Throwing a game

[Vergilnecros87]

i dont ever throw games but i do play with drawbacks when im teaching. i also help them build their list and explain what every unit and their rules/gear are with reminders in game. example being i wanted to see how a blob of bloodletters+skulltaker would do in my dark eldar list. figured the field pressence would be funny. brother plays grey knights...pretty crushing loss on my end. next game was dark eldar again. pure list. was closer but he scraped a victory. i didnt throw the match just didnt make "quit the game forever" lists. most recent was my wolves vs his knights. told him outright that my list was unkind and gave him tactical advice. i lost no units. felt bad until he said and i quote "i got over confident because of the last few games and didnt think clearly. i wanna play again when i get better at list building."

[akahdrin]

If you're trying to make people better, letting them win is counter productive.

[Eppe]

If you're trying to make people better, letting them win is counter productive.

This isn't about teaching strategy, it's about teaching the rules. One of my friends knows more about historical battle's and great generals/strategies than anyone I know. You would think he would be a tactical genius. However he didn't know the rules and was unable to adapt those tactics into the GAME of Warhammer. It's hard to learn the rules when you are getting shut down and the rules are learning what you can and can't do is more important than anything imo. I wanted him to try HIS tactics and see how they worked with in the rules of Warhammer.

[BooTMGSG]

There are a couple ways to throw a game.
1.) Absentminded, forget some units, or forget to use an ability in the apropriate phase.
2.) You know that daft high risk, high reward strategy your've always wanted to try, but was afraid to try in a real game. DO IT!
3.) Heroic moment. Launch your deck out character into certain death, for a heroic battle.
4.) Play agressively, place your best guns right at the front so they can get a clear and in range shot as quickly as posisible.
5.) Reduce your decision time, be impulsive.

[Thoth62]

If you're trying to make people better, letting them win is counter productive.

But if you're trying to get someone interested in the hobby, the best way is to make sure they really enjoy their first couple experiences. While that may not mean that you should let them win, it certainly helps if you make the games as close and interesting as possible.

When I first got into the hobby, I remember my first full game with my own miniatures. I brought 1000 points down to the local GW and was promptly put on the wrong end of an ass-kicking because some jack-off 30 y.o. thought it'd be fun to beat up on a 15 y.o. The worst part? My opponent offered to play against me knowing that it was my first real game. Luckily, it didn't chase me from the hobby. Ten years later, still going strong.

[Cheeslord]

If its about giving someone new to the game an enjoyable experience, I suggest you openly give them an advantage (maybe 50% extra points, or give them an optimised army list while you take a "back of the shelf" assortment of misfit units). That way you still should have a close game (and maybe they will win), but don't have to lie to them about it (and if it comes out later that you were throwing the game that may well upset them).

On the other hand if you are throwing the game as a prop to your ego, so you don't feel you have been really 'beaten', then you are probably already losing - just act predictably - you opponent will have something effective set up (deathstar, gunline etc.), so just keep throwing troops into it that have little to no chance of surviving. If they DO have a chance of beating your opponents uber-unit, declare that they have no chance and send them off to go after some other inconsequential enemy. Declare any shooting/charging of your opponent to be "definitely in range" before they measure. likewise declare any shooting/charging you do to be "definitely out of range" with only a cursory attempt to measure it if it looks at all marginal. Also ignore the actual mission objective and just try to kill your opponent. Take your turn quickly, too, since in this case you probably have no interest in prolonging things. Concede as soon as it is realistically possible to do so.

Hope this "helps",

Mark.

[Schismotive]

If I wanted to lose I'd go CC with my black templars. zing.

But seriously I don't really throw games for new players or anything like that, because I'm a casual semi-competitive gamer. I've met beginner players who practically throw temper tantrums when it looks like they may lose... but just don't be a douche and people wont hate you for winning

[ShadyMonkie]

Instead of throwing a game, i suggest taking different aspect of the game into your list.
Let him/her see the little bit of everything; psychic power/CC/shooting/tanks/bikers/etc.

Showing a bit of everything that is about 40k will be more beneficial for the new player and help them to find out what kind of army/style they like.

[RandomThoughts]

Instead of throwing a game, i suggest taking different aspect of the game into your list.
Let him/her see the little bit of everything; psychic power/CC/shooting/tanks/bikers/etc.

Showing a bit of everything that is about 40k will be more beneficial for the new player and help them to find out what kind of army/style they like.

Some pretty good advice, in my opinion. But only feasable if you can build the list accordingly before the game. I seldom carry more than a single pre-prepared army or two to my LGS.

[Heidel]

I would never throw a game, it's kind of condescending.

[orkmiester]

Some pretty good advice, in my opinion. But only feasable if you can build the list accordingly before the game. I seldom carry more than a single pre-prepared army or two to my LGS.

this is the situation that occurs quite regularly, it all depends upon whether the new player has an army or is starting from scratch.

However at the club i attend we make efforts to ensure that new players do not face the 'experts' from the get go, i tend to end up facing them. But in these cases i have to run my usuall list etc because it is usually what i have brought, expecting to face the regulars Though i would never throw the game deliberatley, i'd rather show what an army can do in 'competent' () hands and then point out where they did things wrong, then after the game offer points about list building.

A memorable game was the first time I played a new memember of our club who used blood angels Vs my Dark Eldar. I showed him how not to fight them, and pretty much slaughtered him, I then made the point that with his list at the time he should have sat back and shot me rather than charge straight for me

just my take on the matter

[Novafix]

The next battle when his hero tangles with your lord, give a good "Muah ha ha, behold true power!" andTurn him into a summoned greater daemon. This is very cinematic, and automatically gives the other player points for killing the warlord on the sly.

I did this once unintentionally as I'd messed up my army list...

"Behold my Sorceror will now kill you all! I'll just roll for my reserves first of all. What do you mean I've no other characters on the board?..."

[zam2]

Just cut the crap and concede.

You stop wasting your time and you stop wasting your opponents time as well, trying to continue and "slyly" lose a game you have no heart to continue is not only disrespectful but highly insulting to your opponents playing ability and gerenalship. On the topic of intro games you shouldn't really be treating it as a regular game in the first place, since you're just trying to introduce to concept of the game and the basic mechanics of it to a prospective player.

[Stemothy]

I am in no way in favor of throwing a game. Having said that, I am a newer player (started in Dec with Necrons). My first game was against one of my Soldiers at our local FLGS. He played IG and pulled a complete dick move. We agreed on 1000pts so he brings 3 Leman Russ tanks. Needless to say he conga lined his infantry to the objectives and sat his tanks back to blast me. It was no fun and its a common practice for IG (as I have seen). Im not saying he should have let me win but its like learning basketball for the first time, and then getting dunked on in your face... You gotta go easy or explain the consequences. I dont mind losing anymore but back then it was frustrating.