"I
have the Don't Go There principle. If I'm considering some kind
of move, tactic, or whatever that might involve a gray area in the
rules or otherwise be of dubious legality, I just 'don't go there' rather
than risk stopping the game for a rules debate. If I need that dubiously-legal
move/tactic/whatever to win, I don't deserve to win."
"When rolling
a mass of dice, only remove failed rolls. You have to allow your opponent
the opportunity to see your successes. If someone rolls a bunch of dice
and picks up all their successes before I can see, I wonder if there is
something they are trying to hide...."
"Bring solid
dice with easy to identify numbers...not black with dark red...."
"Give the other
guy the benefit of the doubt. If someone is doing something illegal, assume
it is out of ignorance, not a desire to cheat."
"Ask your opponent
how they want to handle game elements that you or he consider gray areas."
"We have a
general rule that you don't play someone out of your range. You know, someone
who's just started when you've had 14 years experience. If you do, it's
generally agreed that you should tell the other guy what the situation
is. In some cases, you may not want to count it as a serious game.
Realistically speaking, he's not likely to win unless something odd or
silly happens. So, it's probably better to say you're training him. Playing
a proper full game isn't really seen as fair to the new guy."
"I ask if the
other person has a preference for a certain mission. I'll play any mission,
so it doesn't matter to me what we play."
"If I lose,
I usually ask my opponent for constructive criticism: 'What do you think
I could have done differently or better?' Not only do I learn something,
but it tells them that I value their opinions and that I'm not angry with
them."
"Shake hands
before and after the game, wish the other guy good luck before and thank
him after."
"If you take
a lunch break during a tournament, make sure you wash your hands! You may
need to handle someone else's minis, and believe me, once I'm done with
this Farseer chick, I do not want your greasy paws on her."
"One of my
gaming mottos is: If you can't say anything nice, shut up already.
If the guy's models have atrocious paint jobs, I'm not going to mention
it. Nor am I going to rag him for bozo tactics."
"Remind opponents
if they forget to do something, like moving or firing a unit: 'Did you
want to move that Falcon?'"
"If you come
across a female player, don't do any of the stupid man-things that guys
do, like trying to look down her shirt while she's moving her minis. Not
only does this make you look like a loser, it will make your opponent uncomfortable."
"If I'm playing
a newbie or someone I'm beating the stuffings out of (which doesn't happen
very often), I'll ask, 'May I make a suggestion?' and then tell them (if
they want to know) what I would do in their situation."
"Full disclosure.
You want a copy of my army list? Fine. I point out the Veteran Sarges with
power weapons, the units with the badass heroes, etc., so the other guy
doesn't have a nasty surprise."
"If you're
playing an opponent you don't know well, don't make the same jokes at the
table as you do with your friends. You can't always tell who's easily offended,
and it makes the game not fun for them if you're making what they consider
to be crude remarks about them, their girlfriends, or their models."
"Don't touch
other people's minis without asking permission first. If you have to, stoop
down and circle the table for a better look at their new HQ."
"Keep an eye
on your kids or your little brothers/sisters. There was this one guy at
the hobby shop buying some other things and his seven year old came over
and picked up some of our tanks during a game. Very annoying. We had to
put it back and figure out the line of sight again."
"Don't make sarcastic remarks about
your opponent's tactics, army list, or army appearance. Instead you can
try talking it over with your opponent after the game."
"Don't be vengeful. Sportmaship doesn't
tolerate revenge."
"If you have forgotten measuring
tape, templates, scatter dice, etc. and you ask to borrow something, make
sure you give it back to the person you got it from."
"When facing an enemy and you are
bound to lose, give your opponent the respect they deserve and finish the
game. Even if you have only one squad of Tactical Marines against an angry
horde of Bloodletters (we all know how deadly those things are), play it
out and try to take as many of the enemy you can with you."
"When you destroy someone else's
vehicle or take out one of their expensive characters, never jump around
and brag about that then or later on in the game."
