Episode 14: Inches or Miles
In this episode, Mike and Emma line up on the starting line to see who is willing to do what it takes to win – no matter the cost! (I am so stoked I got to use a line from Optimus Prime!) WAAC is the topic for this episode and as you can imagine it a topic that’s hotly debated and a term used all to commonly in our gaming community today.
So what is WAAC – More commonly known as Win At All Cost? What makes a player WAAC? Can armies be WAAC? We discuss all this and more! Its a complex topic and even a slightly touchy one for some players – both those who use the label and those on the receiving end. We talk about some of the mislabelled uses commonly thrown about (at least in our opinions!) and try and break down what exactly WAAC means to us.
(listen to the episode and this pic should make sense!)
We also take a quick look at some of the fantastic events – past and from the coming months – be sure to get in touch about the Southern Hemisphere Open in September if you want to be involved! We are looking for volunteers, Demos, TO’s and more! You can follow the link HERE to get in touch.
This is a topic we really want to hear from you about – what are your thoughts on the dreaded WAAC label and what does it mean to you? Have you been branded with it? What behaviours or factors influence you thinking a player is WAAC? Tell us your stories – we want to hear from you!
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Thanks for listening!
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WAAC – for me it has always been that guy that wants to use a rule – not neccessarily the way it SHOULD be played, but the way they interpret it to better their own game…or that guy that wants to double check and triple check everything i do…whether it be checking ranges, re-measuring or questioning every rule that comes up “oh thats not how that works”
I dont think ive ever played a time waster though – but the are always times when you have 15mins left…player A thinks it should be dice down as you may not have enough time to finish 2 players turns…but if you were able to sqieeze that turn in it could change the game completely…but player B knows that if he plays the last turn…he can turn a small loss into a huge win and vice versa…thats the only time ive questioned timeings…maybe there should be a 15 minute warning with a last turn call or something…so plauers know this is it, you get one more turn and thats it…globally
While i cant speak for all events – we do give out time warnings at ObSec events
A very touchy topic indeed!
Personally to me, negative WAAC attitude stems from a desire to consistently experience the instant gratification of your toys doing well the entire game, to the detriment of the opponent(s). It will often involve constant ‘rules lawyering’ around loop holes and fudged results to ensure maximum effectiveness of attacks, defenses or that 12.5″ charge that is in reality a 13″ charge.
But positive WAAC attitude is strategic use of your armies resources in every decision you make during a game. This will mean an effective list, sound knowledge of rules, how they are applied and an awareness of your opponents behaviour.
The tip from positive WAAC to negative can happen during a game. And I’ve probably been a culprit at some point myself!
But I find most often it is when a player has a mindset that refuses to accept that any chosen action, by them, should result in anything other than a statistically good outcome, and commit themselves to finding ways to ensure that outcome with loopholes or pushing boundaries of rules through poor play. Classic example is fudging movement. Especially in 8th ed where there is now more than one ‘standard’ infantry move, accurate measurement is of the utmost importance. Up to 5mm here and there during movement is no problem, we can’t be that accurate most of the time. But for a charge, shooting or psychic power if your 2mm out, your 2mm out.