"loaded dice and tournaments" Topic

I read a comment on another forum that the purpose of mixed dice targets is to frustrate the use of loaded dice at tournaments. An example of mixed dice targets: you want high rolls for combat but low rolls for morale.

I always found mixed targets a pain, but then I don't play in conventions. How about tournaments just requiring players to let the opponent use their dice on alternate turns if requested? A refusal forfeits the game.

I recall Barker working on a set of modern rules where the to-hit dice were left by the target and used by the owning player to resolve the effect of hits, negating loaded dice in one easy step.

If your using loaded dice for playing a wargame you have some psychological issues and need to see a therapist about your self esteem issues.

Here in Texas if you cheat in a wargame its a Hanging offense, but to be fair everything in Texas is a hanging offense.

I was thinking more of broken thumbs. That's New York style.

Yes then it is hard to eat Coney Island Hot Dogs with your thumbs in a cast. Death is kinder

It always seems so funny to me that this behavior is so easy to spot, and the small number of players that cheat this way seem to think they are clever.

If it is a "real" tournament, then have an official make a ruling on dice.

Better yet---2 roll at start---take your cup of dice and roll, pick out all "6" values and roll again---you will need to do some explaining if your dice are that repeatable

Just sad that this would be an issue at all.

If one was into cheating this way, being a dice mechanic would be better. You can let anyone use your dice, and use anyones dice at will, and the changing targets don't matter in the slightest. All you need to do is practice, practice, practice.

Of course that would be real work and most cheaters are allergic to that type of work.

Well, dice towers fix the dice mechanic problem, don't they?

I have less of an issue with dice cheats (don't play tournaments) than with mixed targets. I prefer rules where all high rolls are good or all low rolls, but please don't mix 'em up.

Would it be prudent for those running the tournament to supply everyone with dice? No exceptions.

Night Wish said it.

Chesex makes "cheat dice" Incredibly easy to mix a few in. In some case people may have picked up a few spare dice to add to their collection not realizing they are weighted or have 2 x 6 pips. How often have you seen dice left on the floor or hidden in terrain in a game store?

Has this actually ever happened?

It did happen to me. The Egyptians were winning almost all their melees. I checked their dice and they were loaded 7/11 style (6-2 on one die and all 5's on the other). Thankfully, it was a solo game and I had forgotten about the novelty dice from the collection.

Cheated by yourself? Amazing.

I have surprised myself when playing solo. That's why I stopped.

I had a good laugh at my own expense.

No

But I head off the problem. At the start of each OGABAS "Oh God! Anything But a Six!!!!" I dump out the dice bag which has 75 identical pink dice with white spots. No other dice are allowed. for "Magnolia's Mint Juleps N' Gritz" 36 blue die for the Union and 36 red dice for the Confederates are sused. For "The Shattered Century" , Between the Wars and mid WWII Green die and yellow dice are used. For my Ancient Game "Honey I Sacraficed the Kids!!!" we use throwing sticks not dice. I've had people ask to use their own dice now and then. I always reply. "Why would I allow you to do that and forfeit such a huge reserve of excuses for your bad play."

I often wonder what I would do if I found an opposing gamer using loaded die. I resolved on a simple solution, whenever it came to my part to roll die, I would simple pick the requisite number and place them down on the table top with the face showing that was a lose. If for example the rules favored high rolls, I would place down "ones." If it favored low rolls, I would place down sixes.

Otto, why would you even bother? Why wouldn't you just forfeit the game instead of continuing to waste more of your time?

Dear Cambria

Very simple. The time is not wasted because psychologically the cheater will be in a huge bit of discomfort because he will know he has been found out, and it sends a clear message to all who are around. Rather than say "You are a lousy cheat!" You prolong it over hours and the cheaters own desire to win will keep him there taking ever bit of silent abuse because he HAS to win! He can't leave for the embarrassment, he WANTS to stay around and win.

Easy solution is to ask to use his/her dice.

I can't believe that anyone would want to win a wargame bad enough to resort to this. A bad case of Tournament Victory Syndrome (TVS).

I've never come accross loaded dice. However, there was a guy in the club who always used the same dice for every ASL game. They had a tendency to roll low -which in ASL is, usually, a good thing- but he got enough high rolls with the same dice to avoid accusations of cheating. I think that it wasn't that the dice were loaded, but that had became "unbalanced" by the constant use. In the end he was forbidden to use those dices.