The overview got long, so I'm moving the commentary to another post. Pretty much, I was running a "five turn" list. The same basic list ran undefeated in 5th in casual play where it always got to at least five turns. In 6th, prior to NOVA, I lost three out of twelve games, but in each of those three I was stressing the list to see what would break it. Classically, by not dancing with a Ghaz/Kan horde list, but instead walking up to it and trying to win by superior firepower. In each case, it did a lot better than I thought and this helped me out in those short games with the close victory conditions. Five turns in 150 minutes wasn't a problem locally, but even with the great opponents I played against, there wasn't an automatic trust extended in the same way it is with the guys you play locally against. At NOVA, it took a bit more explaining on both sides. Nothing much, but it slowed down the games bit by bit.
Which tells me that if TOs keep to the same objectives/quarters type of scoring that NOVA used, the system is going to break down.
Which tells me that if TOs keep to the same objectives/quarters type of scoring that NOVA used, the system is going to break down.
I didn't have time to buy, assemble & paint some Orks for a Necrork list with the two big squads of shoota Boyz and a Big Mek with KFF (or a variation on that), but if I had to play another one this weekend under those rules and all the models were provided, I'd take one of them. It turns it into a three turn list and I'd be shooting for making it three turns and the game ending. I think right now, that is going to be the tournament "meta" unless something gets changed.
NOTE: This is NOT a claim that I'm going to delay games on purpose so that only three turns can be played.
I actually intend to move, shoot and assault as rapidly as possible consistent with good sportsmanship. I'm just expecting it to end up that way. There is lots and lots of possibilities for legit "friction" in playing a game without "gaming" it for delay. I don't think that people going "well, people will move faster when they get more experience" isn't going to solve this problem either. Virtually everyone I played and I moved with a purpose and made it happen quickly. Just too many things take a couple of seconds here, three or four there, and the next thing you know, minutes are missing.
Now, anyone who notices this trend will start building lists to deal with it, which will probably involve more bodies on the field and more movement, more saves, more shots, more friction and more time expended per turn. For my list, replacing the Ghost Ark, two Warrior squads, associated Crypteks and other changes with 60 Shoota Boyz + Big Mek (KFF) nets me 179 points more to spend while swapping 20 bodies (actually 26, but 6 are riders) to move with 61 bodies to move. (Heh, see the reason I didn't build this list for NOVA? The Necrons were at least primed & base coated and I don't own any Orks.) Another way, I go from 50 infantry models to move to 90 (including Spyder & 6x Scarabs)...at a MINIMUM. Remember those extra points? Pulling the Spyder & Scarabs while adding in the third Annihilation Barge plus 15 Lootas (a good compliment to any Necron list) makes the number of vehicles the same, but ups the model count 98, although that one is actually 2001 points, but it's easy enough to tweak at that point. I actually think the darn thing has more dakka than my Necron list, although I think I'd have to build more Gauss Immortals to replace the squad of Tesla Immortals.
That list would play the same as the pure Necron list as far as deployment and basic tactics goes, but instead of having to spend the first couple of turns dancing to set up the strike on turn 3, it can just lunge forward. Oh, it might need to be a bit tentative on turn 1 and maybe not run or move the full 6" straight ahead, but it will be in place to seize objectives and table position on turn 2. Good for me, I don't have to learn to overcome that unNecron habit of running and lunging forwards in early turns to seize objectives. Unfortunately, as a fact of life, it would also take about twice as long to mechanically move each turn, add to the number of units to have shooting to resolve, and be a lot more interested in hunting close combat. All of this takes up more time no matter how much anyone wishes otherwise.
Which means the lists that can win games with no time limits at the LGS are not the lists which will win time limited tournament games in their present format, simply because they will take longer to play in either case.
EDIT: Maybe instead of counting deployment as part of the game time, count the actual game time as from the time the seize the initiative roll is made, so players deploy prior to the game actually beginning.
NOTE: This is NOT a claim that I'm going to delay games on purpose so that only three turns can be played.
I actually intend to move, shoot and assault as rapidly as possible consistent with good sportsmanship. I'm just expecting it to end up that way. There is lots and lots of possibilities for legit "friction" in playing a game without "gaming" it for delay. I don't think that people going "well, people will move faster when they get more experience" isn't going to solve this problem either. Virtually everyone I played and I moved with a purpose and made it happen quickly. Just too many things take a couple of seconds here, three or four there, and the next thing you know, minutes are missing.
Now, anyone who notices this trend will start building lists to deal with it, which will probably involve more bodies on the field and more movement, more saves, more shots, more friction and more time expended per turn. For my list, replacing the Ghost Ark, two Warrior squads, associated Crypteks and other changes with 60 Shoota Boyz + Big Mek (KFF) nets me 179 points more to spend while swapping 20 bodies (actually 26, but 6 are riders) to move with 61 bodies to move. (Heh, see the reason I didn't build this list for NOVA? The Necrons were at least primed & base coated and I don't own any Orks.) Another way, I go from 50 infantry models to move to 90 (including Spyder & 6x Scarabs)...at a MINIMUM. Remember those extra points? Pulling the Spyder & Scarabs while adding in the third Annihilation Barge plus 15 Lootas (a good compliment to any Necron list) makes the number of vehicles the same, but ups the model count 98, although that one is actually 2001 points, but it's easy enough to tweak at that point. I actually think the darn thing has more dakka than my Necron list, although I think I'd have to build more Gauss Immortals to replace the squad of Tesla Immortals.
That list would play the same as the pure Necron list as far as deployment and basic tactics goes, but instead of having to spend the first couple of turns dancing to set up the strike on turn 3, it can just lunge forward. Oh, it might need to be a bit tentative on turn 1 and maybe not run or move the full 6" straight ahead, but it will be in place to seize objectives and table position on turn 2. Good for me, I don't have to learn to overcome that unNecron habit of running and lunging forwards in early turns to seize objectives. Unfortunately, as a fact of life, it would also take about twice as long to mechanically move each turn, add to the number of units to have shooting to resolve, and be a lot more interested in hunting close combat. All of this takes up more time no matter how much anyone wishes otherwise.
Which means the lists that can win games with no time limits at the LGS are not the lists which will win time limited tournament games in their present format, simply because they will take longer to play in either case.
EDIT: Maybe instead of counting deployment as part of the game time, count the actual game time as from the time the seize the initiative roll is made, so players deploy prior to the game actually beginning.
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