getting started in 40k - form some strategies

I've recently been pondering how best to help our new members. and I decided to share some of my own experiences from learning to play the game. So.. you purchased a codex and you started to create a list. aka, you picked some really cool guys you think will help you win the match. that's great, most important thing is that you should be playing the army and the units you like; Since there really is no wrong way to start an army.

Now that you have your list, schedule a match. An important thing to do when first starting out is to play matches. Lots of matches. At the club, we allow the new players to use cardboard cutouts to represent their forces for educational purposes. We do not want to turn anyone away from learning the game just because they can't drop the money for all the models right away. We are all about growing and learning as a community, focusing on the teaching side of the game, instead of merely hardcore beat downs. Club members will be more than willing to take you under their wing and play some practice matches till you get the hang of things.

Having said that, we will not go easy on you. Just because you are not playing with a fully painted, modeled army does not mean you can slouch for strategy and sound tactics. Use this as an opportunity to try out units and strategies so you aren't wasting money and time one models you won't field in the end; all along developing your skill and experience in the world of 40k.

(there will another article in the near future detailing how to start an army on a small budget)





Now, the point of all this introduction...

You need to develop strategies for your list. As a player you need to consider all the possibilities you army has and develop a few strategies to use depending what your opponent may field. Some units can outflank, infiltrate, scout, deepstrike, etc. How will those special abilities play into your decisions as the field commander. How many units do you leave in reserve? Do you leave any? Do you leave them all? These decisions are important to think about well before you take the field in a match. As Moros talked about in an article last week, the first 20 matches should be treated as teaching tools. So, I encourage all the new players to use that time wisely, have some strategies to try out, take notes on things that worked and things that failed. Always take into consideration the wrath of the dice gods when hind sight analyzing. (attached above you will find a photo of some of the sketches I used when developing the strategies for my army. I encourage everyone to do something similar. Have a game plan, execute, don't go in blindly, trial and error is the key, but simply throwing units on the field is not going to help you become a better player.

And don't be afraid to ask LOTS of questions to the more experienced players.