How To Cheat In Tabletop Wargaming!

[Plynkes]

I had a friend who seemed to bring a tournament mentality to everything. He very much tip-toed the line of actually being a cheat, but was so competitive that playing with him was never any fun. He would argue every point of games law to the utmost degree to try and gain some advantage. If in the next game the positions were reversed, he would argue the exact opposite point just as vehemently with absolutely no shame or self-awareness. He similarly ruined many role-playing sessions with his incessant rules-lawyering.

He was also the sort of person who took it personally if he was overtaken by another car while driving, and could not rest easy until he had "regained the lead" in whatever race was being run in his head. This characteristic actually caused a traffic accident once, while I was a passenger in his car.

Can't remember the last time we gamed with him. It was many years ago, though. We put up with his nonsense because he was our friend. Luckily you sometimes drift away from people in later life. I think my gaming gang is better off for that having happened.

[Driscoles]

I experienced competitive wargaming last year on a dark age campaign weekend that supposed to be fun. One guy gave everything for winning a game of Lion Rampart. I was unlucky and had to game of Saga against him
In the next round! That was even worse. It was not that he wiped his butt with my troops. It was the cold mechanical type of gaming and I Will Win at all cost attitude that blew it for me. I left very early with an excuse. My gaming time is limited and I do not waste it with so called pro players anymore.

[Matakakea]

I encountered a player of the 'Win at all costs' attitude during a visit to another club some years ago. His own club mates advised me before the game to 'bring a 4 x 2 with you'. I wish I had now

[Harry Faversham]

I once played a game with a young lad training for Holy Orders... and he cheated... only wargaming can do this!

 

[Cubs]

I once played a game with a young lad training for Holy Orders... and he cheated... only wargaming can do this!

 

Sounds like he already had some unfortunate habits.

[nic-e]

Been playing for the last 17 years (since i was 6) I've only ever won 3 games and I've never been upset about that fact. mind you, I've never played competitively.

[has.been]

When I look back over my (more than) fifty years of wargaming
the games I remember enjoying most, I lost.
That is just as well as I have lost most of them.

[N.C.S.E]

Winning games makes me feel guilty as it is. I'm not sure how I could survive cheating! 

[beefcake]

I don't game much but my favourite games are the ones which are very close , win or lose.
 I used to be very competitive with my older brothers when playing during our teens, sulky etc probably cheated when I could (had to best my brothers) but have since grown up and enjoy things much more.

[Harry Faversham]

Wargaming nirvana, when you realise it matters nothing, who wins or loses...
it's playing with yer toy sowjers that really counts.

[nic-e]

Winning games makes me feel guilty as it is. I'm not sure how I could survive cheating! 

I know that feeling all too well! when you win and don't really know what to do so you kind of apologise and shuffle your minis around for another turn.

[Antonio J Carrasco]

When I play a game, I play to win. I believe that I own my opponent to do my best. Gaming is about competition in a controlled, non-violent environment.

Said that, truth is I don't like that kind of competition that is based on how well you can twist the rules in your favor, or in cheating. That is not how I understand wargaming. I know people that part of the fun is to prepare army lists that will be able to exploit every single hole in the rules. There is a gaming group in which I have a good friend where every player is like that. If you join is because you believe that army-building and rule-lawyering are integral parts of your gaming experience. Everyone there knows and accepts that you and your mates are power-players. I never play with them, because that is not the kind of experience that I enjoy. However, for them, it works.

What I like is a game with a good narrative; where my opponent do everything in his power to defeat my forces in a way that we can dissect later, in the "third period" (i.e. with some beers, in the bar) and enjoy the memories of the battle.

Cheating is other beast altogether, though. 

[Hawkeye]

That's it exactly,  Antonio.

I remember playing in an Irish Warhammer tournament, and my favourite game was Bretonnians (my army), against Undead (my opponent's army) in which the focus became a skeleton unit (for which he kept raising new skeletons), and my Men-at-Arms (led by a hero that I'd named "Great Uncle Silas" became the centre of the battle. It was fantastic - both hilarious and nail- biting at the same time. I won the game, by a very slender margin, and to this day I still would love to remember the name of my opponent, as  it was the best battle in Warhammer that I  have ever had. Wonderful! Of course it's nice to win, but I'd much rather have a fun game, to be honest! Kudos to my opponent from many years ago - the best fun I've ever had in a game of Warhammer Fantasy Battle!

[N.C.S.E]

When I play a game, I play to win. I believe that I own my opponent to do my best. Gaming is about competition in a controlled, non-violent environment.

Said that, truth is I don't like that kind of competition that is based on how well you can twist the rules in your favor, or in cheating. That is not how I understand wargaming. I know people that part of the fun is to prepare army lists that will be able to exploit every single hole in the rules. There is a gaming group in which I have a good friend where every player is like that. If you join is because you believe that army-building and rule-lawyering are integral parts of your gaming experience. Everyone there knows and accepts that you and your mates are power-players. I never play with them, because that is not the kind of experience that I enjoy. However, for them, it works.

What I like is a game with a good narrative; where my opponent do everything in his power to defeat my forces in a way that we can dissect later, in the "third period" (i.e. with some beers, in the bar) and enjoy the memories of the battle.

Cheating is other beast altogether, though.

Oh, make no mistake, I might feel guilty about winning, but you can be damn sure I fantasise all the time of pulling off the perfect all arms attack, maneuver or similar that leaves my opponent amazed by my skill!  Playing another guy face to face is another matter, and wiping the floor with my Napoleonic level tactics seems like not much fun to either side.

But twisting rules to suit me seems like its own evil and is a reason I no longer can stand tournaments. (Although points systems have something to do with it as well - give me an exciting scenario everytime! Hell, give me a tournament where its a series of scenarios and I just might be interested again)

[poulppy]

I'm a so bad player, than even if i cheat in game i will loose  ! so i nerver cheat.

I encounter cheater sometime :

° one with average dice : you know this kind of dice without 1 or 6 replaced by a 2 and a 5.  the guy use it when he wants to avoid the 6-1 for him when playing in DBM.
° another one was cheating by moving the table mat, push a little to gain the little millimeter missing to charge and pull to avoid the adversary charge !he was the king of guy insulting the luck if he lose and saying he was the bes player ever if it was winning !
° last one with false dice in tournament. the game manager don't push him out the game but they obligated him to exchange this dices with his opponent : it was funny !