Welcome to what I hope will be a long endeavor. I am Edge, Sandman on most forums.
Martial Law asked me to share my brand of 40K Tactics learned and tested on many tables against a variety of opponents.
There are innumerable Tactica pages on the internet and this page might lend you some wisdom or it might repeat what you know. I am not and do not claim to be the greatest 40K player in my area or anywhere. I have been playing 40K since 1998 with most of my experience acquired in 5th edition. I do have over 20+ years of tabletop gaming experience across multiple systems and have a background in World War I and II and Revolutionary eras. I enjoy the tabletop game and like to test my knowledge and experience against anyone who steps up to the other side.
Lets get started shall we?
I do not intend to rewrite such good Tactica like the ‘Nine Principles of War’ by Rogue428. I do intend to outline my version of the Basic Tactica for 5th edition 40K and then will go into Advanced Tactica with a few of the Codex armies I am familiar and comfortable with on the tabletop. This Tactica is meant for those that wish to attend Tourneys, play competitive games and have fun while doing so.
The Basics, developing and honing your Tactics on the tabletop:
I believe Tactics do not begin when you deploy your forces on the table. Nor do they begin when you sit down and read the Codex and design a list for a game. I believe Tactics begin in the store when you are standing there looking at the shelves and trying to determine what to purchase. Tactics are further developed when you sit down and build and paint the models you acquired. For example, I go to my FLGS and peruse the goods. I see a box of Tactical Marines and start thinking to myself, “Am I going to run this squad in a Drop pod? In a Rhino or Razorback? In a Land Raider? Leave them for a backfield objective holder? What colors are they going to be (the color of the units actually help you on the table…this will be explained in further detail later) ???”. I don’t have a huge disposable income being a husband and father of three…so my choices have to be planned ahead of time. I also don’t have much free time to paint so again I have to plan my assembly and my paint time accordingly.
1. Know the Rules
It is CRITICAL that you know the Basic Rulebook (BRB) in its ENTIRETY. Remember it is a game that relies on two persons pitting it out for 1-3 hours. If you don’t know the rules how do you know what you can and can’t do on the table? Better yet, how do you know when your opponent makes a mistake? Honor and Integrity should be part of the game, but people are people and not everyone lives by your standards. If you are a Rookie on the table you might be taken advantage of through your lack of rules knowledge. You may have heard the term ‘Seal-clubber’, these are the people that will exploit your ignorance. Are they cheating? You won’t know unless you understand what they are doing and support your claim with the BRB. There is nothing more frustrating than playing for 4 hours in what should be a 2 hour game because you or your opponent does not know the rules.
2. Know your Army
It is CRITICAL you read your Codex and then read it again and again until you have memorized every unit and stat for your army. The hardest thing you will face on the table is when you have to stop your game to look in your Codex for a stat or ability or whatever else you don’t know offhand. Ignorance of your Codex leads to Hesitation. Hesitation leads to Doubt. Doubt leads to a Missed Opportunity on the tabletop. You can’t go back a turn or phase in a Tourney…
It is also just as important that you stay up to date on your Codex FAQ’s. Rules will change and you must be aware of those changes. Your opponent relies on your knowledge of your army so they can have an enjoyable game as well.
3. Know the Environment
You will spend hours upon hours in the same environment while playing 40K, it is important that you know and understand the parameters of the environment. More on this topic will be explained in later posts.
I. The table is 6’ x 4’…72” x 48”; 86.5” corner to corner; 43” center to corner.
Divided into 6 24” x 24” sectors, subdivided into 4 12” x 12” sectors for a total of 24 12” x 12” sectors.
II. Caveat - Not including special missions that have unusual deployment.
You deploy on one long side and have two flanks (short sides).
Your opponent deploys on the opposite long side.
III. There are three standard deployments:
Pitched Battle – you deploy 12” from your long edge.
Dawn of War – you deploy based on first or second turn, 24” from your long edge or 18” from nearest enemy unit up to 24” from your long edge.
Spearhead – One Quarter of the table 24” from one short side and 24” from the corresponding long side and 12” from the center of the table.
IV. There are between 5 and 7 turns in a game. This means you have limited time and must plan each turn accordingly and hopefully know what you will do the next turn or more beforehand.
V. There are 3 main phases of a Turn: Movement, Shooting, Assault. You should have a strong grasp of all 3 phases and how they interrelate.
4. Know your Enemy
Knowledge is the best weapon you can acquire for any Codex you put on the tabletop. You should purchase all of the Codices or have readily available information on all of the armies in 40K for you to become superior on the tabletop. It is vital you understand the FOC, the point costs, the stat lines, the wargear and the abilities of each Codex you will face off against.
I bring the Codex and current FAQ for each army to all tournaments. If there is a question, and questions will arise, you can arbitrate the issue then and there and not waste time waiting for a Judge/TO. I have played at tourneys where the TO made a judgment call and they were wrong. Life Learning Lesson.
It is also very beneficial if you actually play the other armies so that you know their weaknesses and strengths. If you are aware of what they are susceptible to you can beat them by using that knowledge. If you know what they are strong at you can beat them by mitigating that strength on the table.
The next series of posts I will discuss everyone’s favorite FANBOY army;
Codex Space Marines…with interludes into Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Black Templar and Space Wolves.
How to build them.
How to play them.
How to beat them.
If there is a particular issue you would like discussed, drop a comment…
Subject: Tactics made Easy - Basics 
Sat Mar 05, 2011 11:54 am
