Warhammer 40k: Competitive vs Casual

By Titus Villanueva

Eventually, the time comes in the life of a gamer where he asks himself, should I try going competitive? The casual scene is fun enough. It’s a good game with a few friends and anything goes. You all have a good laugh and an afternoon of cheering and sometimes even screaming. After all that, one decides… Am I good enough to play competitively? 

With the grand tourney coming up in November, I thought I’d shape up by practicing with a real competitive list with more experienced players. Just like any other game, the competitive scene is completely different from the casual scene. There are certain metas (most effective tactics available) people follow and people are less willing to give you some leeway when you make a mistake.

The first thought that comes into one’s head when one embarks on such an endeavor is ‘what if I lose?’ The simple answer is that one will lose; several times in fact. That’s the whole point of practice. Loss is the price we pay for learning and getting to watch more experienced players at the game. You learn tactics that, for an experienced player, come as second nature. Thinking on your feet becomes a necessity as they seem to have a tactical response to every move you make.

Needless to say, I had a blast getting my butt handed to me by better players and I can safely say I came out of that a way better player than I came in. I even learned more about my own army and what makes them amazing.

I’d recommend competitive wargaming to anybody who’s dipped their toes in the hobby, sure it’ll come with a lot of humbling moments, but it’s one of the best ways to grow.