[Churlton]

My intent here is to get you to critically review your gaming and habits...... if you have won GTs 15 years on the trot then advice to mere mortals would also be welcome:angel:

If we break up the processes then there can be upwards of 3 major areas:

For my interpretation, one that is simplified, I would like to present this start point.

The Pre-game
(eg, force selection, composition, theme, balance, suitability, master plan etc.)

The game
(eg terrain. deployment, plan, reaction, timing, coordination, luck!!

even the Post-game
(eg, the post-mortem ... lessons learnt .. adjustment for the next pre-game phase)

I am not Wellington (Hussar!!), far from it. And I can recognise that my errors are often enforced by bad habits on my part; I find I react exactly as my opponent wants me to eg. the red mist descending to take the bait thrown out ... or forgetting the mission and trying to preserve my force or destroy the opposing when all I need to do is keep one unit alive/dead.

As is often quoted by various sages - an army in 40k is optimised when fought to the principles of its fluff. Really it is a "No shit Sherlock!" statement but I can forget this sometimes and try to play my marines as my Orks (and vise-versa).

Anyway, that is the background to my idea for this thread ... back to the question posed ....

Apart from keeping to the mission, I would think my critical point in the battle process is probably.....

the Deployment ........

I rarely seem to get this right:ireful2: Placement of the units to optomise their use (cover, LOS, fire-arcs, range etc) I often screw up.
I don't react well to my opponents placement, for countering purposes or if I place first I seem to forget the tenets of the mission or of sensible advice given previously.

I seem to forget the board layout and re-appraisal of my plan; vector in terrain/cover, approaches etc.

This is where I think I go wrong, but enhanced by not remebering the last post-game phase where I probably did identify that I lost in that deployment phase........ Again

 

[dvaston]

I would say the 2 critical points are Pre-game Army List selection, and also Deployment.

Army list selection is critical because you might specialise in 1 style of fighting e.g. assault or long range, but then your opponent might choose an Army List which might be able to counter your list. However, most people are limited in their army list decisions by (A) what models do they actually own? (B) "tried and true" army selections which have been used in the past. So bearing that in mind it might be possible to guess what army list your opponent will use so you can try to match them.

Deployment is also critical since you can only make the decisions "on the spot" when you are actually there doing it. Generally you cant "plan ahead" for Deployment because the scenery and terrain changes from one game to the next. And if you make bad decisions in Deployment you have to live with that for the rest of the game. e.g. you could be wasting a lot of time getting your troops where they should have been in the first place, or worse.

Studying the other race you are to play against can sometimes be critical. If possible asking your opponnent if you can have a read of their Codex before the game can be helpful.

Also Im not sure if it rates as a "critical" thing but I always like to discuss the game afterwards to discuss strategies, learn from mistakes etc.

 

[Culler]

Deployment can be tough but I've gotten pretty good at it after some hard lessons. Personally, my critical phase is coming up with a solid list, but I also enjoy list-making. Having the right units with the right upgrades on the board to make a strategy work and counter your enemy is very important and most often spells the difference between victory and defeat for anyone. If your opponent has units that you can't counter effectively, they're probably going to win.

 

[Blackhiker]

My most critical part is probably the list-making. Since I plan ahead for some games and then for others I just use pre-made lists.

 

[Nightbringer416]

playing necrons the critical point for me is deployment hands down.

 

[forgotten hero]

Movement for my Mech Eldar... it will win me most of my games, along with some luck.. praying to the dice gods the dreaded double 6 doesn't apear.

 

[Truthiness08]

In my earlier years of playing, the game plan was really the hardest learned lesson; what to do with what during each turn, and how to get the most out of my unit selections.

Now it seems constructing that perfect list, the one that can deal with all odds, and apart from that the luck it takes to pull some things off, it is truly amazing how one bad roll (let alone several in a row) can ruin a game.

 

[chrisman 007]

Well, mine really hangs on turning everything into mincemeat before it gets in to combat (otherwise it's a real bloodbath, especially when it's some hard thing like a 'fex). Deployment is always critical. I deploy in one long line, lots of low cover like sandbags. My list relies on heavy weapons, tanks, me trusty ol' basilisk and a helluva lot of surveyors to deal with the infiltrators. Also, you need an almost "Suicide force" to deep strike behind enemy lines and distract them. This means that anything far away gets turned into mincemeat, anything that gets in close gets turned into mincemeat, any big and scary tanks, mincemeat, etc etc etc.

 

[martin4696]

i would have to say army composition first and then your first or 3 third turn (depending on when your force turns up lol)

for some armys like mine (eldar) it is fast enought to move around a poor deployemnt so i can get away with it lol

martin

 

[Hespithe]

For me, Deployment is key. It doesn't matter which units I bring and which scenario we play. If my units do not start in the most optimum positions, I'll be fighting uphill both ways in a blizzard with my 'nads frostbitten. It ain't perty. Movement is key, yes, but if I'm forced to use my movement to simply redeploy, and not to advance on objectives, then I've already wasted resources that could cost me the game.

 

[morfangdakka]

Deployment is the key for me. If I don't have my units set up right, then things are going to be bad. Especially running a mainly foot slooger army. Having the wrong squad in the wrong spot can make things go bad real fast.

 

[Sieg]

Deployment has never been a strong point of mine. To make up for this major issue the 2nd and 3rd turn are really key. These are the turns that my units finish getting into perfect position and the real game begins. By the end of the 3rd turn I usually know if i will win or loose the game.