Why "Comp" is killing Competitive 40k

I’m not going to sit here and think that I will convince everyone that comp is a bad thing. People are used to it and may even believe that it levels the playing field between codexes.

I take the opposite stance. It does not level the playing field. It limits us as gamers. So I want to take the time to put together an outstandingly brutal list that is built to not only wipe my opponent off the table but win the match, wait, what? I get penalized and dropped in standings because I can figure these codexi out? What a bunch of crap that is.

Comp limits us as gamers because it specifically says “If you take this unit you get dinged in points”. Why? This is supposed to be a competitive setting. I did not come to a tournament to play a beer and pretzels game. I came to a tournament to get my ass handed to me and learn from those that are better than me. Next tournament I’ll do better and teach a few people things. What is the point of playing in a competitive environment if you take the competition out?

Am I disillusioned enough to think that nob bikers are not great? No. I’ve played them. Are they unbeatable? No. Is Vulkan so overpowered that I should take a penalty if I include him in my army? No.

Perhaps we should just start penalizing people if they fill their 1850 list to the max of 1850? It’s just as arbitrary. Oh you squeezed that extra 2 points into your army? -10 Battle points.

Am I the only one that sees comp this way? If you have to rely on the comp system to make your army a worthwhile choice, why are you playing in a competitive environment? Honestly, if you don’t have what it takes to stand up and take your licks (I Did) and learn how to build a strong army AND play it with good tactics, why are you playing this game? For fun? If that is the case you do not belong in a tournament. If you can, and prove your mettle against all the competition, take your prize, and the glory and enjoy it knowing that you have what it takes to play competitively.

Comp kills our competitive environments because it limits what we are allowed to come up with for our armies. You show up at a comp tourney and you see 10 Space Marine armies that are 90% the same, and you see maybe 6 other armies that are built to a different standard. Who usually wins? The xenos. Why? Because all the comp systems are built around the Space Marine Codex. The Xenos are built around fluff.

Ever seen that super anti-Space Marine army play against a xeno army? 7/10 times it get’s it’s ass handed back in it’s transports.

So what do we gain by playing comp tourneys? Well, you get your options limited, you get your creativity stifled, and you get somebody else’s sense of how the game should be played shoved down your throat.

I challenge each and every one of you to build the nastiest list you can and go play in a non-comp tourney. Why? Because you will see that it is not about the list, it is about tactics. Yes your list will help you, but without a plan of action you will get bogged down with so many mundane rules and special effects that you will forget what you need to do. I’ve been there. I’ve done it. I’ve forgotten snikrot behind cover on my opponent’s edge within an inch of a terminator assault squad that would have been crushed had I charged.

My plea: Drop Comp, let people learn what a competitive environment really is. Let them build tactics, Let them build their army to be theirs, not a cookie cutter “NetDeck” yes, it’s brutal, yes it can lead to hurt feelings over a crushing defeat, but you know what else it leads to? Original thought. Nobody learns much by winning every game because comp limited your opponent but not you. Everybody learns something when the guy across from you kicks your ass because you don’t know how to use tactics to win.

I’m not encouraging “That Guy” to be an ass and lord it over his opponents when he wins, I’m not encouraging cheaters, I’m encouraging original thought and to step out of the mold and look at your codex so that when you go to a tournament, you’re more worried about YOUR army than you are about YOUR OPPONENT’s army.

Also, a few points that have been brought up is that comp is used to make things "Fair" or "Fairer" for the people that play outdated codexi, I'm calling bullshit on this. Dark Eldar, Necrons, Tau, Inquisitors, and Eldar all have some of the most competitive armies in existance. No Dice there folks.

Also cripling somebody elses army so yours does better should be done on the battlefield. not bo somebody who thinks that orks are too powerful. Duh, that is the point of the game isn't it?