"Is your tournament army composition set in stone?" Topic

I don't want to take up space or hijack the "15mm vs 25mm DBA" thread, so I thought I would start a tangential discussion.

I referenced on the previous thread a guy I thought who was REALLY cheap. He had a single 15mm psioli element above and beyond his tournament requirements, and had offered it for sale on a DBM group. It occurred to me that shippping alone would be more than the stand was worth.
Then, onm the same thread, it was mentioned that someone was selling a single FoW HMG.

I play FoW about twice a month, and that seems just foolish to me. We play scenarios, and I have a wide variety of "approved" troops available to match my needs.
I have not played tournaments in years, and when I did they were in WRG or Warrior Ancients. I was ALWAYS tinkering with my lists.

So, are you a cheap SOB, and have your tournament composition set in stone?

Hmmm…
Maybe that should read "…tournament army composition…" instead.

FoW events are always limited by period and even more often these days beyond that by specific campaign themes. You may miss out on a lot of FoW events if you just had one exact collection that never changed.

I agree. I would be mortified if I suddenly needed that HMG team I had sold.

I collect armies. Then I build my tournament lists from the pool of what I have available. I highly doubt I'll ever run all 42 shermans I have, except maybe a scenario some day :)

Never have built a "tournament only army" except for the Necrons when they first came out – and even then I had a few mix and match troops to substitute in at various times depending on the group I was gaming against. Now, they are just as diverse as my other armies with plenty of optional extra troops, with a panoply of supporting cast choices. In FoW or other systems, never have built a tournament only list. I have, however, built every model you could take for a WRG army list – my Nikephorian Byzantine Army had every figure you could purchase under the original listing – and I've not painted much to supplement them since then because I've not gamed with the army as much since my opponent base and the rules systems changed dramatically since I built them.

Your Nikephoreans sound like my old Seleucids.
"It's not an Army List, it's a shopping list!"

I am not a tournament player, but I do have several forces that are "set in stone".

For example I have a "small" WHFB force of Dark Elves.
It contains one block each of Warriors and Corsairs. Two small units of crossbows. A minimum unit of Knights. Lead by a Sorceress. It totals out to just about 1000 points. This force never changes, it is always used just as it is listed.

But I do also have larger collection forces that allow for options.

I highly doubt I'll ever run all 42 shermans I have, except maybe a scenario some day :)

I read that they lowered the points to 65, so you never know!
I only have 24 Shermans.

I never run the same list twice between games! In terms of tournaments, I might not even run the same army back-to-back!

I have a whole company of Pz IIIs -- battalion if I use some of my earlier models as well as the ones that have been "retired." Not as many Shermans, but when PSC does US M3 half-tracks, I'll probably do companies worth of Shermans, of several models…

Damon.

Actually, my regular FOW gaming army was pretty well set in stone (when I played regularly).

Fearless Veteran Germans in halftracks, 2 platoons. Heavy platoon with 8cm mortars and 4x sMG42s, PAK40s, 120mm mortars. Scout Platoon. Stugs.

Or, 3 platoons of Fearless Veteran Germans in trucks, same supporting weapons.

GW games lend themselves to "leaf blower" lists. I noticed that people will get a list and that is it. They only run that list. Or at most they have a list for hordes and one for armor.
FoW does require a bit more flexibility in my experience. I think this is largely due to the period issue.

When I am first building an army I have a starting army size, which for most rule systems has a points budget. When this first project is complete some games are played. Then when I return to the painting table, perhaps after a prolonged break, I paint up some additional options.

So for a period of time I may have what could be classed as a "tournament army".However, while I play in tournaments they are far from my main interest.

Nope – I actually don't often play in tournaments, but my armies are nothing if no flexible

Usually set on paper…

I am cheap so tend not to go all options. My armies tend to be set in greenware – I like to keep the same composition for a good while to learn the ins and outs of that mix rather than swapping out bits every round.

Yes, outside of GW changing the rules and units and me changing out some wargear.

But I have not been to one in over ten years.

GW changed the rules and units once to often.

I end up building complete new armies rather than morphing or reorganising existing ones … Existing ancient/medieval armies I try to use each one at least once a year …

With existing ones, they seldom get changed because it is too much fuss to meddle with the formula.

That said, we used my Condotta Italians in the Northern Doubles at the weekend (900 FoG points), and I enjoyed it enough to think about giving it another run out in singles (800 points) so the Florentines might get a temporary reorg.

Non-tournament orientated stuff can get meddled with a lot more of course … (but that wasn't the topic posted …)..

I haven't sold anything off for years and can't imagine anyone selling a single element – then again, thousands of people play DBA, so one eccentric amongst thousand is probably statistically normal so shouldn't count for a great deal …

I think seeing that lone psiloi stand for sale has emotionally scarred the OFM for life

I build most of my DBA armies as 'all options', or at least a whole bunch of options, and some unofficial options stolen from the DBM lists too. Tar daubed flaming pigs forever! My Republican Roman armies all have extra stands of psiloi even, in case I want to throw them in for a big battle scenario. But the Medieval French have plenty enough options without buying and painting the 25 ing figures of Jacquerie warband that are only used in a 5 year historical window.

I play lots of tournaments. None of my armies are built to a specific tournament composition although I will use the same exact army at more than one tournament on occasion.

My games room is in danger of floor collapse under the weight of pained 15mm figures.

The idea of selling that one 'spare' element of psiloi is something I simply cannot comprehend.

I don't do tourneys yet…. but, I already pretty much own everything….. so I drank the coolaide… in long deep gulps.

I am confident that I have enough different stuff that someday I could stumble upon something that worked for a tourney…. but I would continually change it as I love variety….

It is the spice of life don't ya know….

Nope. Very flexible.

I have a couple of preferred armies… but it's because I like to field my conversions for 653rd Schwere Panzerjager… not because I'm cheap…

My 4.PD army is going to be fairly flexible (can run as a Panther Co or P4 company for starters) – though I'll probably always include my Luchs… :D

Havent played a tournament but I adapt forces.
I've been playing 1st FJ vs 4th Indian and discovered Stugs rarely seem to able to beat Churchills so I scrapped the Stugs in favour of a full platoon of Pak40's. Upgraded to 1250pt games and added FJ 88's.
I'm planning to update my Gebirgsjager as I go. I'm fielding 2 Tigers for my starter list and if I dont like em I'll scrap em and free up 430pts.

I contest that having a tournament army set in stone makes you a cheap SOB.

I have numerous HOTT armies set in stone, because that is what I painted for that army for a particular tournament. Those armies are themed or fit the source and there is no need for extra elements. Other HOTT armies have loads of spares.

My FOG tournament armies are generlaly set in stone because I'm comfortable with the troops I have in them and consequently feel I play better. I do however have loads of extra elements in case we vary points played or I need them for a scenario, so I'm not likely to sell off single elements.

Why should it bother someone if another person decides to sell something they no longer need or want? How can it possibly hurt or upset them enough to call someone a cheap SOB for selling a single base?

Agreed, stenicplus …

I think morphing a particular amy with the addition of a few elements to make it into something it isn't (one set of knights to do all the Middle Ages sort of thing …) is the cheap option.

By all means do that for a taster game or two – but if you really want to fight with a French 100 Years War army, go buy and paint one! Work out the most sensible organisation for it, then enjoy the results (whilst moving on to a new project for your next army) ….

Happy days – a new project beckons …

Phil

The only army I have set in stone is my Rolling Stone HOTT army, but I'd happily sell them since I can easily find more rocks.

Other armies should have some options for campaigning in different regions (i.e., different opponents or situations). Though my African Vandal army IS virtually identical whatever the situation. But if I were to play in a tournament, I would only bring that one if wanting plenty of time between short games to shop etc.

I'm another one of the "have at least one of everything- better still four- so you can do whatever list you want" school of thought. I don't play tournaments, just scenario games and convention games, and like to have a lot of flexibility. This is why I have Soviets, US, Brits, New Zealand, French, Italians, Germans, Finns, and a few Romanians and Hungarians floating around. Half of the fun of getting a new book full of lists is being able to look through them and say, "I can do that one- and that one- and that one-" etc.
Patrick

I tend to start an army by buying for a club event, then growing it later if it keeps my interest.

That's how my Churchill Squadron started for FoW. Now far to many points to play with in an evening!

That said, when I bought my DBA army, I bought all the possibilities for it.

No, mine are paper and ink, generally.

Less "word of grud" and more "spur of the moment".

With over 10,000pts of both SM and Eldar, and enough unit choices, I could play three concurrent games at 2000pts and use different models for each FOC choice, so flexibility is not a problem.

I play to put the units I like the look of on the table. they are not necessarily the most capable or most effective choices. That's ok, though. It's not about the winning, but the mandollies carnage.