When exactly do you load your list when your opponent joins the table? Lately I've tried to give my opponent the benefit of the doubt and load my list as soon as I start up the game. Sometimes I feel like I'm just setting myself up to lose the match. I'm not saying they will load a counter to my list, but it's just one of those things where I'm curious what other people do.

Do you agree with your opponent to load your list at around the same time? Obviously, loading your list first sets you up for a disadvantage.

Thoughts?

If it's a tournament, your list is already set; if it's with a friend, you're hopefully not cheating against one another. In other cases, I'm not sure how much I'd worry: the odds that my opponent has a saved list designed as a counter to mine is low, and even if he or she has the perfect list close to hand... so what? Losing a match isn't a big problem, and your opponent didn't learn much other than that he or she is able to cheat effectively in a no-stakes game.

If I'm online looking for a pick up game, I'm usually there to test out a squad. I really don't care what my opponent throws at me. If they have the perfect counter to my list, I may just except the challenge and go with it. If I feel like they are loading a list to specifically counter me so they can win, I may ask them to play something else.

I haven't had any issues with players looking to counter me like this. If they have it hasn't been that effective sense I didn't notice them doing it. Sometimes I have a saved squad that I want to test, and I see that when they load their list, mine is the perfect counter to it. I will ask if they want me to try something else. I hope this helps.

The few times I've played on vassal outside of tournaments I just flew whatever squad I was working on at the time, and wasn't concerned what my opponent wanted to throw at me. I can't say whether or not anyone ever tried to pick a hard counter to my list after seeing what I loaded, but I don't realy care either. I guess it would be a cheap move for an opponent to pull, but in the long run it'll probably help you to see how well your squad (and you) can deal with that counter, which should help you better refine your list.