DEEP THOUGHT: Secrecy in Wargaming
Secrecy has a place in the real world, but what about our beloved hobby?
This column comes from an experience I think we’ve all had. It can happen in any wargame from Warhammer 40000, to Fantasy, to Warmachine, to DUST. Welcome to the world of secrecy and information control.
Situation A) The Hookup
You call up your gaming buddies and say “Hey let’s have a game – I’m thinking 1850 points of Chaos Marines – what are you bringing?”
“Sure sounds great – I’ll bring my Black Templars”
You both show up, unpack your armies, and have a game.
Situation B) The Ambush
You’re at a local store with an army looking for a game and say “Hey let’s have a game – I’m thinking 1850 points of Chaos Marines – what are you bringing?”
“Sure sounds great – I’ll got my Black Templars”
15 minutes later you face a black Templars army custom tailored to counter your preexisting list. The Ambush can also occur with you fielding the same army week to week, only to have others build armies just to fight your specific build, and come to seek you out specifically.
I’ll always have a good time with “The Hookup”, and I admit it, will usually just grin and bear it with “The Ambush” if for no other reason than to not give up a table and a chance to play at my local FLGS. But after all these years, it still grates. Sometimes it’s hard to tell where the social contract in wargaming begins.
~So what’s your take on list secrecy, and custom tailoring in casual play? What do you do?
