Perils of Composition - Broken Comp

There's been some chatter around the web today about comp here and there, and I thought I'd do a little thought experiment to help highlight what I feel are the perils of the system.

Let's get a couple of assertions out of the way ...

Let us presume that 40k is a relatively balanced game, where almost every codex can put a list together that will enable a SKILLED player to compete at a tournament level where they don't know their opponents and the missions are "fair." I think this isn't an unfair presumption ... and I challenge someone to put forth a dex that doesn't fall under this category. Trust me when I say that demonhunters and necrons are both able to do this. Demonhunters most especially due to the allies rule (for better or worse, my point is not theme here at the moment ... just competitive capacity).

The problems with codex creep and balance are not that older codices cannot compete, just that with each new dex, the older dexes have FEWER builds that can compete. This number will never reach "zero," it will just shrink ... at this point, some of the very old dexes are already at the "1" point where they have one competitive build and that's it. Dark Eldar come to mind. While lamentable, this doesn't represent a broken situation - just one where if you choose to use an older army, you'll be more limited on your competitive builds until your codices are revamped and you can join the rejoicing crowds of wolves, guardsmen, and angels who can field 20 competitive builds each.

Onto my point, while there are many different rationales for instituting composition restrictions, the long and short is that they represent an amateur (in the form of a tournament organizer or organizers) attempting to restrict the game in a way that will enable older codices or less "potent" list builders to be on more of a level playing field.

An example of a composition restriction I ran into recently for a 1750 event restricted the players to 200 points for Heavy and Fast choices, 250 points for Elite and HQ choices, and the rest to Troops. You also cannot duplicate a FOC choice outside of Troops (weapons regardless, meaning you can't have 2 of the same unit, period). The intent is obviously to "rebalance" peoples' limitations and thus improve the "fun" for all - including noncompetitive list builders.

Alright, fair enough, but what if someone brings this ...

Company Command Squad w/ 2 Meltaguns, Chimera (Multilaser and Heavy Flamer) - 125
Lord Comissar, Chimera (Multilaser and Heavy Flamer) - 125

4+Overseer Psyker Battle Squad, Chimera (Multilaser and Heavy Flamer) - 115
Ogryn Squad - 130 (goes in Lord Com's Chimera)

Veteran Guard Squad w/ 3 Meltaguns, Chimera (Multilaser and Heavy Flamer) - 155
Veteran Guard Squad w/ 3 Meltaguns, Chimera (Multilaser and Heavy Flamer) - 155
Veteran Guard Squad w/ 3 Meltaguns, Chimera (Multilaser and Heavy Flamer) - 155
Veteran Guard Squad w/ 3 Meltaguns, Chimera (Multilaser and Heavy Flamer) - 155
Veteran Guard Squad w/ 3 Meltaguns, Chimera (Multilaser and Heavy Flamer) - 155
Veteran Guard Squad w/ 3 Meltaguns, Chimera (Multilaser and Heavy Flamer) - 155

3 x Armored Sentinel w/ Autocannon - 120

Hydra Flak Tank w/ Heavy Flamer Hull - 75
Basilisk w/ Heavy Flamer Hull - 125

That's 14 AV12 vehicles, 11 Heavy Flamers, 20 BS4 Meltaguns, 5 Autocannons, 9 Multilasers, some ordnance, and plenty of annoying other crap and bodies at 1750 and fully within the composition restrictions. In fact, Elite and Fast Attack haven't hit the cap, and per the apparent intent Troops are maxed out.

We see the problem?

I could go through any composition system, as could most anyone, and "break" it ... I could field the above list, too, with little effort or expenditure. It'd be fully painted and very nice looking, yatta yatta.

I can guarantee that armies such as Dark Eldar, Demonhunters, Necron, and others are FAR more hurt by the comp restrictions above than the competitive builds. More importantly, I can guarantee that the people who STRUGGLE to own / build strong lists will struggle even more. I can further guarantee this will not help the people who like to bring purely thematic armies.

This isn't a knock on the system - in reality, a social contract should be vibrantly apparent here, where you should either not come, or bring a "relaxed" army build ... that's affirmatively what the tournament organizer WANTS you to do. What forces people to do this, though? Worse, what if someone brings a powerful build but DIDN'T try to break the comp? What if that's all he could do with the models he had?

Will that person be branded a "douche" for intentionally breaking the compa, also? The person who does it on purpose deserves it, but this theoretical innocent sure doesn't.

Show me a perfect comp system for 40k that can't be broken and destroyed in purpose anyway, and tell me what the purpose of it is, and I'll consider running that comp system personally in smaller events.

For Fantasy, it's a different beast, b/c pending the details of 8th edition, it's a far more broken system ... it needs comp, or it's pointless to play / bring any but a few builds. Where in 40k, the power curve has given variety of competitiveness to new books and limited variety of older books, in Fantasy there's basically a limited competitive spectrum to the NEW books, and the older books might as well not even bother. Different beast, where even an amateur's stab at comp has to be attempted.



Comp presents the opportunity for very dangerous and muddy waters, where often times verbal abuse is heaped upon the wrong people, and the right people aren't helped at all. Consider the impacts carefully before you go forward with it, and make sure your own personal bias and metagame experience isn't finding its way into the system.

Whatever you do, make it immensely transparent! We all have heard about one of the GT's recently that did a "secret" comp, rated people behind closed doors, and then had some of its own organizers participate in the event.

Food for thought,
- Mike