The idea of 17 to 18

Hey there everyone and welcome to an exciting new post from Loki. Okay so it may not be exciting, but it is a new post... and probably from me. Today's topic of conversation is a look at where the additional 100 points became standard in tournaments when looking at 1750 vs. 1850. I looked into it and found a few bits of interesting information which got me thinking about it a little more.

It is a fact that when looking at tournaments, those which take place in Europe tend to favor a 1750 mark while those that take place in the states generally sit at about 1850 or 2k. This struck me a interesting as I thought it might reflect a difference in mindset between the two societies. It isn't uncommon for European events to actually ban certain units based on a system of "it's too powerful" or "broken." I haven't heard (which bear in mind I'm not saying it doesn't exist) or a US event which expressly did not allow units. This might be a look as to why the average point level is different.

The other pattern I seem to find is that the lists generally tend to have a different feel when you compare Euro lists to US lists. In competitive play, the lists begin to run similar units. No matter how balanced a codex is, there will always be a genuinely powerful standalone unit or an uber combo that just trumps the rest by comparison... and in Tournaments these units hit the field more often than not on both sides of the Atlantic. However, looking at more small scale events and free play... what I found is that the lists of Europe tend to favor the idea of using a larger number of decently wargeared squads. This differs a lot from the usual trend of the US run full wargear in your squads, which obviously leads to a smaller number of units.

Clarification: My research shows averages between Euporean and US "Casual Event" lists.

I think this is where the big reason for that additional 100 points comes in. While not enough to run a full unit, that 100 points makes all the difference when looking to upgrade power weapons to fists, run combi-weapons, or even adding an additional HQ.

This also factors in with my averaging of math. Building a generalized list using the Eldar, Dark Eldar, Orks, Space Marines, Black Templar, Grey Knights, and Tyranids... I found that they each build at a similar points style. After building the list I found I could run occasional wargear here and there and would hit 1750 consistently, then I could make a few minor changes and make 1850 by subbing out units for wargear.

Overall it is interesting to me to see where these differences alter the game based on location. I myself am not a huge fan of 1850 as I feel there isn't much difference from it to 2k. I find that 250 point gaps (1,500, 1750, and 2k) alter lists enough that is doesn't feel like "a 2k list minus the second HQ" which 1850 often does.

What about you? What is your favorite point level for events? Does you enjoy alternative events like kill team or expansion missions like Planet Strike or Cities of Death? I'd love to hear what our fellow gamers out there enjoy. Until next time

Cheers!