Control: Las Vegas Open, Baby!

I, Dalton Lewis, will not attend the Las Vegas Open this year, but I know a number of people who will show up at the biggest Warhammer 40k event of the year. I will sit at home, mentally ill and desperately unhappy, watching television on my computer or eating way too much white toast, bagels, or frozen dinners.

For those people going — good luck. In fictional stories the characters always either win or barely lose at the end to an honorable opponent who teaches them something about life and death. In reality we often lose in the first round — half of us do, in fact. No one writes stories about us — the ninety-nine percent. We are invisible to these storytellers, who write about the best and brightest in every field, from superhero to makeup companies.

I like the losers. The losers are the people like us, who don’t win every game, who don’t win the Las Vegas Open, and who struggle through games with our fellow middling intellects. And what is expected to do well? Iron Hands and Chaos Daemons, long time superstars, are expected to win the tournament. Iron Hands have long-range firepower, alpha strike potential, and defensive buffs to make them almost impossible to defeat. Each repulsor executioner has half a dozen guns capable of laying low the most formidable of opposing armies, and each has a 5++ save and relics and strategems to keep them alive. They have thunderfire cannons and whirlwinds to reach out and blow up any opposing forces hiding in the cover or refusing to put up a fight.

Chaos Daemons, meanwhile, have been one of the best armies for a long time. They won Adepticon last year with plaguebearers and spellcasters, and similar lists can be seen this year. They are buffing possessed by giving them ridiculous amounts of firepower and making them into one of eighth edition’s first effective death stars — a type of attack not seen since seventh edition’s screamer star.

Any other lists? I don’t know which other lists might win. I think that Raven Guard lists with centurions might win some high-level matches because the army is so good when piloted by one of the best players in the world. It’s a harder, more technical list than the Iron Hands lists which have become so common. It’s harder to drop in on your opponents than it is to sit in a triangle around three tanks and shoot everything into pieces.

Tau might be effective, too. They are getting a buff soon in their Psychic Awakening. They might do well because of their shield drones protecting their precious Riptides and Broadsides. I think that they are a good army, with some ridiculous powered shooting, but I don’t think that they will take the whole thing. What will?

Thirty percent of the field, I am guessing, will play the lists recognized as the best lists. One or two people will play something that they have crafted which beats the current meta and is thinking one step ahead of the other players. That’s the list I think will win the Las Vegas Open — not simply Iron Hands or Daemons with possessed. I think that a new list will emerge as champion.

Who can do this? I would love to say that anyone could win, but the dark and harrowing truth is that only, say, ten percent or so of the players have a decent chance of winning. The rest of us have to flounder in the low-middle of the pack. I will continue to persist, trying to figure out new ways to lose to the same old people, for the simple reason that I believe in myself and want to continue to try to play more effectively.

Thanks, and take care, friends.