Playing with a handicap

[Raising]

I find myself having to constraint my self when playing with less experienced or competitive players in order to keep a enjoyable game for both. I do enjoy the games but I have to shut down the killer instinct and leaving oportunities to do game changing moves undone. leave a sour taste.

 

So One posibility could be addign more SS to the oponent(changing how he create his list, not ideal) or removing from my crew( You can just place a model out of game impact for this). 
But I wonder if anyone have ideas on how to do this. Whatever it be should be choose from the start of the game and have no randomnes.

Stuff I have thought:

Enablers
-2 to hand size
+2 to oponent hand size

Positioning
increasing movment of all enemy models +1
adding one or two push 4¨ on a stick at the end of the turn for any non engaged model from ihis crew.(this is the one I like more, because it save the player from its positioning errors)

 

 

 

 

[SEV]

I would try to not alter how the games mechanics work.

So I would use a SS handicap at crew selection (anything between 1 and 10 ss depending on the skill of the player).

You can also self impose some crew restrictions (no ook, minions only, etc.)  but I think it's just less elegant than a SS handicap.

The great thing with SS handicap is that its scalable. Play at -4 and still win too easily, just go at -6, etc.

[touchdown]

yeah I think don't increase SS pool for anyone, but decrease your own.

Other good things are take models or schemes you normally wouldn't. In GG1 taking Runic Binding, just to see if you can get it would be a good example. Although this isn't systemic.

Playing smaller games so it's less overwhelming for a new player is also helpful. When I started, I just had the Vik's M2E core box, so I was playing 40 stone games as that's all I could really fill. Helped me I think.

[Maniacal_cackle]

First off make sure your opponents are happy with this, as a lot of people aren't happy with an 'unfair' advantage.

If they are, one simple thing you can do is every time you win against a player, you lose 5 soulstones from the next game. Every time you win against them, you gain 5 (up to a max of 50). For new players you could also start it out at baseline 30, and so as they win you get to graduate to more stones and pose a greater challenge.

You can also stick to thematic keyword crews, but I find that a bit clunky.

I've tried limiting myself at the local club, but people have varying opinions on whether or not they want to face a weakened list. And even fully in keyword isn't enough a lot of the time.

[touchdown]

15 minutes ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

I've tried limiting myself at the local club, but people have varying opinions on whether or not they want to face a weakened list. And even fully in keyword isn't enough a lot of the time.

It really depends on the keyword too. Oh no I have to stay in keyword with Yan Lo, whatever will I do

[Math Mathonwy]

In M2e Killjoy started the game buried. A friend of mine hired him and then totally forgot about him until they were calculating VP at the end of the game. So that's one way to handicap yourself!

Taking a Henchman to lead your crew is another possibility that hasn't yet been mentioned - some of them are way worse as Leaders than stuff like Rasputina or Wong that are the lowest rung of Masters.

I was acutally thinking of a "Pauperfaux" format where you'd have Henchmen leading forces that had to include at least five Minions using just two different profiles for them (so 2+3). Would give a reason to field all those stupid duplicates everyone has painted but that never see the table...  

I also like the idea of the -5SS for each win - it has a certain inevitability to it.

[Maniacal_cackle]

Oh, henchmen leader is a good one! I did that once, and it was easy to explain off as something I'd like to try.

Got stomped by a player that I normally beat by a fair margin, and it gives an opportunity to still power-game your crew while probably not being able to win with it.

[Raising]

I like the henchman  idea, but then I cant play the master I want. Mi intention is to increase the game dificulty or making a new players error be less relevant and not just stop playing what I want to play. Id rader cut10 SS from the crew than playing a henchman if I want to play certain master.

I am gettign fond on removing stuff from the game because you dont need to tell your oponent, just sit the model in a useless position.

[Adran]

In the long term I assume the hope is your opponents will get better. So I wouldn't give them an advantage such as an extra card, as they will learn to rely on that sort of bonus. 

Likewise I agree that it is very hard to not play what you have on the table to its best

SS handicap is easy enough to do. As is hand handicap for you, but I wouldn't give bonuses to the opponent. 

You could also let your opponent choose your schemes for you (If you're close in level before you build the crew, if your much better after you have built the crew, and if you're really good they also get to choose all the targets for the schemes after you have built the crew)

You can also "handicap" your list building, such as not allowing certain models, reducing the plenty limit on your minions, force yourself to always hire 2 OOK models (Last edition I did 1 event where I forced myself to hire a member of the crossroads seven each game for example), or rules such as you must always hire the whole crew box in the list. 

You can set yourself extra goals to achieve, such as Sommer needs to always use "take one for the team" each turn, or Tara must have buried at least 3 enemy models before the end of the game or nekima must have summoned a terror tot and grown it up to a mature before the end of the game. Or they could be as simple as you must try and end the game with models in as many table quarters as possible. 

 

[Math Mathonwy]

You could also play with five SS and only use them to draw and then discard your two best cards each turn  

[Mycellanious]

There are two ways for a competetive player to curb their competetive advantage without ruining either player's game:

1. Pick up a new crew. While learning a new crew your decision making is affected simply by virtue of not knowing the limitations of your crew.

2. Pick inefficient schemes. Rather than choosing schemes you commonly take and know you can score, try something new. For example, Research Mission when you cant generate Markers so you need to figure out how to kill a Living and Contruct model near each other (or by a strat marker).

[Raising]

I like the idea of giving my oponent the choice over my schemes. Not only allow him to hinder me but he will know better what to do to win since is not private info anymore.

 

Picking a new crew wont make it unless i cant research at home, I am the kind of player that study rules just for the sake of it even for games i dont get to play and i can digest new mechanics really fast.


In general changing the other player resources seems to be bad. Givin them all my private info looks like is a good start in general. is fine but thepends a lot on what am i playing.

 
 

[Cats Laughing]

Another handicap idea might be to play with all or a portion of your control hand face up and open information for your opponent.

 

This has potential issues in that it might create more analysis paralysis or might cause them to rely on that benefit too much.

But it also has the potential to have them think about what might be in their opponent's hand while playing and potentially get them to think more about how they use their own hand.

[Maniacal_cackle]

I think making information open is a good way to go. It'll get your opponent used to considering what is in the opponent's hand/schemes/etc.