Time.
One of the least forgiving factors when it comes to games of Age of Sigmar. Whether it's tactical decisions, moving a hundred and fifty models or rolling dozens and dozens of dice complete with re-rolls, triggers and extra abilities, this can all take time. And while in a casual environment, it's probably not an issue, if it's in the setting of a tournament where there is allocated window of time to fit your game in with your opponent, it can be disastrous.
Some games, time just gets away from both of you, and that's sometimes how the chips fall. But, what I want to focus on in this evening's post is the dilemma that we as gamers sometimes come across where one player grinds the game to a snails pace and either results in claiming an unfair portion of the time allowed, or worse, runs the clock down, costing either them or their opponent the opportunity to stretch their army's legs and claim a convincing win. While some armies win games in the first two turns with dominant alpha strike or precise movement tricks, other armies depend on the long game, setting up for a powerful end-game play or simply win by attrition (which usually, by definition, takes time), and it's a shame when those armies are robbed by Father Time of the chance to work how they are meant to.
This was my biggest concern with my recent foray into the exciting, whacky, and admittedly numerous forces of the Skaven. My 2000 point Pestilens list contains no less than 120 infantry, with more dice modifiers and re-rolls than you can poke a stick at, as well as an in-depth hero phase, and my biggest concern was that I'd be short-changing my opponent purely based on everything that I had to fit into my turn.
Time management during your game is something that I believe every player should give consideration thought to, regardless of what army they play. If you're playing elite Stormcast or Beastclaw Raiders, you will have potentially very fast turns, and time management may not even be an issue as your game turns will be lucky to push ten minutes. That's not to say that low-model-count armies are immune to slow play, but they definitely have factors in their favour.
The true challenge of time management at tournaments lies primarily with players who have chosen armies that don't naturally lend themselves to fast play. Whether it's rolling the sheer volume of dice that Kunnin' Rukks need to be operating at their full potential, or moving rank upon rank (upon rank) of masses of infantry, every army has its strengths that can be accentuated. But sometimes those strengths on the table can be a weakness in time management as well. But we are a resourceful lot, and there's not many challenges that a gamer can't overcome in order to field a powerful army that they connect with and enjoy playing.
So, when I decided to take Pestilens on their maiden outing to a tournament (great idea, right?), I was so worried about being a slow player. But I had one tool that I would recommend to any player entering a battle with an intricate army; a cheat sheet.
My cheat sheet is broken into phases and has dot points to remind me of every trigger, once-per-game ability, or buff that was relevant to that phase. Whether it's remembering that my Verminlord has a shooting attack or that the Plague Monk unit champions carry a Book of Woes that can potentially kick out a handful of mortal wounds if used well, it means that simply by working my way quickly through a list, my army operates at full potential, taking advantage of every little percentage of power, without having to flick back and forth through a book or the app checking scrolls.
I also have a chart on the back that includes every unit with quick references to their movement, bravery, saves (or lack thereof) as well as their weapon profiles. This means that I barely need to even look in the Battletome or the App during my game.
The simple matter of the fact is that some armies take longer to play than others, based purely on their play style and army construction. And that is something to keep in mind when playing your game. Games are a social contract, and while players have a responsibility to play in a timely manner, there is a lot to be said for the sportsmanship of players who use elite, fast-playing army that give lenience and grace to players that perhaps need a little more time.
This is a challenge that I'll continue to face as I continue to play Skaven, but I genuinely believe that with practice, knowledge of the army and a cheat sheet, any army can be played well within time constraints.
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
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