StrikingScorpion82PLUS (OLD WEBSITE) New website is: strikingscorpion82plus.tv

Hi Scorpion. Hi all.
There's a lot of talk in the 40k community regarding the advantage of getting to go first in the battle. Especially shooting armies like Astra Militarum and T'au Empire, who seem to be able to delete half the opponents army in a single turn and before they've even so much as moved. I must admit, a lot of the time, I watch a battle report and find myself rolling my eyes or becoming really irritated with the turn 1 roll off, because I feel like I already know who's won.

Now, I understand, someones got to go first, and you've go to build an army to prepare for the possibility of going second. I also understand line of sight blocking terrain is also a good way to tackle it. And I love the objective style stuff where the game is determined by points, but i still feel as a game, the system needs work. It's all great introducing your own house systems like the old night fight rules and such, but you simply shouldn't have to do this. You should expect two evenly matched armies with two equally experienced players to have a even fight, and for the victor to not essentially hinge on a dice roll.

I don't mean to rant, and I know it's not always the case that who goes first wins, but i've just seen too many times, half an army being deleted before even so much as moving. I'd love your opinions on the subject, and I'd love if Scorpion considered doing a video on subject, as i feel such a large part of the community feel strongly about it.

Much love

Thanks for the great thoughts Luke. Some great suggestions in there I hadn't thought about. The deck of cards is an interesting idea.

I like the idea of a deck of cards. It would really put some random strategy in place.

I would like to see only half the tables terrain laid out on the board prior to the 1st turn dice roll.
Then post roll off to determine who goes first, each player in turn gets to place remaining terrain one piece at a time until it has all been placed on the board.

I would like to think that this would bring more equality to the first turn.

Thanks Luke.

Would it be possible to have it tested on the Channel? Appreciate it's a big task but I am more than intrigued to see if it could be a success.

I think perhaps what could work is if the player who goes second gets a preliminary movement phase (maybe called "Into position" or "fortify") before the first player begins their turn. All the second players units get to move like a normal movement phase but perhaps without advances? This allows them to move either closer or into some cover etc.

i'd like to say your boards always look good but line of sight blocking is key big thing in the middle and bits around the bored with lots of cover is a must seeing some of the boards at no retreat this year in winters seo's video that he posted this week shows how they can look great while playing great as well. i do like the way you -play out your games as a story instead of going the competitive side and sometimes a board will call for a big open spaces were in army is just charging though or flat land in a dessert. saying that i'd like to see shooty army's having to space out more and move about to get there line of sight and army's like nids using cover to hop around the map trying to keep out of the line of fire before getting shoot off the board by the guard. also with big line of sight blocking i'd like to see buildings but but non of the "o i can see that riptide though the window there so im gonna put all the knights guns into it" 8th calls for true los blocking and saying at the start that lets say a big building in the middle of the board but which has doors and windows that your counting it as los blocking and that units can't shoot though it

i think there needs to be a carful balance with los terrain. the last few battle reports were very mu h on the boarder for me with the battle field looking very overloaded with terrain

Yeah need to keep a balence:)

The FAQ has done something towards first turn advantage (can see this thread started before it was out), but it's also given a huge advantage to some armies with Tau being one of the biggest beneficiaries. They were probably one of the armies that already got the biggest advantage from going first and now it's even bigger. They can thoroughly camp knowing they will have a better save if they go second, but if they do go first they just need a few markerlights to hit home and their opponent will have spent 2CP for nothing :-( I play Tau a lot, prominent in the local meta, and have had mixed success against them but I'm not looking forward to the next time I go up against a Tau gunline. Great army, nothing against them at all, but I now think GW should look at making that 2CP strat actually fair and useful for everyone! Also think armies like Imperial Fists and Crimson Fists will come out of the woodwork with this FAQ. Again, armies I love to see on the TT but now think they actually have an unfair advantage vs same-tier opponents.

Funnily enough, I've played against Tau twice (in one day) since this comment! Won one (went first), lost one (went second). So yeah, could say nothing's changed! I do think we'll see more vehicles in competetive SM line ups, and not just Leviathans. A first turn 1+ on a Land Raider and 2+ on a Stormraven is nice :-)