In the Finest Hour Podcast

In this episode, the hosts talk about their tournament philosophies- how to approach a tournament, what to expect from yourself, and what to prepare for depending on how you think you may do at the event.

In this episode, we don't scream as loudly as possible into the microphone, deafening everyone who listens. You're welcome!

Being the best player you can be has many aspects, and one of the most important is being a good sportsman. In this episode, the hosts talk about what this aspect means to them as well as some ways you can try and improve your behavior during games and the challenges you may face.

What's up with the new Sisters of Battle codex? We dip our toes into the water with the book, looking at the various orders, units, and stratagems within as well as how to take the army on and what to watch out for.

Games Workshop is finally returning to running tournaments. The hosts discuss the format, rules, and what they think of the matter in general.

In this episode, we look at playing defensively versus playing offensively- what that means, how it affects your strategy and list design, and when each of them are appropriate.

When you are going to a tournament, it is worth considering what your goals for winning are when writing your list; this episode, we talk about how you should approach things differently when aiming for best of your faction versus winning the whole tournament.

We've all been out of the game for a while thanks to COVID; this episode, we talk about how to get back into things.

This episode as part of our series on different phases of the game, we talk about the charge and fight phases together.

This episode, we look at a ways of approaching list writing that focuses on the sorts of threats that the enemy can throw at you and how you answer those threats.

How do supplements affect the game, and are they good or bad? How should GW handle them in the future? Our hosts discuss the matter.

We interview our guest for the episode about Knights, how to play them, and how to beat them as well as their role in the meta.

Practice games (and tournament games) are important for getting better, but you won't improve from that practice unless you are able to accurately understand what happened during the game and what went right or wrong. In that respect, taking notes during the game can be a tremendous help, giving you a better (and more permanent) recollection of what went down and how your game plan succeeded or failed. In this episode, we talk about different methods of taking notes, including both paper and electronic media as well as photos and video, and what sorts of things you should pay attention to when detailing the game. We also look at how and when to go back to your notes, how your opponent can help you, and the methods each of the hosts prefer for their note-taking.

Being able to write a good list is one of the most fundamental aspects of playing Warhammer 40K; your list is the toolbox that you bring to the table, and so defines what it is you're capable of during a game. But contrary to what the internet may sometimes tell you, writing a list is much more than just choosing the six most efficient units and fielding as many of them as possible. So how do you go about approaching the process of writing- and rewriting- a list? In this episode, we talk about the process that the hosts use; where we start, how we make cuts, and how we analyze our lists for success or failure after a game. We also look at the sort of solutions you want to have access to, what to think about when considering balancing yourself against the meta, and the tradeoffs you'll have to make as part of the process. And, of course, we talk about the cardinal rule of list design: Boyz Over Toyz.

If you play at tournaments, sooner or later you are going to run into a bad matchup- the one army that you just aren't prepared to face. But being able to power through disadvantageous situations is one of the biggest indicators of a skilled player, so this episode we talk about how to identify such matchups and what you can do about them. We discuss the ways to look at things during all phases of the encounter- from when you write your list to the game itself to post-game considerations and what lessons you should take away from your performance. There's a lot you can do to mitigate bad odds in a matchup, but it all starts with understanding the hows and whys.

As competitive players, we like to focus a lot on the upper strata of the game- what the best players are doing, which lists are finishing top 4, etc. But the reality is that by definition most players do not play at the top tables, they play at the middle tables instead. This episode, we discuss what sorts of obstacles you'll face if you're sitting in the middle of the pack, the unique concerns that you should be thinking about, the types of players you're likely to see, and ways you can work towards your goals even if you aren't going undefeated. It's middleriffic!

The most recent FAQ for the rulebook and GT mission pack changed a lot of things- most notably including how missions are scored and the wording on several of the secondaries. Our three hosts take a look at what these changes may mean for the game as well as where they think it will push the meta in the upcoming weeks. We also discuss the other changes from the FAQ as well as some more general thoughts about the meta of 9E.

While most players are pretty familiar with the different phases of the game, one stands out amongst the others as being a common tripping-up point- the psychic phase. Being that it is the most unusual of the phases (and the one that it's very possible to simply not participate in if you don't take the right units), it should be no surprise this is the case; however, psykers can unlock some incredibly powerful options for many armies and even if you don't use them yourself, it's pays to know how to fight them. This episode, we call on the collected psyker experience of all three hosts to talk about what to think about when you're considering adding a psyker, how to best counter enemy psykers, proper order of spellcasting, common pitfalls of using psykers, and why killing your enemy with mind bullets from five hundred yards is the cool new trend of 9E.

The last ten years have seen a revolution in content production for many hobbies, including 40K, and reaching out to audiences and putting out content for the games you love is easier than it has ever been. But actually reaching people can be a bit trickier, as it's easy to get lost in the sea of noise. This episode we bring on a special guest and host of Weshammer to talk with the hosts about how to create  a channel for your hobby content, unique avenues for reaching out to audiences, a way to find your niche among creators, and more. And if you think our show is sassy when we cram all our advice into a mere hour, Westly's tips about making one-minute content may just blow your mind!

Command Points are one of the most important resources that an army has access to in 9th Edition, allowing you to pull of a wide variety of useful tricks and opening up many unit options you couldn't otherwise even attempt. But many players struggle to use their CP effectively, often spending too much early in the game and finding themselves desperately scraping at the slow trickle of incoming CP late game, or end up hoarding too much CP early and lose the game with half or more of their reserves still unspent. In this episode, we take a look at how to manage your command points across the length of the game so that you always have something left in the tank for when it matters; the hosts talk about pre-game CP decisions, spending in the early, mid, and late game, when it's not worth it to use a stratagem, how matchups can change things, and the vast gulf of difference between zero and one.

If you play Warhammer competitively, you will inevitably end up on the wrong end of the nerf bat, an unenviable situation. It can suck a lot to have your favorite unit or army severely hampered by changes to the rules, but the good news is that there are things you can do to cope with the situation and maybe even come out of it the stronger. This week, we talk about what to do when the rules shift beneath your feet- do you stick with the army, try something different, or look to another army entirely? All three are plausible responses, and we explore the pros and cons of each as well as the hosts' personal recommendations for how to handle things.

Although it hasn't gotten quite as much excitement drummed up for it as the Space Marine books, the Necron codex in 9th Edition is no joke- it's taken a number of top tournament spots and we have seen several different builds do well, with more likely undiscovered. So this episode, our hosts take you on a tour of the new Necron book and talk about some of the highlights you should be watching for- units, builds, and combos that stand out as well as ways to combat the list and strengths and challenges you should think about with Necrons. If you like your robots flavored like existential terror and scenery-chewing, this is the episode for you!

3D printing is a technology that has not only made immense strides over the past ten years but is also one that has the potential to completely change the way we look at our hobby in the future. Since both Shaylynn and Ben have significant experience with 3D printing, either professionally or as a hobby, this episode we talk about what 3D printing means for you in terms of making and converting models. We also discuss conversions and tournament policies, and how best to approach those issues if you have an army you're afraid might not be legal- and offer some guidelines on how to ensure you and your opponents both get a good experience from your army conversions. And to round things out, we take a look at where each of the hosts think that 3D printing is going in the near future as well as some thoughts on how the companies, the hobby, and the events we are all a part of might handle those changes.

We- and many other people- have talked a lot about the secondary missions in 9th Edition as well as many of the details of the primary missions, but it's high time we actually buckled down and looked at the core missions themselves and what they may mean for your army. With the objectives and deployments being paired together in specific ways, as well as the unique secondary objective available to each mission, there can be some very big swings in how you want to play each of them; how many objectives to go for, which secondary missions have good synergy, and so on and so forth.

More than any previous edition, 9E is a game of playing to the mission in order to win. In most games, that means trying to score points on the primary mission- but how do you do that? In this episode we talk about how you can gain a significant advantage in the score by "flipping" objectives to your side, including talking about when and where you'll want to do it, the kinds of units that excel at it, alternative strategies for armies that may struggle with the idea, and how to defend your own objectives from the enemy's "flip."

Normally when we talking about improving as a competitive player, we talk about rules interactions, combos, decks, and that sort of thing. But there's another side to competitive play as well- that of the community you play in; after all, a game of 40K played solo is not going to be nearly as exciting! In this episode, we talk about why you should want to improve your community (apart from simple altruism, of course) and how that can benefit you as well as the multitude of ways you can do so. No matter what your skills and situation are, there's something you can contribute to bettering the game we play, whether that's time, expertise, money, or other resources, and it's through the efforts of other people doing the same that we've brought the game as far as we have.

Transports are on the upswing in 9th Edition, with armies from virtually every faction making use of them in a variety of ways. But the rules for transports hardly changed at all from the previous edition, so what is it that is making them so popular? In this episode we talk about how transports are like ogres (they have layers, you see), the surprising variety of ways they can boost your movement, using the hull itself, and ways that your transports can do more than just... transport things.

A little bit of a shorter episode this week, as Ben is occupied with other business so Sean and Shaylynn talk about her Grey Knights army in 9th Edition- where it's been, where it is, and where it's going, as well as how it got there. We discuss the various iterations of her list, the principles they were based on, and why they worked (or didn't) as well as what she learned about the army and the game from each of them.

We've had enough time now to take in the changes and breadth of the new edition, so let's take a moment to examine just what it all means. What sort of armies are we seeing in the new meta? What sort of strategies are they using, and how can those be countered? What sort of features of lists are important in all archetypes, and which ones are more niche? What sort of things should you be scouring your codex to find if you have access to them, and what are more optional? All three hosts give their opinions on the current shape of 9E as well as a short peek at what may be the road ahead.

One of the biggest changes for 9th edition is the introduction of strategic reserves, a concept that will be familiar to players of 7th or prior. Of course, this time around things are significantly different; reserves aren't random but also aren't free, and can enter the battlefield much more flexibly. All of this heralds some extremely significant shifts in how armies play on the tabletop as well as a huge variety of new strategies that you can use to succeed in both the primary and secondary missions. In this episode we take a look at how you can take advantage of these new options as well as some counter-play and the things you need to consider when looking at strategic reserves, both your own and your enemy's.

Those who played many of the alternative formats from last edition, such as ITC, NOVA, Renagade Open, etc, may already be quite familiar with the new system for secondary objectives- but what about the new missions themselves? This episode, we take a good, long look (a touch longer than normal, even!) at these new missions and how they affect gameplay. Which ones are worth taking? Which ones are redundant with each other? Which ones are niche in application? Which ones do the hosts like or dislike? We also discuss what kinds of expectations you should have for scoring them, the risk vs. reward tradeoff of taking certain secondaries, and how to sync your plan for both primary and secondary objectives with each other such that they're not working at cross purposes.

9th Edition has brought with it a whole host of major changes, not the least of which is the changes to how terrain functions. In this episode, our three hosts dig into the new terrain rules in detail- what they do, what they mean for your army, and how they're going to change how you play the game. Whether you're bringing giant, stompy robots or hordes of fragile infantry, you're going to see some major shifts in what terrain means for your army, no matter the format.

9th Ed is here, and we are back! With the combination of rules leaks and the official GW pdf out in the wild, Sean and Shaylynn give their first impressions on the new edition's rules- what's changed, what's important, and some hints of where we think things might be going. We skim the surface lightly on this one, but rest assured- we are going to have a lot to talk about in future episodes discussing more of these things in greater detail. We'll also have another episode coming soon that covers just the mission pack, which we felt was a big enough deal to handle separately.

Some games can be won or lost practically before they even begin- not by the army lists, but in mistakes (or strategic plays) during deployment. Deployment dictates how the whole rest of the game will play out and for the canny player, it offers opportunities to bait the enemy into following your plan even before the first turn happens. In this episode, we talk about some of the common mistakes we see during deployment, as well as ways to avoid them and the big considerations you should be thinking about when putting your units down. Can I get Seized on? Should my units go on the line? Do I concentrate everything in one area, or spread out? What factors during deployment will affect whether I pick first or second turn, and how should my deployments change when doing so? It's a subject with a lot of meat on its bones, and we do our best to dig in deep.

Playing at tournaments is an ideal way to practice and improve your 40K skills, but what about when you're stuck in non-ideal situations? This week our three hosts talk about ways to get better at the game when you don't have that option- for example, if you are confined to your house due to pandemic, locked inside due to murderous clowns, or if it turns out that the floor outside is lava. We talk about deployment practice, studying battle reports, doing your homework, and other fun and interesting things that normal people spend their free time on as well as multitudes of other ways to while away the hours when you have nothing better to do. Stay safe out there, wargamers.

One of the things we take for granted in 40K is the ability to move around the battlefield- you can move your units wherever you'd like, within the limits of their range. Being able to selectively deny the enemy that freedom is a powerful tool, and one that can completely change the course of a game when used right, whether by ensuring control of objectives, denying charges, or keeping the enemy boxed up in their deployment zone. In this episode, we talk about the ways you can block your opponent's movement- what units to use, where and when to do it, and even how to control units with Fly or similar abilities that may seem like these strategies might not work on. And, of course, we also look at ways to counter your opponent's move-blocking, as well as how to use it in phases apart from the movement phase and how it differs from similar strategies such as screening or reserve-blocking.

When we start out playing 40K, most players will experiment a bit before finding a faction they like and settling into that, mostly building armies for that faction, perhaps spiced with a bit of allies. But what about moving beyond your home faction? In this episode, we talk about why expanding your experience with armies outside your norm can not only help you grow your knowledge of the game but also grow as a player and be better-prepared in general. We also talk about how to choose your new faction, since not all armies are created equal, and how to get the most out of bringing it to events or practice games as well as ways to avoid burnout and tricks for getting the most out of your games.

Let's be frank here: there are some players out there who never really seem to get any better at the game, no matter how much they play or which army they switch to. They're the guys who are constantly complaining about how bad their luck is, how OP everyone else's army is, how they just needed to make one charge, and so on and on and on. These aren't "bad players" because they lack skill at the game, they're bad because they refuse to learn and because they've put up mental blocks for themselves that prevent them from being able to confront their failures. In this episode, we discuss some of the most common versions of these mental blocks that we see, why they can hold you back in your growth as a competitive player, and how you can learn to move past them. Also featuring special voice appearances from the members of our Patreon group!

40K, like every hobby, is filled with jargon- backfield, alpha strike, WAAC, wysiwyg, mech, soup, etc, etc. Why do we use terms like this- it is just to confuse outsiders to the hobby, or does it serve some real purpose in communication? In this episode, we talk about the reasons jargon exists as well as some of the terminology and shorthand you're likely to encounter in the hobby, touching on a number of the most common ones as well as our mutual (or sometimes not) understandings of their meaning.

We are back! After a bit of a hiatus, Finest Hour is up and recording new episodes again, now with our brand-new cohost Ben Jurek. We dive right back into the thick of things, talking about how to approach a mission pack that you're unfamiliar with- what to look out for before the tournament when writing your list as well as little things to keep an eye on during your games as well as some of the gotchas that we find often ambush players who aren't careful enough. In the second half of the episode we also talk about the new ITC mission packs for the 2020 season in particular, taking the things we've learned from the first part and applying them specifically to the new missions as well as hitting the highlights of what has changed in the new format and what we think the biggest shifts in the missions will be in terms of affecting the meta.

Joined by special guests Eleanor Byler and Jeffrey Hanson, Shaylynn leads a discussion about the tool of goal making, achieving, and failing process and how it relates to your growth as a 40k player. Using examples and inspiration from outside sources- you get to see more about the struggle of goals and why struggle is necessary and important part of the goal making process.  -- You can find out more about DOTS RPG here. Music: DankmusArt: Rylan WoodrowOur Patreon: In the Finest HourWebsite: https://www.inthefinesthour.com/Directed by: Sean MorganEdited by: Shaylynn Allen

The Hunter has, up until now, gotten a very bad rap- possibly because it was in fact a bad vehicle. However, with the update to the Space Marine codex and the addition of many new rules, a lot of possibilities have opened up for it and we're seeing more Marine players look to take advantage of the things the chassis can bring. In this episode, Josh talks about why he chose the Hunter for his list, how it helped him get the 5th place finish, and why other players looking to Space Marines might want to consider using it- because certainly, he's not the only one eyeing the Hunter.

Are allies a good thing, or not? This week on the show, we do something a little different- Shaylynn and Josh go head-to-head in a discussion about how allies affect the game as well as influence GW's game design philosophies, the internal balance of codices, and more. With Sean morderating, both of them stake out a position and go at it, and only one can be victorious! (Just kidding, it's actually very civil and nuanced discussion on the matter.)

After the chaos of the printing presses quiet, there is a held breath as the Chief Librarian opens the New Codex. Once his eyes hit those lofty pages- the meta as we know it begins to stir and shift.... Unlike the pervious episode which was about analyzing a new book, this one is about analyzing the resulting meta shifts in context of this new book. First starting with the inter-faction shifts the book itself causes (such as units getting powered up or down) then onto greater meta implications.  — You can find out more about DOTS RPG here. Music: DankmusArt: Rylan WoodrowOur Patreon: In the Finest HourWebsite: https://www.inthefinesthour.com/Directed by: Sean MorganEdited by: Shaylynn Allen

First episode of its type, Josh and Shaylynn do an application episode where they talk about their latest tournament experiences and how to apply things brought up in previous episodes. Specifically Episode 24: Tournament Tips and Episode 32: Post-Tournament Tactics. This episode does feature both Josh and Shaylynn admitting to errors made in and out of their games, good stories, and answers some very thoughtful Listener (Patreons) Questions about general playing approach and advice. This episode offers a unique view into how the Hosts view tournament experiences personally and how insights can be found, even when you are getting thrashed with a 1-5 record. For disclosure purposes- the Tournament Organizer Group Canhammer invited all of In the Finest Hour to attend this event and was extremely accommodating. They were willing to set up a quiet table for Shaylynn (though it was not needed- the presence did a great deal to alleviate pressure). Mentioned Links of Importance: The twitch stream you really, really ought to go view: http://www.twitch.tv/thehonestwargamer https://www.facebook.com/40kstatscentre/ https://www.facebook.com/thehonestwargamer/ And of course visit our new friends: https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenDreadnoughts/ --Episode Music: DankmusIcon Artist: Rylan WoodrowOur Patreon: In the Finest HourWebsite: https://www.inthefinesthour.com/Directed by: Sean MorganEdited by: Shaylynn Allen

Starting off our examination of the ETC mission set to give our listeners context for what just went down in Europe and why its so important- we decided to hunker down and focus on the Maelstorm aspect of the missions themselves. Maelstorm has some unique features to be aware of when playing 40k and has a rising popularity. It is a system with faults and strengths and we examine all of it. While Sean was unable to join us this episode, we do feature Jason Byrd- a good friend of the show and Named Pacific Northwest Player.  You can find out more about DOTS RPG here. Music: DankmusArt: Rylan WoodrowOur Patreon: In the Finest HourWebsite: https://www.inthefinesthour.com/Directed by: Sean MorganEdited by: Shaylynn Allen

With all the pom poms and hype- Shaylynn and Josh bring you the Capital City Bloodbath Hottake! Straight out of Ottawa!!Aforementioned things to look at:https://thehonestwargamer.com/ https://www.capitalcitybloodbath.com/ https://www.40kstats.com/ https://www.facebook.com/events/1024759151051991/

While the smell in the studio is somewhat under control now, this week we talk about the big stink: Plaguebearers! ‘Plaguebearers’ refers to the Chaos Soup list featuring two maximum (or nearly) size units of to protect a castle of psykers and daemons. This list is then seasoned with 800-900ish points of to taste.     Here we dive into the complex synergies of this list archetype and why it has been so successful for so long. And, as always, we also delve into weakness and how-to-bear-it strategies. Josh Death personally took a version of this list to the top 8 of LVO 2019- and he provides some excellent insight into this list that are not obvious.   Music: DankmusArt: Rylan WoodrowOur Patreon: In the Finest HourWebsite: https://www.inthefinesthour.com/Directed by: Sean MorganEdited by: Shaylynn Allen

We talk a lot on our show about the importance of information in this game- but how do you actually go about getting that information, and how does it help you? This episode, the hosts break down some of their study techniques and ways to pick up parts of the game without committing to a ten-hour full reading of every codex out there. Not all information is equal, and not all methods of uptaking it are equally effective- and if you're looking to improve, you'll want to do so in the easiest and most effective manner possible rather than struggle-bussing your way through all of the books. Music: DankmusArt: Rylan WoodrowOur Patreon: In the Finest HourWebsite: https://www.inthefinesthour.com/Directed by: Sean MorganEdited by: Shaylynn Allen

The tournament is over, the laurels handed out, the victors taken their prizes- but the work of the competitive player has only just begun. In the aftermath of a tournament, there's always a million questions to ask and a million things to improve, but how does one go about doing so in an organized and effective fashion? In this episode, we look at ways to better analyze your performance and the questions you want to be asking yourself, whether you won or lost. How do you know if your losses were because of bad play or problems in your list? What sort of tools can you bring to put a closer eye to your games and get an accurate sense of what happened during them? How can you correct your mistakes, and how can you avoid making similar ones at future events? Where is the meta going, and is your list prepared to handle that new version? We talk about all of these subjects and more in this new retrospective as the hosts talk about how to win the game that happens after the game. Music: DankmusArt: Rylan WoodrowOur Patreon: In the Finest HourWebsite: https://www.inthefinesthour.com/Directed by: Sean MorganEdited by: Shaylynn Allen

Eleanor returns!And with her is the conundrum of running your first event (an RTT) and a total unawareness of the pitfalls and tricks needed to be successful. Thankfully Shaylynn is the Head TO of the Razor Valley Tournament Series out of Corvallis, OR and has already dealt with this conundrum many a time. Knowledge is shared and nuisances are discussed. (Also Shaylynn was super sleepy which is why she gets a tad bit repetitive).  Episode Music: DankmusIcon Artist: Rylan WoodrowSponsored by: Mindtaker MiniaturesOur Patreon: In the Finest HourWebsite: https://www.inthefinesthour.com/Directed by: Eleanor BylerEdited by: Shaylynn Allen