Warhammer 40K: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Competitive 2022
Goatboy here again and I want to talk about the best, the worst, and the meh of competitive Warhammer 40K in 2022.
I was very happy to be playing a lot more competitive 40k events. In fact, I played a good amount and had a lot of fun. I wish I could have played more – but life, kids, sick, and work kept me from being able to be all that I can be while on the wastelands of the 40k circuits. Still I did get to play a lot and on this “not a holiday but most likely taken as a holiday” Monday let’s go over all the things I experienced while chunking dice on a table.
The Good List
First of all, there were a ton of events. That is the good thing, as it lets people have a chance to try the game that so many of my friends are obsessed with. It also means there is a good chance you could find one on a weekend you had off very easily. That is a good thing and shows a good amount of health for the game and the event organizers finding a place to throw down. I don’t ever really have a favorite as I just like to play and consider whatever “rules, terrain, etc” that are part of the event, just a factor in the event.
Second GW really has come back strong into the competitive scene! I don’t know if everyone remembers how rough it used to be with events and their own missions. You would go from event to event with vastly different ways to play the game. It was frustrating to try and figure it all out all the time and make sure your army is ready for each new battlefield. You had to make sure to keep up with FAQ’s, terrain, and different methods for scoring. It was frustrating as all get out, and it is a great thing we are all playing the same missions – even though we don’t always score them the same.
Along those lines, we also have real GW events again, and they had another solid year. This is good as it helps create a standard we want to try and emulate or eclipse in our own private events. It again also adds to the idea – the more events we have, the better chance we have to find and play the game.
Along those lines, we also have seen a big push to “standardize” terrain. This is great as, again, if we all get to play the same sort of games, we know we can travel anywhere and expect to face the same sort of walled battlefield. I know as someone who dabbled in starting an event – the terrain is a hard pill to swallow and get to look good. Thankfully there are so many options that we all can have that magical wall to keep us protected from those vile psychic mind bullets and terrible laser beams.
Also, we have had a very good set of balance updates lately, and it has done wonders to make sure the game feels workable by most armies. We can’t all be amazing like the Tyranids, but it really does feel like you can win with the majority of armies. A lot of lists are hitting the 50% win rate mark, and while it is always a good example of how good or bad an army is – it does help to see that. It gives me a lot of hope as we continue into the new year that a player can play what they want instead of playing what is the best to win.
The Bad List
The bad stuff isn’t saying it’s completely bad – it is just some things that I get frustrated with. These are small things and don’t keep me from enjoying an event they just gnaw at me a bit. The biggest issue, and one I hope people step back away from, is packing many tables as you can into a room at an event. We all got used to the initial return of events with Covid that had huge amounts of spaces between tables. I joke about moon landings, but I just want more room for myself, my armies, and whatever other nonsense I can find. I know events want more people sometimes but finding that sweet spot of having a decent amount of room around use – especially with the push for cards and other fun bits of the 40k experience.
Along those same lines, I also wish we events moved away from a Cash bar and Cash food provider. Hotels should have some kind of credit card option for anything you try to buy. I don’t carry cash on me that often as it normally gets used for candy, dumb things, and more candy. I don’t need to eat that much candy, but I do like a drink from time to time. Having a way to get a drink without needing some dollar bills is one way I spend more money.
The Ugly List
As much as I like it when I get a sweet new codex cover and some minis in the GW spash release boxes – it is frustrating to have to wait for an army to fully come out to play it at an event. I agree events should limit armies that are not fully out, but it is frustrating to have to wait – especially when it is your army. Sure there is the whole issue of a brand new faction being too powerful, maybe – but having to wait so long is rough. But on the other hand, we can’t get mad at events either. Because they need to have solid rules for when stuff is allowed just to make sure the playing field is fair. It is just an ugly, thorny issue. I just want my Astra Militarum yesterday!
I am sure there are a ton of other things I can talk about, but hey – its Christmas weekend as I write this. I hope everyone had a great holiday and got all the things they want. I didn’t get the World Eaters are not out yet – but not everything comes up Roses for Goatboy.
