Popular Post Trinecity Posted March 31, 2015 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Ah, the Malifaux Masters Tournament. A wealth of wisdom nuggets. Let's get started... Game 1: Timing is everything You know when you're running a Vik crew, and the opponent moves his Molly Crew right towards the middle of the board on turn 1, all in a cluster? Don't you love when that happens? You know how the carnal voice in your brain is like "KILL!" and the rational voice in your brain is like "Thou shouldst wait until turn 2 for a proper whirlwind strike". You should listen to the second voice. I jumped the gun as I am wont to do, and my late turn 1 Vik strike was less than epic. I squeaked out a win 5 to 4 thanks to the outflank scheme. Game 2: You can lose during the "Define Terrain" step. Who knew? The board was covered with buildings with flat roofs. My opponent was playing gremlins. I should have seen it coming. "Want to play only 30mm models can climb the ladders?", he asked. "Sure", I said. "Want to play the lips on the edge of the roof are height 1 walls?", he asked. "Sure" I said. "Want to get your ass kicked by the Pigapult?" he said. Ok, he didn't say that last thing. But I wish he would have. He fielded a Som'er summoning list and the ol' Pigapult. His turns were spent launching half dead, paralyzed gremlins on the roofs of the various buildings and spamming scheme markers in the later turns. My turns were spent wondering why I fielded a Levi list that couldn't even get on top of the buildings. I began to picture my crew just standing there looking up at a row of gremlin butts as they mooned me from safety. (no these aren't the butts alluded to in the title, but there is definitely a strong butt theme in this post for some reason, which worries me) Live and learn I suppose right? I got spanked 9 to 2. The strategy was Interference by the way. Game 3: Don't get tilted. Keep your head (marker) in the game "Tilted" is a poker term right? It means you've let your emotions make your playing worse. Even though I got pummeled in round 2 I was feeling ok (due to Starbucks methinks). But my opponent was tilted pretty hard from a loss the round before. Then when I fielded Levi and some Belles and, with the Rat activation control sequence to let me act last, began to lure in one model per turn and behead it, and then pick up said head, well, he got even more tilted. I could tell he was a nice guy but just disappointed with how the day was going. But I also noticed he missed a couple of opportunities to grab some head markers with his "Don't mind me" units. Opportunities he probably would have noticed if he had had a level head. Again, nice guy, and a better player than the score gives him credit for. I won this round 10-0, Levi vs. Lucius. Game 4: A passion to win can go a long way This round the strategy was Guard the Stash. I was playing a guy who I had played several times online, and I knew he was a great player. The odd thing was, we had practiced this exact game on Vassal only weeks before. Same strategy, same schemes, same factions. I won that game 10-2 if recall. So what did my brain tell me to do? 'Bring the exact same list as last time' it said! Stupid brain. Although, to be honest, that wasn't really my problem. I noticed something about my opponent that I hadn't noticed when playing him online. He was doing everything he could to win. He was trash talking (in a nice way, he's a good guy don't worry) He was asking me questions about previous rounds, trying to ascertain what models I would bring. He would offer "advice" from time to time haha. But overall what I noticed is that he brought a really strong mental game with a passion to win. And it definitely worked. I think I was winning after the first two turns, but started to make some big mistake in turn 3, and then he ran away with it. He stayed mentally tough, and I got distracted. Although, in my defense, he also had Wyrd employee Aaron Darland at his side (literally the seat next to him, just watching) and I think there was some sort of sorcery going on for sure. Those Wyrd people can do things like that I've heard. Oh and also my wife showed up during the game to watch, and she brought me a Starbucks (woot, Starbucks!) (oops, and woot, wife!) so that may have factored in as well. But no, I'm pretty sure it was the mental game. Well played sir. I lost playing Levi vs. his Tara 9 to 4. Game 5: Prepare for butt cracks and fatigue (Honest, I'll exlpain) So Round 5 was Collect the Bounty. I played yet another nice guy, and another nice guy playing Lucius for that matter. I took Levi again, because I had everything out and couldn't be bothered to think about another crew at this point. Did you catch that "couldn't be bothered" part? I was fried. Oh man. But so was everyone else I'm sure to some extent so that was really no excuse, but man. The game was pretty standard really, but what stood out were 2 main things. Mental fatigue, which I've already explained, and butt cracks, which I've promised to explain. So butt cracks...holy cow, there are a lot of exposed butts at Conventions apparently (this was my first convention, I was not informed). Guys just can't keep there britches up for some reason. My wife was sitting there, super uncomfortable, trying to find a direction to look, some panorama, that did not include a crack. It was hilarious. I was having a great time. But back on point, prepare yourself for mental fatigue at a convention. Play a lot of games to get your mind in shape so you can do well during the late rounds. I lost this last round 7 to 6. So there you have it. Five lessons to take with you to your next tournament. This was my first real life tournament. The only tournament I had played up to this point was the Wyrd Place Vassal League Tournament - Season 2, which I won! So I entered this tournament a wee bit over-confident, and when I lost in round 2, I never really recovered. But I definitely had a great time and can't wait for the next one. I didn't get to meet as many people as I would have liked, but I'm sure I'll run in to some of you at Gen Con. Until then...keep your britches up my friends Nate 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnBloodbeard Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Great write-up! Never played against Gremlins either, so that's really useful information!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valhallan42nd Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I took a picture of one of the cracks, as it was so majestic. You couldn't look away. It was one of the Bolt Action guys, not us, thank goodness. Out of a sense of propriety, I've since erased it, but still, it was there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zFiend Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I can really sign up for that emotion part. Me and my friend Math are quite fine players. But we usually descend to "who loses the game first" it's usually the first activation on the first turn that one of us loses the game. Once we've gotten better to keep our heads cool our games have gotten a lot better as well. I still have it, if I'm playing against a certain master or a person that I just don't have fun playing against I give up on turn 1 and just move models around. Instead I could try to keep it cool and have a semi-nice game at least. But yeah. If you can learn to control it, you can do a lot better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PraetorDragoon Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 There is quite a butt theme in here. Note to self: Never play with roofs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucidicide Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 "Just watching" = feeding him high cards. He promised if I did he'd buy me a pony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PraetorDragoon Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 "Just watching" = feeding him high cards. He promised if I did he'd buy me a pony. I hope he made good on that promise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Math Mathonwy Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I can really sign up for that emotion part. Me and my friend Math are quite fine players. But we usually descend to "who loses the game first" it's usually the first activation on the first turn that one of us loses the game. I'm nearly always convinced I'll lose a given game. I realize that it can be a bit annoying as well since it happens every damn time and I tend to win way more than I lose (especially in some games) but it is a genuine feeling I get and I really don't know how to help it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valhallan42nd Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 What works for me: replace the feeling of win/loss with "How do I solve this puzzle/problem?" Though, usually that's a mid game/later turn thing for me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinfoil Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Great post! Lots of wisdom here. I don't play a lot of tournaments, but when I do, I'm always surprised at how worn out I am by late afternoon. Game one is usually fun; I'm usually feeling sharp. Game two is about keeping things together. Game three... Well by then I'm out of the running and focusing on having fun. And playing very sloppily. Is it possible to cultivate tournament stamina? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zFiend Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I'm nearly always convinced I'll lose a given game. I realize that it can be a bit annoying as well since it happens every damn time and I tend to win way more than I lose (especially in some games) but it is a genuine feeling I get and I really don't know how to help it. Hahaha. You've improved in this regard though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomjoad Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Great write up! Thanks for sharing your insights and experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guslado Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Ah, the Malifaux Masters Tournament. A wealth of wisdom nuggets. Let's get started... Game 2: You can lose during the "Define Terrain" step. Who knew? The board was covered with buildings with flat roofs. My opponent was playing gremlins. I should have seen it coming. "Want to play only 30mm models can climb the ladders?", he asked. "Sure", I said. "Want to play the lips on the edge of the roof are height 1 walls?", he asked. "Sure" I said. "Want to get your ass kicked by the Pigapult?" he said. Ok, he didn't say that last thing. But I wish he would have. He fielded a Som'er summoning list and the ol' Pigapult. His turns were spent launching half dead, paralyzed gremlins on the roofs of the various buildings and spamming scheme markers in the later turns. My turns were spent wondering why I fielded a Levi list that couldn't even get on top of the buildings. I began to picture my crew just standing there looking up at a row of gremlin butts as they mooned me from safety. (no these aren't the butts alluded to in the title, but there is definitely a strong butt theme in this post for some reason, which worries me) Live and learn I suppose right? I got spanked 9 to 2. The strategy was Interference by the way. It is also good to establish whether or not a model can climb through a window that is clearly wide enough for the base and has no glass in it :-P Thanks for the great tips! I definitely need to go to Adepticon next year. Already have my tickets booked for Gen Con though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpectreEliteGaming Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Whenever I see butt cracks I am reminded of Once Upon a Time in the West - You can't trust a man who can't trust his pants. I really enjoy the mind games element to competitive gaming - as soon as I pick up that I'm being fronted or deceived I immediately shutdown and become hypervigilant and aware of dirty tricky. I never invest myself emotionally in a game, though I have a serious thinking face that I am told makes me look like I'm about to flip shit, haha. This, of course, only assists in making it look like I am being absentmindedly deceived or disrupted by the events when I am not, just lucky that way. Honestly, I'm more stubborn than a dwarf - Even if I lose the game I'll never let a person get the better of me in the psychology department. >8) Similarly, I do have a problem with taking everything seriously, though - whether its a game of Last Night on Earth/Zombicide or Catan or even Cards Against Humanity, I always seem to find myself preoccupied with whether or not I am winning. If you are a person like me, the key here is to keep that mindset within yourself and not influence the game negatively for other people. I have found you can still pretend to have fun while really trying to smash face - just make sure you're not ruining the game for eveyone else. :/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalkris Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Something about a threat topic involving butt cracks paired with the first sentence involving "wisdom nuggets" really throws off one's concentration But that said, I enjoyed this article. It was a very informative read. ~Lil Kalki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertmac Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Yeah the pay attention when your opponent is trying to gain an advantage or neutralise yours during the define terrain part of pregame is something I learned in my first tournament too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trinecity Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 "Just watching" = feeding him high cards. He promised if I did he'd buy me a pony. I knew it! I took a picture of one of the cracks, as it was so majestic. You couldn't look away. It was one of the Bolt Action guys, not us, thank goodness. Out of a sense of propriety, I've since erased it, but still, it was there. I would not be brave enough to take a picture of crack. I guess I do have boundaries after all! Great post! Lots of wisdom here. I don't play a lot of tournaments, but when I do, I'm always surprised at how worn out I am by late afternoon. Game one is usually fun; I'm usually feeling sharp. Game two is about keeping things together. Game three... Well by then I'm out of the running and focusing on having fun. And playing very sloppily. Is it possible to cultivate tournament stamina? This doesn't sound like a serious suggestion but it is...maybe play 2 games at once to build tournament stamina? Against one person, or against two willing (and patient) friends? I never tried it but that simulate the brain fry that occurs pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnBloodbeard Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Ah, the Malifaux Masters Tournament. A wealth of wisdom nuggets. Let's get started... Game 2: You can lose during the "Define Terrain" step. Who knew? The board was covered with buildings with flat roofs. My opponent was playing gremlins. I should have seen it coming. "Want to play only 30mm models can climb the ladders?", he asked. "Sure", I said. "Want to play the lips on the edge of the roof are height 1 walls?", he asked. "Sure" I said. "Want to get your ass kicked by the Pigapult?" he said. Ok, he didn't say that last thing. But I wish he would have. He fielded a Som'er summoning list and the ol' Pigapult. His turns were spent launching half dead, paralyzed gremlins on the roofs of the various buildings and spamming scheme markers in the later turns. My turns were spent wondering why I fielded a Levi list that couldn't even get on top of the buildings. I began to picture my crew just standing there looking up at a row of gremlin butts as they mooned me from safety. (no these aren't the butts alluded to in the title, but there is definitely a strong butt theme in this post for some reason, which worries me) Live and learn I suppose right? I got spanked 9 to 2. The strategy was Interference by the way. Forge me - as a newbie, what's the significance of the lips on the edge of the roof (for that matter, why would an eave count as a wall?) - or what would you have done differently? I'm presuming buildings usually aren't considered climbable unless there's something that looks like people should be able to climb it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trinecity Posted April 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Forge me - as a newbie, what's the significance of the lips on the edge of the roof (for that matter, why would an eave count as a wall?) - or what would you have done differently? I'm presuming buildings usually aren't considered climbable unless there's something that looks like people should be able to climb it? Well it gets a little fuzzy at times, but the the gremlins are height 1, so they can hide behind the walls. Where as normally, vantage point rules would allow you to see them if they were close to the edge of the roof. Or at least, that's my current understanding. But it also blocked line of sight to the scheme markets he placed on the edges of the roofs. I had Large Arachnids in the backfield to remove scheme markers with their (0) action, but they couldn't get LOS to target them. It was really bad list building on my part. The one person I did have on the roof, a trapper, got tied up with a skeeter. The lip also hurt him because he couldn't use his (0) action to push off the roof and out of engagement. He could just pinball around up there. Looking back, my list was almost comical. It was the result of pre-building a list that I though would work great but then not adapting it to the terrain. Hopefully, I've learned that lesson. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorlucky Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 I took a picture of one of the cracks, as it was so majestic. You couldn't look away. It was one of the Bolt Action guys, not us, thank goodness. Out of a sense of propriety, I've since erased it, but still, it was there. The one that had a matching mullet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cats Laughing Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 The one that had a matching mullet Oh my, are you saying butt cracks are a party in the back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zFiend Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 Oh my, are you saying butt cracks are a party in the back? This sentence is so wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumb Luck Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 What works for me: replace the feeling of win/loss with "How do I solve this puzzle/problem?" Though, usually that's a mid game/later turn thing for me. This. A million times this. The buttcrack thing reminds me of the guy that took photos of them at an MTG event. It was all over Reddit. By the way, i'm Pigapult guy! Howdy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hateful Darkblack Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 Pro tip: When you've just been hit by something, drink some water, relax, and count up your ad your opponent's likely VP. Focusing on VP will put you back on track, rather than stewing over a setback. Other pro tip: If you wear your pants low, consider wearing a long sweater, overshirt, or comfortable light jacket to avoid butt crack time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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