Game Sizes, Are They Really All That?

Hello all! Aseldi here, and with the recent release of the Apocalypse update, I thought I'd go through the significance of points sizes for Warhammer 40,000 games.

With 6th edition, a tonne of new rules were added to the pre-game setup, which add an annoying amount of time to the game when you're getting used to them. Warlord Traits, night fighting etc. This being a fixed amount of time usually, unless ignored, I've found myself playing smaller games over the last few months.

Pre-6th ed, I played normally 3000pts games.  They took pretty long, and in my opinion, felt pretty disconnected.  Very few of the units seemed to have much meaning behind their actions, with only a very select few doing anything during the battles, the rest merely becoming cannon fodder.  With that said, they did have an epic feel, with the battle swinging back and forth multiple times over the course of the game.

On the other hand, I also played quite a few 750pts battle, with just a couple of units each side.  These felt much more intimate, with each unit having to pull its weight and earning a good share of glory.  They were short, and great for a quick afternoon tournament amongst a group of friends, though they did tend to favour certain armies. (WOO! SPACE WOLVES!)

Those are the two ends of the spectrum, excluding Apocalypse, and the Battle Missions scenarios.

I usually tend to plan an army for 2000pts as an aim to buy. (as has been proven by the majority of army lists posted on the blog)  This gives a good wide pool of troops to take from for smaller games, and allows a great feel for what the army has to offer, and is capable of playing a larger game over an afternoon too!

Currently, my favourite size is probably 1250pts.  It allows at least 1 very strong unit, and the rest to be focused around this, allowing plenty of synergy and giving the army a very centralised feel. Each unit's actions are pivotal, and the games are very tactical, as units cannot be thrown away without consequence.

So what am I trying to say? Well, as a Space Wolf player, from a game I want: units to each gain glory by performing heroic feats, which can be added to a Saga written in their name (a little something I'm thinking of starting), brutal combats and the games to fairly tense, with every move being significant.  By this, I naturally vie towards the lower end of the points spectrum, between 750-1500pts.

A bit of a ramble, but it's been on my mind recently. Smaller to medium sized ones are my preference. Next time you're arranging a game, give the points limit a think, and what it will add to the game, not just the time it will take.

-Aseldi