Well after my first turn round I was able to get my stuff together, grab a pepsi (the fuel I live on) and go play my second round opponent. He was 12 and just started to play 40k maybe 3 months ago. His list was something like this.
HQ: Chaplain w Jumpack and combi melts
5 Sanguinary guard w 1 powerfist and chapter banner.
5 Assault Marines with power fist
5 Death company w Lamartes and Thunder hammer.
5 scouts with snipers and a missile launcher
You know that feeling when you just dont want to upset a child, yeah, that was me. I even felt it coming from the regulars at the store. Here I was, a random player who showed up randomly, playing the newest young customer who barely knew what he was doing. It was a setting for disaster. In that battle force style army I saw my next victory, no way to escape that. But I also saw in those young eyes, excited to play with his favorite models that he so prided himself on, I saw myself.
I remember the first few games I played in 4-5 years ago. I played Foot Eldar. (wow such memories) Oh how I loved setting up my favorite models, wraithlords, dark reapers, and swooping hawks. I had such aspirations in my first tournament. One game against a jerk threw me right off track. It was a battle points game and all he wanted was the extra 5pts for his overall score and tabled me by turn four. However there was no battle points in this tourney, the game was capture and control / Dawn of War, I resolved to make the new recruit have a good time, and learn some lessons.
He won to deploy first, then set his Death Company, assault squad, and Chaplain forward. I in turn didn't deploy to his amazement. I explained how It profited my mech army to be able to advance as one in the first turn and I didn't want to strand my troops in front of his models. Turn one he advanced and his Sanguinary guard were running after them. I zoomed into perfect position for the next turn blood bath. I explained the importance of cover and what to expect with my guns. He had resolved to punch my tanks in with Fists and Hammers. He moved forward and prepared to take the fight to me. My turn was a laying down of fire power that saw most of the units burn. Lamartes and his thunderhammer buddy, the Chaplain, and the Power Fist San guard were left. He had his chance.
Turn two he fired into one of the predators with his sniper scouts and actually killed a predator with a bullet to the fuel gauge. Wow, didn't see that coming. The Thunder Hammer shook a baal and the Chaplain popped a razorback with the combi melta. That was great! I gave the kid a High Five and many of the older players praised the kid for the amount of carnage raged against a tank army using only powerfists. A number of my tanks moved fast as well. It was a lucky shot that made it not a one sided death fest.
How my tanks were in charge range I'll just never know *wink*
The next turn I killed the few models left in my half and he only had an assault squad for the rest of the game ending with me holding my objective and contesting his.
Now if that was a Battle point game I cant say for certain how nice I would have been able to be for the sake of the overall score. Now that this game was only a win, lose or draw game I was able to teach the kid and have a fun time with him. Instead of making the kid hate that game he had a lot of fun... and I didn't feel like a jerk. Win, Win I guess.
Nice man, glad to see you helping out, I try to do much the same.
ReplyDeleteHe'll get beaten ... a lot ... but its a great feeling when you blap a tank with a PF for the first time, or bag yourself a HQ. Like you say, BP's play with morality. I dont like to be a a-hole (unless you deserve it, unnamed crappy loganwing player *not grimnar*) but if the sake of 1st or 4th was down to tabling a kid, your going to ask yourself a few questions :/