Ard Boyz Rumored Dead

[Sexiest_hero]

I won with nids up to the final round 2 years straight. that saied I'm glad to see it go. t brought out the worst of the ultra competitive players: Going home after one non massacre win. I swear I wonn 1/3 of m matchs because somebody ragequit after round one. also the whining about the missions and people who won, the constant arguing in store. the cring over the final prize not being as good as the 2nd round. Good riddance. I don't blame GW, Ard boys alwas brought out the worst in people and left bad feelings for months. that's the last thing a hobby needs.

[Lord Inquisitor]

I'll be very sad if Ard Boyz are gone for good. Great for drawing in new players to the game stores, great for some nice prize support at zero cost tournaments. I know the prelims were great for drawing in new players as they're advertised by GW, cost nothing and don't require paint.

I've played in Ard Boyz both 40K and WFB for the last three years and I've never seen any of the behaviour that some people ascribe to Ard Boyz. I've had some of the most memorable and enjoyable games at Ard Boyz. Filthy lists? Sure! But that's what it's about. There's a difference between bad sports and having a powerful list. [Edit: I've certainly never seen anyone ragequit!]

As far as I could tell the lack of a paint restriction actually meant little, because at least after the first round, people who are doing well are established tournament players who obviously use their armies for other events (which require paint). Typically you'll see a fully painted army with only the 3rd and 4th hydra unpainted. As for sportsmanship, I find that bad sports tend to attend tournaments whether there's a sports score or not. This whole thing about Ard Boyz being populated by a special breed of socially awkward numpties with unpainted armies seems to be a myth as far as I can tell. It was also a great vehicle for really stress-testing WFB, with some of the silliest, most extreme lists you could imagine, it's really fun to kick all the comp to the curb and see all the wacky lists people will bring out, like the 18 war machine Empire list or double Slaan or whatnot.

Ah well, if it's gone, it's gone. Damn. It was fun while it lasted.

[razormasticator]

I'll be very sad if Ard Boyz are gone for good. Great for drawing in new players to the game stores, great for some nice prize support at zero cost tournaments. I know the prelims were great for drawing in new players as they're advertised by GW, cost nothing and don't require paint.

I've played in Ard Boyz both 40K and WFB for the last three years and I've never seen any of the behaviour that some people ascribe to Ard Boyz. I've had some of the most memorable and enjoyable games at Ard Boyz. Filthy lists? Sure! But that's what it's about. There's a difference between bad sports and having a powerful list. [Edit: I've certainly never seen anyone ragequit!]

As far as I could tell the lack of a paint restriction actually meant little, because at least after the first round, people who are doing well are established tournament players who obviously use their armies for other events (which require paint). Typically you'll see a fully painted army with only the 3rd and 4th hydra unpainted. As for sportsmanship, I find that bad sports tend to attend tournaments whether there's a sports score or not. This whole thing about Ard Boyz being populated by a special breed of socially awkward numpties with unpainted armies seems to be a myth as far as I can tell. It was also a great vehicle for really stress-testing WFB, with some of the silliest, most extreme lists you could imagine, it's really fun to kick all the comp to the curb and see all the wacky lists people will bring out, like the 18 war machine Empire list or double Slaan or whatnot.

Ah well, if it's gone, it's gone. Damn. It was fun while it lasted.

Agreed on all counts. We did have 1 or 2 total cheese masters in my local store. But not as bad some make it out to be.

[Sexiest_hero]

The lists were fine, It was fun. but the complaints became unbearable. A small minority of vocal bad apples ruins the bunch. It's a pity.But one bound to happen.

[Ludaman]

Socially awkward numptie is now the insult of the day

[Odominus]

Originally Posted by silashand

In GW games there seems to be a rift between those who want competition and those who want a laid back game [...]. IMO it is the latter group who has done more to harm the game than the tournament players because they seem to me to be the ones refusing to admit that there is any other way to play the game than theirs. While tournament players are generally happy to let people play however they want, it is the fluff side that seems to feel they need to tell others how they have to enjoy the game.

This was true back then. It is still true today.

[Zahariel]

Originally Posted by silashand

In GW games there seems to be a rift between those who want competition and those who want a laid back game [...]. IMO it is the latter group who has done more to harm the game than the tournament players because they seem to me to be the ones refusing to admit that there is any other way to play the game than theirs. While tournament players are generally happy to let people play however they want, it is the fluff side that seems to feel they need to tell others how they have to enjoy the game.

Now you see I class myself as a laid back fluff player, never been to a tourney, and I can make generalizations just as well as the best of them. The tourny/competitive lot could play in bear skins scratching each others left buttocks for all the difference it really makes to me. But rather than saying "it's the fluff bunnies" or "it's the waac tourney guys" that are at fault, accept that it's the vocal minority from each camp chuntering away. We both want the same thing, to go chuck some dice and have fun wherever we choose to play. Tighter/balanced rules does not mean less fluff and vice versa.

I actually started on warseer to get away from this kind of silliness (tbh this is the first of seen of it on here).

[SanDiegoSurrealist]

I have only played in Ard' Boyz once and it was just a lot of fun.
Considering it is also the only 3000 point tourny I am aware of here in Southern California. I mean where else do you get to field almost everything/model in your book?
I brought 4 Stegs, 2 Slann and 150 Skinks in an 11 story folding tower that I sculpted just for Ard Boyz.
If you played it for the pure silly campiness of it and took it for what it was, had a couple of pints between each of your games, it was a blast!
Sorry to see it go.

Just for the record winners were-
1st - Daemons
2nd - Dark Elf (4 Hydras)
3rd - Daemons

[Brotheroracle]

I dunno, I mean, I gather top-level sports people take their activity quite seriously, pushing the rules to the limit (and beyond if they can get away with it) in order to win. Me, I'm all about kicking a ball around in the park, jumpers for goalposts and all that, but that doesn't mean I want to see the Premier League get shut down, y'know?

'Ard Boyz doesn't affect my hobby at all. If people go to such tournaments and take with them with an attitude I'd hate to play against, well, at least they're playing against like-minded people... live and let live. Without such an outlet for them to do that, they might end up looking for games against people like me instead. That's when it would negatively affect me.

So I won't be crying any tears over 'Ard Boyz demise but I certainly don't see any reason to celebrate it either.

Very well said.

[Lord Dan]

Hopefully they replace it with a similar tournament event. 'Arder Men- which requires fully painted models, bans special characters, and crowns best sportsman the overall winner.

[MajorWesJanson]

Hopefully they replace it with a similar tournament event. 'Arder Men- which requires fully painted models, bans special characters, and crowns best sportsman the overall winner.

Why ban special characters? If you do that, may as well take out other valid parts of the army, like monstrous creatures or level 4 sorcerers? If it is in the book, it is fair to use.

[IronBrother]

I've never understood people wanting to ban special characters for tournaments.

I have actually had more fun at the 'Ard Boyz that I went to, than the last few regular tournaments. Everyone can expect cheesy armies, so you can't really get mad about it. Seeing the weirder armies was always the best part.

[kharn138]

I've been playing 'Ard Boys for years and have only run into 2 bad sports in those years of playing (no where near that amount of ******* that people speculate on the internet). Some of my most enjoyable games came from 'Ard Boys, as well as some of my closest friends in the hobby. It's a shame if it's gone for good. Sure, the majority of the lists are nasty but it really tests you as a general and is a very rewarding feeling when you can shut someone's cheese down and overcome it with your own. It sounds scary from the outside, but you shouldn't knock it till you try it. It was great fun!

[Sexiest_hero]

I think ou people are getting me wrong, I love(ed) Ard boys. People leaving after a loss and draw is just a common tourny thing. I'm talking of all the scenario whining, people claiming cheating, game rigging, and other sore loser crap, that clogs ever website fro a month prior to 4 months after in EVERY online forum. From the crazy rule lawering to simple "people in your area suck, that's why you won". It was just the normal GW online only haters turned up to 10. GW was doing something cool and giving away a lot of free goodies in a tourny people didn't have to pay for or even paint, and all they got was massive online backlash from a bunch of gamers who don't know what good sportsmanship was. A parent looking into a kid getting into the hobby could stumble on a site, see the flames and chose something else for their child. I place the blame fully on those players.

[theshoveller]

Just out of interest, why does 'Ard Boyz have this negative reputation, but Throne of Skulls doesn't? Have I just missed people complaining about Throne of Skulls?

[Raffazza]

Just out of interest, why does 'Ard Boyz have this negative reputation, but Throne of Skulls doesn't? Have I just missed people complaining about Throne of Skulls?

ToS is a very different event - as evidenced by their weird (and wonderful? not sure, depends who you ask) criteria for deciding the winner.

[kenotic]

IMHO, all comps are silly. Especially in pick up games.
If you don't enjoy WFB/40K as it is, why not choose another better-written game?
I prefer Warhammer instead of someone's Comphammer and want to use all rules/models available.

Rules are rules, obey all or none.
That's why I really love 'ard boyz.

And no fully painted requirement is also a good thing IMO. Any rich WAACy guy can just bring a strong army which is paid to paint to any comped tournament.

[Cognitave]

Just out of interest, why does 'Ard Boyz have this negative reputation, but Throne of Skulls doesn't? Have I just missed people complaining about Throne of Skulls?

In my experience, you don't have to look every bloody thing up in the books for ToS. With 'Ard Boyz, I've heard dozens of tales of people being cheated when they went out on a limb and trusted their opponents. It came down to my friend and I keeping a copy of each book in my car, and we'd always have one on hand at all times of whatever our opponents were playing. The stories make it sound like your opponent is trying to stab you with a knife and take your wallet. But the simplicity of 'Ard Boyz lends itself to the nastiest of cut throat attitudes.

Not saying all competitive players are like that (being one myself), but I wouldn't be surprised if 90% or more of the horror stories are true.

[Badruk]

I'm sad to see that tournament go... It was a hell fun and funny tournament, were been abusive was permitted and suggested!
With that tourney, I saw so many strange army, that people will NEVER make in a regular tourney, juste because, the entry fee was nothing and it was more for fun that anything else!

[razormasticator]

Honestly I think one tournament circuit where you army isn't painted isn't such a big deal. There are a million tourney's where painting is required.
I keep seeing brought up, I don't know why it bothers people so much. There are many, many outlets for folks to take their painted armies to for competitive play.
Not so much for non painted armies.