Thursday, October 20, 2011

Personal thoughts on Table edge blocking and Mechanicon?

Since for whatever reason I can't comment, I'll continue to make new posts as necessary.  This is in responce to the discussion going on in my previous post.

I personally would only block the table edge if the opponent I'm playing is someone who would do it to me, is not a friend of mine, and it is in the setting of a high stakes tournament.  There aren't many people on that list, and even fewer would fall for it but still.  I would never do it to someone I've just met.  I had the chance to just recently at a tournament against someone I hd never played before and wanted to get off on the right foot so withheld.  Nor would I do it to a friend, I enjoy playing games of 40k, not just winning them ruthlessly, as competitive as I am, making friends and having fun is the primary goal for me.

However, I would do it to almost anyone who wouldn't immidiately lose the game.  In the example I used earlier I talked about kroot blocking a board edge in dawn of war to kill long fangs.  I find that much more acceptable since I employed a tactic to give me an advantage in a game.  My opponent has to pay for their mistakes dearly, but can still come back and win.  The loss of long fangs in a space wolf army, while significant, is not fatal.  That is much different then blocking a tyranid army from coming on since there are no vehicles to tank shock with or jump infantry to fly over with.  That is no longer giving you an advantage in a game, that is depriving both you and your opponent of the opportunity to play a game. 

I've had my board edge blocked as a tyranid player uring a tournament.  I know how it feels to be given an auto loss.  I wouldn't put a friend, peer, or new acquaintance in that situation ever.  I would put some dick hole that keeps getting 0's for sports for justified reasons in that situation.  I might block off the board edge to kill some long fangs, or stop al rahem from coming in on the correct side to a friend, peer, or new acquaintance, but that is what they must deal with for their mistakes.  It would almost be disrespectful for me to not stop them, as it would mean I'm not playing my best.  It would not cost them the game, or deprive them of the opportunity of playing it, but it would punish them for their mistake.

On another note, Mechanicon.

Here's why I would go to mechanicon, my friends are going, it's relatively close, I've gone the past 2 years and I haven't been let down, a good friend of mine, Tony Spino is running it.

Here's why I wouldn't, it's $125, expensive for a GT, it's only 5 rounds, I would want to have fun more than win so I'd probably play my tyranids since my tau haven't even arrived yet and I can't borrow Rich's forever, I'd have to kill a weekend which I could spend doing other things.

I'm honest fairly distraught about whether I should go or not.  Who else is going?  Why should I/should I not go?

7 comments:

  1. To be honest I actually only try to table block against Imperial Guard armies... they deserve it when they hide in reserve to protect their ultra inexpensive chimera walls.

    I know some people are going to Mechanicon. Ive heard mixed reviews on its worth, though since youve been there that information isnt relevant.

    id say that I would go this year, but my de arent painted and I dont want to play marines right now. Also its only a week after my honeymoon so would be hard to get the go ahead.

    I mean if you think about it the next major gt is what? Conflict? So not til January. So december free of gt's means you could call it a two monther or something to justify the cost... though its hard to do at that number.

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  2. Tbl edge blocking is a douche bag manuevre.

    G

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  3. If some tool tried that to me - I would seriously have to refrain from punching them in their face.

    And trust me - I would be checking each and every measurement to the millimeter make sure they are in unit coherency

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  4. Huh, I guess I'm just the vocal minority here.

    Table blocking is just a tactic, no more, no less. In a friendly game it has no place, but in a tournament game....why is everyone getting so butt hurt? And why are you BLAMING your "autoloss" on your opponent? Grow up and take some responsibility, YOU chose not to deploy and YOU are the one solely responsible for your autoloss. You should facepalm, shake your opponents hand, and ask him to play a 2nd real game for fun (since you just lost the tournament game and you both have a couple hours to kill). Now if your opponent blocks your edge, you take it like a man, and he denies playing a game after for fun and just saunters off, then yes, you have a right to be upset, he's a jerk.

    I've lost a bunch of stuff to getting side-blocked, years ago, once (it only takes once to learn) but have never actually done it myself as I haven't been in a position to. I can honestly say that after it happened, I felt I was the one responsible, and it didn't even dawn on me that it should reflect on my opponent at all.

    It's like fumbling the ball in a football game, standing there like an idiot, and getting mad when the other team picks it up and blurting out "WELL I GUESS IF THATS HOW YOU WANT TO WIN" and stomping off.

    /endrant :)

    (Oh, and getting so upset you have to restrain yourself from punching people in the face over toy soldiers? And he's the tool?)

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  5. I think it's more of a threat tactic that makes it important. I'm wouldn't try to do that to my opponent, but what I would do is say, "if you got all into reserve, I'm going to block your table edge." This is important if you wanted to play, say a drop pod list. If the opponent gets to be "smart" and place everything in reserve to avoid your dropping and shooting him, then you get to be smart and block his whole deployment zone. Thus, by telling him you are going to do it, he'll deploy normally, and the drop pod tactic now actually has a chance to work.

    At the end of the day, nobody wants to create a game where nobody actually plays. However, by reserving like that, he's trying to deny you a portion of his game. So, I think the threat of "i'll block your deployment" is a valid thing in that regard. Saying that "I want to go into reserve to deny you AND if you try and block my deployment zone to stop me, then you are a douche" is having your cake and eating it to in some regard.

    Long story short is, the threat of blocking I think is important for certain armies to function. That being said, I don't think it's sporting to just execute said tactic. It's sporting to say, IF you go that path, I'm going to do this in response.

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  6. +1 what Neil said

    Regardless of how much of the army will be prevented from entering play I think it's good to warn them so you can have a good game. If someone outflanks there entire army and it won't hurt your ability to achieve the mission goals then blocking one short edge is completely acceptable. I would still warn them because there is nothing on the line besides bragging rights and fun. Only a DBag would brag about blocking units from entering play and so now we are left with fun and how much fun will they have if they lost 1/6th of their army and their long range shooting? It's why I often wouldn't outflank my Khan bike army just because they could do that(like if they were heavily meched).

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  7. If I did a mistake that big in a game, I deserve the loss.

    But I would remind my opponent during the game if he decided this by saying "are you sure you want to completely reserve against my infiltrating troops?"

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