.

No it isn't, knowing the rules is a central part of the game and cuts down on time wasted over looking up rules and arguing rules. Not knowing your rules is one of the sub-categories of 'That Guys'.

 mrhappyface wrote:

 Niiai wrote:
'Know the rules' is the same as saying 'Get good' when people want to give bad advice in Dark Souls.

No it isn't, knowing the rules is a central part of the game and cuts down on time wasted over looking up rules and arguing rules. Not knowing your rules is one of the sub-categories of 'That Guys'.

This ^

If you dont know the rules your always looking them up. ive had 5 turn games at 2k over in less then an hour and 1/2 b.c me and my opponent knew both armies very well and didnt need to even ask or look up anything.

If you are just playing with your friends only, I say change the rules to what makes it more fun for you and then it might make it faster.

First thing that comes to my mind is, get rid of the "to wound" rolls. After all if you are getting hit with these big heavy weapons after a failed armour save, you are dead.

So maybe give a +1 to hit if the weapon/unit have good "to wound" rolls. Yes it will have to be tweaked but that should speed up the game bit.

^^

Or just see who can yell, "Pew Pew!" the loudest, and then remove 2d6 wounds of your choice from the battlefield. Orks can yell "Dakka Dakka" instead, and a proper "Waaaugh!" treats your yell as 1.5 times louder than it really is.

Or just flip a coin after you put your models down. Whoever wins the flip gets first turn, and thus wins. :p

 Amishprn86 wrote:

 mrhappyface wrote:

 Niiai wrote:
'Know the rules' is the same as saying 'Get good' when people want to give bad advice in Dark Souls.

No it isn't, knowing the rules is a central part of the game and cuts down on time wasted over looking up rules and arguing rules. Not knowing your rules is one of the sub-categories of 'That Guys'.

This ^

If you dont know the rules your always looking them up. ive had 5 turn games at 2k over in less then an hour and 1/2 b.c me and my opponent knew both armies very well and didnt need to even ask or look up anything.

Its entirely different from dark souls.

The core of the game is not hidden there is no hidden mechanic the numbers are all in black and white

the other tells you absolutely nothing and all you can do is trial and error.

Don't spend time thinking about what you are going to do in your turn. During your opponent's turn think about what might happen in your own turn and how you shall react.

That way you can just move your models and roll your dice very quickly as you already know what you are going to do.

The advantage of this is it gives your opponent very little time to consider their own actions and it creates a peer pressure for them to play fast too.

Also, don't worry about making mistakes; it's only a game and part of the fun is learning. Just make sure you learn from the mistakes you make so as not to repeat them!

edit: and if movement is taking you a long time, you'll just have to sacrifice efficiency and go for "all the gear; no idea" toys before boys.

 mrhappyface wrote:

 Niiai wrote:
'Know the rules' is the same as saying 'Get good' when people want to give bad advice in Dark Souls.

No it isn't, knowing the rules is a central part of the game and cuts down on time wasted over looking up rules and arguing rules. Not knowing your rules is one of the sub-categories of 'That Guys'.

Saying know the rules is like saying be better in dark souls. Both of them is a what, not a how. The more spesific sugestions, like make cheat sheets to make information more easaly avilable is a tip that help you know the rules better over time and can be easaly implemented,

 Niiai wrote:

 mrhappyface wrote:

 Niiai wrote:
'Know the rules' is the same as saying 'Get good' when people want to give bad advice in Dark Souls.

No it isn't, knowing the rules is a central part of the game and cuts down on time wasted over looking up rules and arguing rules. Not knowing your rules is one of the sub-categories of 'That Guys'.

Saying know the rules is like saying be better in dark souls. Both of them is a what, not a how. The more spesific sugestions, like make cheat sheets to make information more easaly avilable is a tip that help you know the rules better over time and can be easaly implemented,

Know the rules is a how: How can I speed up games? Learn your armies rules inside and out so you don't have to look them up every phase.

Like DesuBot said, 'Get Gud' in Dark Souls requires hours of trial and error to get to a point where you know the mechanics of the game well enough to be able to deal with any engagement, know the rules of 40k just requires you to sit down and read your rules. If OP had asked "How do i get better at 40k?" and we all answered with "Know the rules" then this would be a valid comparison since that would entail OP spending hours learning about which units are best against other units, which rules affect which models the greatest, etc. But OP asked how they could save time during games, a valid answer of which is knowing the rules.

Now your method of cheat sheets are the how answer to "How do I learn the rules quicker?".

Instead of 'getting good' in Dark Souls it is better to find a guide. Go to the undeaburgs, it is the newbie zone, don't fight skeletons, good starting classes are this and this, here are good weapons and be shure to buy keys, don't fight the black knights, drop attack the daemon boss etc.

All of that is smart, learn to parry is not a path to 'getting good', even though it is argueably the best skill in the game. Likewice finding good shortcuts while playing is much better then sitting at home memerising weapons and unit stats.

Play a knight house, 4 knights at 2k points your turns are pretty damn fast and decemating

I don't have any useful advice, I just wanted to say that I'm pleased to learn that there are people who are even slower players than me and my friends. The idea that one could finish a game in two hours seems utterly surreal to me.

 Niiai wrote:
Instead of 'getting good' in Dark Souls it is better to find a guide. Go to the undeaburgs, it is the newbie zone, don't fight skeletons, good starting classes are this and this, here are good weapons and be shure to buy keys, don't fight the black knights, drop attack the daemon boss etc.

All of that is smart, learn to parry is not a path to 'getting good', even though it is argueably the best skill in the game. Likewice finding good shortcuts while playing is much better then sitting at home memerising weapons and unit stats.

Dakka, why are you comparing reading 5 or 6 pages of a book to several hours of trial and error?

Overthinking and chitchat add waaay too much time to games, I would say as much as having to contantly look everything up.

Trial & error is the only way to speed up your games. My local group has no problem bantering and looking things up while still having a fast paced game. I would consider me to be a newbie (I last played when my Squats still roamed the battlefield(more like not squatted). the first couple of games I had in 8th were low point affairs (just darkimp box) but after reading the 8 pages of rules 20 times it fosho helped.

Just start slow and small, play until the small games go by quickly, then work your way up to larger point games.

I will second the don't play maelstrom stuff, just play objectives or kill 'em all.

have mission decided before you play
magnetize bases to cooking tray for quick setup
dont waste time chatting between rounds or arguing about rules (roll a D6 if theres an argument)
If you're hosting the game have the terrain and objectives set up ahead of time.
create an excel sheet with all your units on it so you're not wasting time shuffling through a book for rules.

Edit: if you're still having trouble cutting down play time get a chess clock, slowest player looses a basic infantry model every turn (or a hull point, you guys figure it out) after a while you guys will get so fast you wont need the clock anymore.

We houserule wound allocation to avoid issues of having to take saves one at a time as much as possible.

Mark.

'Know the rules' is the same as saying 'Get good' when people want to give bad advice in Dark Souls.

Yeah - no.

Knowing the rules means you aren't spending a ton of time with your face in the rulebook. I find most of the slowdown in any of my games comes from repeatedly having to reference the rulebook or a codex to get stats. If you learn the rules and memorize your statline you are going to save a ton of time.

Saying "get good" is responding to someone stating "I can't beat Bobby G what do you do?"

Perhaps you don't find much worth in learning the rules and memorizing the stats in terms of speeding up the game, but I find that having played in six editions of 40k now that that is the keystone to speeding up games.