How do I lose games?

[l0rdf1end]

You may too ask yourself the same question and go looking for advice online, but I think we each know what caused us to loose a specific game or why we don't win as much as we would like.

These are the points I think of after my last tournament. I could use some advice in addition, escpecially on the last point regarding when you start playing the mission, specifically when do you start to worry about objectives?
Most of this stuff is improved with experience, its a case of understanding where you are going wrong and making a conscious effort to make a change.

Why I loose games -

Not enough knowledge of my opponents army/units/abilities.

Not remembering to use all of my pyschic powers/abilities/special rules.

Bad deployment against certain lists like Deamons.

Bad time management. Loosing a game because he had two minutes on the clock for turn 6 to take the win.

Not playing the mission? Going for kills and not deploying from the beginning based on winning the game dependant on mission.
When do I need to concentrate on the mission, from turn 3 after trying to kill the opponents resources or should I be concentrating on this from turn 1, surely the first 1-3 turns should be spent on dealing as much hurt as possible to your opponent?

[Lanesend]

Actually, if you want to win, (and who doesn't, really), you should be worrying about the mission objectives from the moment you start building your list, to the deployment phase (very important), to every game round.

If you start a battle with the mindset of "let's kill stuff first and halfway the game worry about objectives", you are setting yourself back.

When you deploy for example, you should take into account the ability to score objectives and plan ahead for when you want to go for those objectives. You should also look at your oponents army and recognise what elements of his force are dangerous to you.
Or more specific, what elements are capable of disrupting your plans to win.

You can kill 90% of the enemy, but if he can still score more objectives than you, you are losing the game.
If you kill 10% of his army, but he has no Troops left, his only way of winning is to table you.

In deployment you already start working on winning the game.

But if I read your post above, I think you already have a very good idea why you lose games and you are already getting better by recognizing your mistakes and learning from them.

It may sound cliche, but you'll learn a lot more from your losses, then from your wins.

[biorivera]

One of the biggest learning tips I've picked up from gamers is ALWAYS, after a game ask them what they would have done differently in your shoes, and also offer them advice/commentary on what you thought they did well and what you might suggest to improve(even if you lost, just don't do it in a snarky way).

But yes, the game shifted into a highly objective based game after 4th edition. You can always ask your opponent what X unit does, and you can't predict for what they'll necessarily bring. However, knowing what kinds of missions exist lets you tailor your list so that you have units to handle every type of game mode(ideally you take a list that synergizes well so that your objective holding units have a purpose in games that are more kill based- whether it be to fuddle target priority or screen more important units). That way, no matter what your opponent throws at you, you know you have a basic structured plan to stick to for the long term of the game; as its really easy to get distracted from the bigger objective when your opponent throws a unit at you that makes your entire army react.

[rpricew]

I agree with Lanesend 100% - The game starts when you decide the mission and table halves.

Perfect example: a buddy of mine plays with Grand Master Mordrak from the Grey Knights. He has a special rule called "First To The Fray" which allows him to Deep Strike on turn 1 with no scatter. When playing the Relic, he always puts a Ruin in the middle of the board under the Relic. This way, Mordrak can come in on Turn 1, pick up the Relic and either start moving away on the next turn, or go to ground, if necessary for a 2+ save, and put's his opponent at a disadvantage from the start.

He doesn't only play Mordrak to win the Relic mission and not play him in other missions... He uses what he has in his army list to win any mission since not every game is the Relic mission, and he's planning from the moment the first piece of terrain hits the board, how he can use it to his advantage.

With my army, I always try and put a couple of area terrain pieces in my opponent's deployment zone if they haven't. This way I have options for the Ymgarls to appear. I also have to ensure that I live through possibly two rounds of shooting with my units that start on the table, so I try and put a couple of pieces of LOS blocking terrain near or in my deployment zone to hide my Tervigons behind.

[leeroy1986]

Agree with Lanesend too, tonight for example I lost 99% of my army, but would have won the game if it didn't go until 6 turns due to the fact I had my troops on the objectives on another day it might of happened.

- There's been games where ive lost loads of models but won on objectives, so they should always be the first thing you think of.
- Secondly a strategy on how to handle your opponent, what you're going to do make sure you have a good plan.
- Thirdly a good army list that can take on anything I personally wouldn't use any Broodlords especially with the latest FAQ and there is alot of anti-psychic stuff put there as well.
- Fourthly just work hard try hard in a friendly way in your games, nobody likes a sore loser, but also if you don't try hard then you won't get anywhere.


Bare in mind too dude, it's the start of 6th Ed, lots of Tyranid players are still finding their feet with what's good and what isn't, so also play lots of games and alter your list until you find something you like =)

Leeroy

[wisdomseyes1]

On the point of objectives... that is literally the reason I cant play tyranids without tervigons.

2 tervigons and 2 trygons by themselves force my opponent to decide what to kill. As Lanesend said, "If you start a battle with the mindset of "let's kill stuff first and halfway the game worry about objectives", you are setting yourself back." is actually my tactic. To make the opponent focus on something that will destroy them so that the things that will win me the game go unhindered.

Would you, if you were my opponent, shoot at the T7+ (or T6 with cover, IWND, and FNP) monstrous creature just sitting there spawning one of the weakest troops, or would you shoot at the obviously less tough models who might have cover coming in to destroy your middle/backfield.

Its a lose-lose.

I assume this thread is actually designed for us to list the reason we lose?

My reasons:
- Not having the models I would like because of Budget.
- One bad decision can and will cascade into more bad decisions that I have to take because that's the only way to recover.
- Forgetting Iron arm gives eternal warrior when Mordrak comes and kills your tervigon in close combat...
- Underestimating tau's close combat ability in 6th edition (by that I mean overwatch and now preferred enemy)

But mostly the first one. When I play against someone I always know what my enemies models have (even if I dont know what they look like xD) and I know for the most part their special rules. A few times, I'll know my enemies army better than them (like the Tau player who was using army builder for his army list and though Broadsides could use large blasts and the tyranid player who swore that the FAQ made Hive tyrants mastery level 3)

When i play against someone, i always ask what the troops are. Marines all look freaking identical, so I have to. And of course heavy support and fast attacks in other missions.

Oh, and it doesnt seem to be mentioned but, ALWAYS try to get secondary objectives. If you get all of them and deny your opponents them, you just got an extra objective. At the very worst, it means you win in a tie if you have more secondary objectives than your opponents.