Introducing one's self via treachery...

Its not recommended, just saying.

Okay time to rant. It's been awhile right? Yeah, I've missed it too. Let's begin:

A new guy arrived at the FLGS this past Saturday looking for a game of 8th. Bob and I were the only 40k players present, and we were looking to forward to a game of Kill Team as (1) neither of us had been able to get in a game of any sort for the past month or so (2) neither of us like 8th ed. Happy to join in, the new guy (to us mind you, he'd been playing since 6th ed) was happy enough to join in. Cool!

Bob's Dark Angels spewing death as my 'Eagle-Eye' upgraded Dire Avenger lines up a shot.

He had his new Tau army he was showing off, he'd gotten it used for a rock bottom price of $150 which was a steal that he couldn't shut up about. Stereotypical gamer I figured, over compensating for the lack of social skills by going on and on about his new army. Though lets be honest we've all done that at some point right?

My Dire Avengers charging forth into the Tau onslaught, few would survive...

After explaining the how to's of KT: 200 point limit and unit restrictions, the guy hemmed and hawed but finally made a Tau list using my borrowed codex (he brought the 8th ed one with him). It seemed like he had an awful lot of stuff in his force: 5 fire warriors with marker light toting sushi (no not an auto correct), 4 pathfinders with 2 rail rifles, and 3 crises suits decked out just about to the max including one with a 25 point shield generator, who can afford that in a 200 point game?

Asking to check his math seems like a dick move so on we went to a 3-player kill point free for all. Game play was fun though the overwhelming Tau firepower was kinda rough, with Bob and I focusing on that threat whilst only trading sporadic fire with one another. It wasn't planned rather a case of dealing with the biggest threat. Ultimately Bob was tabled and by game's end, I had 2 Eldar left. The Tau won handily.

Fist bump, good game, etc. all was good.

Then whilst packing up i was treated to a self-congratulatory monologue on how he used superior strategy to lure us in and pick us apart. Tau turtled up in a corner and pounded anything that came close, yes very original, I've never seen that before.

Afterwards, annoyed Bob and I started comparing notes...and there was an awful lot of Tau for 200 points. Sunday Bob texted me saying he redid the new guy's list in battlescribe and that Tau list was about 350 points! What the actual fuck??? My beloved Wolfy and I were out and about so I wasn't able to tally up the list till later.

The pathfinders, fire warriors and crises suits WITHOUT any weapons or wargear clock in at 210 points! By my reckoning his list clocked in at 330 points, either way, that's more than 50% over by a veteran player who knew how to build a kill team. So yeah, he won thru superior strategy: cheating. Not shady dice shit, that happens periodically, but luckily we haven't seen that locally in quite awhile, but seriously? Wow, he actually cheated...that hasn't happened in what-years?

There's no way he didn't know he was fielding almost as much as the two of us combined. So word to the wise, if something smells fishy (and we're not just talking Tau in general) with a new guy's army, don't go purely the 'nice guy' route and ask questions before rather than later.

Also: A note to the locals, we will provide name description, etc, of this guy to give you with adequate warning so you'll know to be on your toes.