7/28/2019 Five Precepts of 40k
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Five Precepts of 40KAny approach to a broad set of tactical
guidelines is necessarily either incomplete or terrifyingly long
and tedious (and also incomplete). So here are a few thoughts from
military history translated into 40K for you.
1) Do nothing which is of no use. - MusashiWhen you build your
army, have a purpose in mind for every unit (even if the purpose is
just looking good, admit that). If you dont have a purpose in mind,
dont include the model in your army. When you deploy your forces,
if you dont know whatyou expect to do with a unit, dont deploy it.
Maybe youll figure out a use for the unit before it comes in from
Reserve. When moving units, move towards a goal or dont move. Ive
won games by ignoring one of my units until the crucial moment and
having my opponent do the same until it was too late.
2) Generals who save troops for the next day are always beaten.
NapoleonEvery unit must be deployed to be used up in the pursuit of
the objectives. Forexample, a tactical combat squad deployed in the
middle of the board in Dawn ofWar against Tyranids is going to die.
It also keeps the Tyranids from putting aTyrant and 50 Gaunts
halfway across the board. Likely suicide in pursuit of objectives
is far superior to preserving your forces in pursuit of nothing but
preservation.
3) The best armor is to be out of range. Italian ProverbJust
because you deploy your forces to be used up to achieve your goals
doesnt me
an you waste them. For example, if your opponent has meltaguns
arriving in droppods, deploy your tanks with infantry to keep the
pods more than 6 from your tanks. Another example is deploying your
long-range shooting to knock out enemy fasttransports. Always
deploy looking towards the order you have to kill the enemyforces
in to keep them from being effective. Always move to minimize the
enemys options to hurt your key units.
4) Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush
him. Sun TzuIf you can get your enemy to commit to a course of
action you have prepared for,you stand a better chance of winning.
A good example is a Chimera placed so that an Ork Mob can assault
them. No matter what happens to the Chimera, the Mob isnow piled up
to get burned by Hellhounds. Another good example is a Seer
Council. The Council cant win a game, but it can cause your
opponent to lose by drawing
all the fire onto it instead of important targets. Even the best
opponent can be enticed if the bait is good enough.
5) Plans are nothing, planning is everything. EisenhowerUnless
youre very lucky, you wont be able to do what you expected to do
with everyunit when the game started. However, if you didnt make
plans before you placed amodel on the board, youve conceded the
initiative to your opponent. Always approach the table with a plan.
Then make a new one after you know what youre facing.And then spend
every turn during your opponents moves making a new one.
Planningeffects every single aspect of the game, from army
construction on up.
