06/30/2016
Casual play versus Competitive play
When we are talking about gaming in general there is a very fine line between playing competitively versus for fun. I first started gaming a good 15 years ago when I first was introduced to this fun and exciting world. I first started playing Mage Knight for the allure of using the miniatures in our RPG games. Then I played Magic the Gathering, Heroclix, D&D miniatures and many other games.
Ever since I started there has always been a discussion about having the competitive tournaments or not. There are always those people who want all the figures but rarely use any of them. There are also those people who always use the very best figures and always want to crush their oponents.
I personally have always thought the balance of both worlds is ideal for the environment. I tend to play competitively as I have always enjoyed the thrill that comes with it, going to a big tournament, preparing for it and trying to brew up the very best strategy you can. I also see the importance of the fun matches and the relaxed environment that usually comes with that.
Overall I think people may be surprised to venture in these unexplored territories and my number one advise is don't stress too much with net decking at all. People create strategies based on the gauntlet where they play at. With that in mind the strategy they built might not workout where you play as the usual builds in your area may be completely different from what the deck you maybe copying is intended to face. There is also practice, some people think they can just go and use a team they see online and it should be an autowin, there are many factors that actually contribute to winning than the build itself.
A perfect example is a friend of mine who played at one of our recent events. He wasn't sure if he wanted to play or not and he asked for my advise. I told him he should run something he was confortable playing rather than just copying someones build. He did just that and surprised everyone with a top 4 finish with a totally "non competitive team" in Heroclix, he played Atlanteans. People didn't know what to do against it and made tons of mistakes. He had a blast and was very surprised himself.
So I think overall you should do what rocks your boat but you shouldn't just discriminate who likes to be competitive or the other way around. Try to do something out of the ordinary and you may even be surprised with the fun you may have. But above all try to have fun as nobody is getting rich through their hobbies and respect eachother!
What is your opinion on this topic?
Joe Jesus
