Brent: Is Cheating Really All That Important?
Welcome again to another Terrible Tuesday; today’s contribution isn’t really an article and it certainly isn’t an editorial. More like a thought.
An unfinished thought. Really, I should be ashamed, but more than anything I’m curious. Today I’m asking the question…
Here’s how it happened…
Our store plays primarily Warhammer 40K… these days, it’s more like a habit than a passion, but whatever. It’s what we do. Still, every so often we try to break away from 40K and try something else. Maybe just to prove we can – before dragging the game back up again the next week.
*sigh*
I’ve always preferred Warhammer Fantasy. We don’t play much of it. See above under ‘habit.’ My love for Fantasy doesn’t translate into any special skill or knowledge of the game. In fact, I suck on ice. My win / loss record is pretty embarrassing.
I don’t care! I used to consider myself a ‘competitive’ 40K player; maybe I could only do one game at a time well? All this is pointless digression. Suffice it to say, Little Barrera (who isn’t) invited me to throw down a game at the FLGS last Saturday, which was all the excuse I needed to drag out my beloved Beasts of Chaos.
For awhile now, I’ve been dragging my old Dark Elf Black Dragon along, hoping I’ll get to transform my Bray Shaman into one someday. On Saturday, against the Dark Elves, it finally happened! Double -six, and I survived the miscast! Black Dragon of Spitty Breath, attack!
I still lost.
So I lost – it was a blast. His Cold One Knights and Hydra took on my Wargor and horde-o-Gors, while the Dragon and a chariot started removing Corsairs. My Minotaurs took the brunt of artillery fire, but in a pyrrhic victory of sorts the Gorebull broke both toys.
Good fun, good fun! Then I got this…
Er, turns out you can’t really change into a Dark Elf Black Dragon. Oh, the shame!
…
Actually, color me unconcerned. We broke out Warhammer for the first time since, well, we learned how broke magic was in 8th Edition! It’s been awhile, so neither of us was that up on the rules. Little Barrera does his homework, though, so it’s not uncommon for him to find mistakes we’ve made playing some new game or another. He’ll point it out and everyone benefits.
(Yeah, I’m that lazy. He’s going to do the work anyway!)
Turns out I cheated Little Barrera, turning into a more powerful monster than I should have… but the game was great fun and he’ll no doubt tell everyone how I tried to cheat him to win.
Let me let you in on a little secret: you out there reading this? You’re probably just as guilty of screwing up rules, and we’re not talking some unfamiliar system!
The first time I was called on to run a tournament I tried to be everywhere at once, interrupting games to ‘help’ people apply the rules properly. A more experienced TO had to take me aside and impart some wisdom, “Don’t interfere unless they ask.”
You see, it’s pretty common for two players to mess up the rules, either through forgetting, shortcuts, misunderstandings, or misinterpretations. Trying to keep everyone honest would stall the works. Instead, what matters is being on hand to help players through a hitch in their game experience, getting it back on track so they can get back to the important work of playing a game.
Pretty simple, all things considered.
One last point to consider… how many times have you and your mates found out your whole store was interpreting a rule incorrectly? (I use ‘incorrectly’ loosely, as it doesn’t really matter all that much in the grand scheme of things.) It’s easy to do, considering how many editions many of the experienced players have been through. I find it refreshing how often new players have a better understanding of the rules, having read them without preconceived notions carried around from edition to edition.
That’s that, then.
Except to say deliberate cheaters? Slow players, dice droppers, and the like? That’s a different deal – they must be dealt with harshly! I find “not playing them” is best. Not exactly harsh, but probably closer to justice.
 |
| “Justice.” |
And that, as they say, is that. Guess it was an editorial after all, despite my best intentions.
Comments are welcome! What are your thoughts on cheating – or is it really cheating at all?
On another topic, for those in the know, how good are Beasts? If I was to start painting with a mind to play in Warhammer Fantasy tournaments next year, would my efforts be better spent on Beasts or Tomb Kings?
So bring it on! Thoughts? Comments? Hugs and gropings?
