Good flying is still the most important thing. I've seen Fat Han lists that should pretty much auto-win get creamed because of bad flying.

Doesn't matter how many 360 degree red dice you have if you are stuck on a rock or bumped with the target.

Doesn't matter what amazing action chain you have if you've clipped an obstacle and missed your action step.

Doesn't matter how many green dice you have if you've flown yourself into the firing line of multiple ships at range 1.

No matter what they introduce to this game, if you don't know how to fly your ships in the best way and to outwit your opponent's thinking, you'll lose.

I've never heard someone exclaim "who do you think you are, paul heaver?!?!" when I rolled good dice... but have definitely heard it while maneuvering! The world champ is known for maneuvering, and to a lesser extent his squad building, setup, etc. Even in TLT and 2-ship hell, maneuvering is always #1. They say it isn't, but there are few ships that can fire on a rock, or don't need actions, etc. Whether your the Turret or the Arcdodger, you can't get there without some really good moves.

Yeah I used a K-Wing with TLT at the weekend and still thought as much about it's dial and what I picked as the rest of my squad. Still wanted to be in range 2/3 but not in their arcs, and away from 'roids and still getting my actions.

I'd go with:

1) Maneuvering - As has been said, predicting your opponent's moves and maximizing yours.

2) Action Economy - Getting modifiers regularly and using them intelligently. Also understanding when repositions like boost/barrel roll further #1 without hampering your current offensive/defensive needs.

3) Target prioritization - Identifying threats in the correct order and eliminating them one at a time based on that order..

4) List building - Simple part of this - understanding synergies and min/maxing to cover weaknesses.

5) Luck - Always helps, but if you have done 1-4, you shouldn't need much.

That is an issue, but I'd figure it out. It's still better than most 40k games I have watched in the past couple years.

You know what else I've found makes 40k more fun?

Two identical tables with a ton of terrain with a divider between them, and a ref, so each side doesn't actually know where the other side is. It makes terrain matter for more than just blocking shots. And adds a ton of strategy to the game. This also works well with the smaller forces you mentioned. Because less models means less lines of sight, and allows for more hiding.

THIS...

Or maybe the most important factor is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women.

THIS...

Or maybe the most important factor is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women.

True Brah... but first you need the truth part to understand the whole glorious game, like the blending of metals to forge a fine sword.

That is an issue, but I'd figure it out. It's still better than most 40k games I have watched in the past couple years.

You know what else I've found makes 40k more fun?

Two identical tables with a ton of terrain with a divider between them, and a ref, so each side doesn't actually know where the other side is. It makes terrain matter for more than just blocking shots. And adds a ton of strategy to the game. This also works well with the smaller forces you mentioned. Because less models means less lines of sight, and allows for more hiding.

Well if you want hidden aspects of the game the video games are a better theme. Not to say that table top and board games can't have hidden information. Heck the entire dial system is hidden information. But it is hard to make a hidden position system in a table top games. That is why often instead of hidden systems mechanics give such units or charachters that would have hidden movement the ability to react or place after others just as they knew all along where the board will set up at.

A good attitude has to be number one for me.

If you are a scumbag, a poor loser, a poor winner or just plain obnoxious, no-one will have fun.

If you laugh it off when you make a mistake. If you remember that it's just a game. If you keep in mind that the dice are king & no matter what, they can screw any list. If you are just a pleasant person to play with, everyone involved will have fun & the game comes to life.

Just my 2 pence.

THIS...

Or maybe the most important factor is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women.

True Brah... but first you need the truth part to understand the whole glorious game, like the blending of metals to forge a fine sword.

Crom!

Consistency.

Cards like gunner or han's ability deal consistent damage.

Cards like c3po bring consistent defense.

It's why modified dice always beat unmodified. Unmodified dice will have good and bad days. Modified dice will be- consistent.

And the most constant way to evade is to not get shot. So that's why cards like engine upgrade are usually worth it.

THIS...

Or maybe the most important factor is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women.

True Brah... but first you need the truth part to understand the whole glorious game, like the blending of metals to forge a fine sword.

Crom!

There's only one god sir,

and he dresses like this.

1) Maneuvering : Making sure you either have a shot, not getting shot, or both. Ideally both.

2) Action economy/Dice Modification : Making sure your dice are showing hits/crits/evades after all is said and done.

3) Luck : I've had games where I've thrown 4 focused, TLed dice three turns in a row and only gotten a grand total of 3 hits over all three rounds, and none of them getting through while my opponent gets nothing but hits and crits natural and I get nothing but blanks on evades with a cloaked phantom, range 3, through a rock.. Sometimes luck just gives you the middle finger and there ain't nothing you can do. Heck, I remember one instance of Soontir Fel rolling seven dice against 4 hits....and getting 7 blanks....this was Range 5, just barely scraping the edge. He had a focus and that was it, but when there's 7 blanks...

4) List Building : Know your list, know how it flies. Avoid making choices that end up being either too situational or outright useless (swarm tactics on your lowest-PS pilot for one)

There's only one god sir,

and he dresses like this.

Wrong!

Ia! Ia Cthulhu Ftagn!

Movement. Full stop. Good movement denies your opponent shots and/or actions, and allows you to exploit weaknesses - which reduces the effects of random chance. Bad movement denies yourself shots and/or actions, and causes weaknesses, and opens you up to the effects of random chance.

You can netlist all you want, but if you don't know how to fly the ships you field, you're going to face an uphill battle. if you fly into the wrong positions, you're going to face an uphill battle. If you're unable to line up shots (or avoid them), you'll face an uphill battle.

THIS...

Or maybe the most important factor is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women.

True Brah... but first you need the truth part to understand the whole glorious game, like the blending of metals to forge a fine sword.

Crom!

There's only one god sir,

and he dresses like this.

We are all Gods & Devils... we just forgot.

Whoa dude, I said god, not God.

There's a difference, I'll show you.

Here, -gods look like this

and get kicked around by Hulks and Iron men.

Gods, on the other hand look like this

and melt your brain with SCIENCE.

Well, if you absolutely MUST derail a perfectly good thread by trying to anthropomorphise a non-corporeal biblical entity, you're all wrong.

Oh, and obligatory

Well, if you absolutely MUST derail a perfectly good thread by trying to anthropomorphise a non-corporeal biblical entity, you're all wrong.

I agree.

This is how you do it.

Well, if you absolutely MUST derail a perfectly good thread by trying to anthropomorphise a non-corporeal biblical entity, you're all wrong.

I agree.

This is how you do it.

Yay!

Got GP sticker.

Life complete. (Well, maybe when episode 9 comes out.)

I took on a triple a-wing list last night with a defender and two tie advanced, now the a-wings have the better dials but I won because first I blocked them then I got behind them then they died.

I moved so I had shots and he didn't and that's why I won.

Skilled movement trumps all.

That is an issue, but I'd figure it out. It's still better than most 40k games I have watched in the past couple years.

You know what else I've found makes 40k more fun?

Two identical tables with a ton of terrain with a divider between them, and a ref, so each side doesn't actually know where the other side is. It makes terrain matter for more than just blocking shots. And adds a ton of strategy to the game. This also works well with the smaller forces you mentioned. Because less models means less lines of sight, and allows for more hiding.

My favorite way to play Battletech was with the Double Blind rules. It made some of the strange mech options useful; moving then the 'judge' adjusting the field for what you could now see on your sensors was fantastic fun. Now I miss it even more.

Fear