Litanies of the Faithful

As I have previously outlined:

In order, the three best games ever created are:

1. Chess
2. Magic the Gathering
3. Warhammer 40k

I have been exploring how chess strategy can relate to Warhammer and how it can be utilised to shape the way we think about Warhammer strategy. Although Chess, Warhammer and Magic all seem to be very different games, a fixed board vs. free movement, cards vs. game pieces, generally one key element is always present, who is ‘attacking’ and who is ‘defending’.

Who’s the beatdown? is a concept described by Mike Flores in an article from 1999. Who’s The Beatdown? – Star City Games I suggest that all Warhammer players and tabletop wargamers read this article. The idea is that in any given match up, one player assumed the role of the attacker (the ‘beatdown’), aiming to apply pressure and end the game quickly, while the other takes on the control role, seeking to stabilize and win the long game.

Misassignment of role = game loss.

This distinction can be obvious, if you are an aggro deck playing against a control deck, you will almost always be the beatdown, however sometimes it is less obvious, for example two control decks in different colours (in Magic the Gathering colours have different card identifies, and often the same deck archetype can be found in different colours). Being able to understand your role within a game of magic is incredibly important as magic is most often played as a best of 3, with players side boarding after the first game. A typical magic deck has 60 cards and a 15-card sideboard, think of it as being able to swap out a unit of jump pack intercessors for more blade guard veterans after your first game. Understanding your role allows you to sideboard more effectively, giving yourself the best chance to win the match.

This may not be as obvious in a game of Warhammer, but there are flags you can identify to help you understand this concept. When to ‘pull the trigger’ is crucial to winning a game of Warhammer, and this can relate to your role in the match up. Although in 10th edition wins can come down to poor secondary draws, most often the player who has the best understanding of their role will be victorious. An example of an army that is typically always the beatdown is World Eaters (at least before their codex release), their role is to generally charge, apply early pressure and kill the opponent. Could that change later in the game? Once you have established a superior position, it might be better to force your opponent’s hand and flip the roles. Who is the beatdown can change throughout the course of the game, it might even change every battle round, but understanding your role within each turn, and playing the game accordingly is vital to secure victories.

Just because you build your list to be a beatdown list, doesn’t necessarily mean you will be the beatdown in every game that you play. A pure gunline list may take the roll of the defender, lining up shots to blow the enemy off objectives while maintaining safe distance, however, paired into Chaos Daemons running Be’lakor and not being able to shoot outside of 18″ may change the script, forcing the gunline to break ranks and advance forward to engage in the game.

I believe in Warhammer 40k the biggest tell to know if you are the beatdown or not is if you win the roll to go first. In this edition of Warhammer if you are going first, it is generally on you to apply pressure and be the beatdown, this due to the player going second scoring primary on the bottom of their turn 5, instead of the end of their command phase. If, however, it is your opponent going first. They are probably the beatdown, and you should plan your turns accordingly.

Warhammer 40k has a lot of armies, and it is not always straightforward to understand all the intricacies and rules of each army, especially with changing rules every 3-6 months and new releases. Additionally, each army can generally field multiple detachments with different stratagems and abilities. Instead, understanding whether or not you are the attacker, or defender will help you on your path to victory and guide your actions in your games.