Goatboy’s 40k Thoughts – What Kind of Player are You?
If you have seen my lists or ever had the chance to play me then you know I am an aggressive player. What type are you?
That isn’t to say my personality during the game is aggressive nor do I constantly confront you, I am just the type of player that isn’t afraid to get my army bloody, beaten, and broken from time to time. This is why most Victory Point games have my army in pieces as I am not afraid to throw them to the “fire”. They are just plastic and have no feelings.
So the question I have today is what kind of player are you? Obviously I am all about the blood and guts of this fake and ridiculous world of war known as Warhammer 40k. If I can gain some kind of advantage from the “sacrifice” of a unit I will gladly throw that unit to the grinder and hope the odds roll in my favor. Lets look at some of the “definitions” of a typical 40k player. Of course all of these can be mixed and the best players jump from grouping to grouping based on the army, metagame, as well as mood of the day.
Aggressor – Meanie Head – Death Dealer – Usually Left with the Most time after a Match
I started with labeling myself as an Aggressor type of player so I’ve decided to go with this player type. Here is the guy that normally plays Death Star style lists usually intent on getting there, busting face, and hopefully walking away with a few heads and some cool stories of a Storm Shield stopping the Hand of the God known as “The Odds”. Here is the player that isn’t having fun if he isn’t causing you to roll armor saves or just pull guys off the field as his Powerfist makes you go splat. They don’t have to just be about assault, as a massed shooting army that aggressively comes for your throat fits just as well. These are the players that throw in massed amounts of guys into a grinder and hope for the best. If you like to cross the midfield and get into your opponents business then you are most likely an Aggressor style player.
Usually the best way to counter these players is to for all intents and purposes – kick them in the jimmy. If they have some kind of Death Star or super unit then find a way to stop that. You can either mitigate the damage or counter them with your own super death unit and call it a game. Once the surprise of a lack of death wears off – the Aggressor is normally curtailed enough to make mistakes and forget what is going on. I know I have had that happen before and have had my game taken out from under me. Nothing is worse then watching my Scissor strike get crushed by the mean old Rock or blasted by the Phaser.
Defender of Truth – Pansy – Wall Maker – Doesn’t want to play Red Rover
We all know the players that calculate all the odds and try to mitigate as much damage as possible. Running away from the fight or not playing by the so called rules of the Aggressor. These are the players that might not kill a bunch of your army but they sure as well cripple the so called “damage” causers and live to tell about it. These are the players the Aggressor loves to beat as getting there intact enough to do some punch dancing is what the Aggressor lives for. The Defender is all about controlling fire lanes and not giving an inch in case the odds fall against them. Usually they tie a 2 objective game and most of the time they don’t win big. Their games become perfect dances as they move and strike when they know they will win the day.
Usually the best way to get a Defender is go at them to pull them apart. It might not work all the time, but if you can get there you will normally pull each piece apart and savior the sweet creamy goodness that is in the middle of each and every Defender army. Smart players will try to bluff them into picking the wrong unit to hurt as the more damaging unit gets into position to provide the perfect Dragon Uppercut.
The Sneaky Snake – Poisonous Lizard – Flip Flopper – Wants to play but then trips you in a murder hole
Here is where some of the better players lie. They are the sneaky players that seem to want to be the Aggressor but who really want you to make the great mistake that they can use to over power and control the game. Normally these players will be seen with subpar armies and what some feel is a mismatch to play against. They set the traps and know exactly when to strike and when to slip away. They can morph between each player type to hopefully get the best advantage as needed. Movement tricks, counter assaults, and bluff units are all the things a Sneaky Snake will have in its toolbox.
These players are hard to judge. Sometimes the dice fail them and an Aggressor just comes in and does what they do best – be a Jerk and dominate with noogies and fart jokes. There are other times that the Defender doesn’t move forward to fall into a trap or some how the Snake doesn’t have enough to break the protective box they have built for themselves.
I know that lately I have pushed more and more into the Sneaky Snake territory as I have started to play more interesting builds in hopes of finding the diamond in the rough that helps me elevate my so called game.
