40K Deep Thought: How Big a Game?
So one of the debates that has been doing the rounds this past week is what is the “official” size of Warhammer 40k, and what is the game really designed for.
It certainly seems like this has been on a slow but steady rise with each edition. 4th Edition listed 1500 as the ideal for the game, while 5th lists “1500 or 2000” as the ideal for a balanced game.
I have found that different local regions often pick one of these and stick to it like a lamprey. While 1000pts can produce a very quick game, it still feels to me very much like a training exercise best suited towards teaching players the rules, or representing very small skirmish encounters. At the other end, several codices start to show their age above 2000pts and begin to run out of FOC slots, resulting in generally overstretched weak armies. Many local groups also play 1750 or 1850, and even 2250 as common sizes.
Playing into this topic still further is the concept of the various armies each having a “sweet spot” of points where they really come into their own, and can dominate other armies, such as the brutal effectiveness of Dark Eldar at low point levels.
~So the question I put to you guys is 2-fold, first what size do you think the game is best balanced for, and secondly, who are the codices and army types who are best suited to take advantage of it, or are most challenged by it. The floor is yours generals.
