Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Metagaming: Why it should not be considered bad

As the title suggests, I thoroughly believe that metagaming, at least in competitive games, should not be frowned upon. Why do I think this? Metagaming gives you a better chance of winning.

While winning a game is not, nor should it be, the only purpose of playing a game, it is the reason tournament players play in tournaments or other competitive environments. So why is metagaming frowned upon? It is frowned upon partially due to people complaining about skilled players being successful or claiming that it ruins the 'purpose' of the game. I believe that a player cannot download an internet list and then win a GT.

For an example of such complaints, some players believe that using maxed out Chaos obliterators is 'cheesy' and breaks the game because it is 'un-fluffy'. In reality maxed oblits are neither of these but a reaction to the current metagame. Presently vehicles are heavily fielded and obliterators allow a player to fight that rather easily while also allowing for alternate battlefield roles if the Chaos player ends up facing a horde of 100 or so footmen.

If a skilled player ends up playing against the above mentioned chaos player, they will more than likely be able to deal with the threat which nine obliterators pose. I've seen, on more than one occasion I may add, a skilled player take an exceedingly awful list and win a tournament with it. They win because they pay attention to the metagame and use it to their advantage.

In most tournaments, there is at least one of the following lists:
* Leafblower IG lists and all its mech variants
* Space Wolf Long Fang RazorBack spam lists
* Space Wolf Thunderwolf Cavalry herohammer style lists
* Vulkan lists with TH/SS Termies and an abundance Melta/Flamers
* Blood Angels 3/3 list variants with Mephiston/Baals/Vindies/Preds
* CSM Dual Lash Plague Marines w/ max Obliterators
* Mech Eldar or flying Circus style lists
* Council Eldar with Seer Councils, Saim-Hann style lists
* Temple Eldar lists with Wraithguard, Avatar, 3x Wraithlords
* Ork Battle Wagon spam, Speed Freakz or Nob Bikerz
* Tau Crisis Suit spam with Hammerheads/Broadsides
* Tyranid 3-Trygon lists with mass Hive Guard/Zoans

Each of these lists are built to win and paying attention to the metagame will allow you a better chance to win.

Stay tuned for a later post with more thoughts on metagaming after I grab something to make me feel like I'm not dieing.

More words to make you into a brainfish:
retrograde: Adj. Having a backward motion or directionl retiring or retreating.
Adj. Inverse or reversed, as order.
Adj. Exhibiting degeneration or deterioration.
nepenthe: N. drug or drink, or the plant yielding it, mentioned by ancient writers as having the power to bring forgetfulness of sorrow or trouble
N. anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, esp. of sorrow or trouble

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