Sportsmanship, Yay or Nay?

[Alpharius]

Alpharius of the Alpha Legion here.
I want to talk about something that really grinds my gears, sportsmanship scores in tournaments!
What the Horus does sportsmanship have to do with winning a tournament? Why should I be penalised because my opponent isn't acting like a total douche?
Winning is the only thing that matters, it shouldn't matter how I do it. Personally, at the start of each game, I like to walk around the table and kick my opponent square in the jimmies. This causes him to fear me, thus giving me a psychological advantage. Now you're telling me that the kickee should get some bonus points on his score because he didnt think of that first? Preposterous!
How can I prove that I am the greatest player of all time if my opponent is going to get some extra points because he didn't say horrible things about my mother? Its patently absurd!
The whole point of tournaments (and friendly games as well), is to crush your opponent BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, it's not about how much of a sissy you can be. Who thinks up these things? Roboute Guilliman? This sounds like his stupid idea. I should be well within my rights to win because my opponent didnt think to cover MY dice in a contact toxin. I shouldnt be getting penalised because I make threatening calls to his wife mid-game.
Sportsmanship has nothing to do with Warhammer. This is TOY SOLDIERS, not sports.

[Colonel Voss]

Well if kicking a person in the jimmies is ok with you, how about I bring my nightstick and service revolver .357 magnum (my grandfather master crafted it to boot ) from my policing days when I play you? Work you over some and heavens forbid I shouldn't be winning by less then three points or I might just blow your chest off.

Oh and IMO, that post is just in bad humor. Some people do use physical and psychological intimidation to try and win tournaments. Some people are seriously bad sports when they loose. And there have been cases of people getting violent at tournaments and being removed (I know of at least one 40k tournament where the police had to do it) and that is not fun for anyone. It's tasteless, it's immature, and it's the sign of a real idiot who gets worked up so much over a bunch of little plastic men. Utterly disgusting.

[The Other Dave]

Sportsmanship has nothing to do with Warhammer. This is TOY SOLDIERS, not sports.

More seriously, I'll direct you to my post in the comp thread. Short version: People play for different reasons, and GW has created a culture that tries to tell all kinds of different playstyles that they all fit under the same "Games Workshop Hobby" umbrella, when really they don't. (edit to add: This is not to say that I think some play styles aren't wargaming somehow - I reckon that if you're enjoying what you're doing, you're doing it right - just that they sometimes don't really fit together well.)

The whole point of anything you're going to seriously call a tournament should be to win. At the same time, you can argue that the whole point of playing with your friends at the gaming club should be to have fun. It just happens that with the current rulesets and army books for WHFB and WH40K, "trying your best to win" and "having fun" are sometimes at odds with each other.

[Admiral-Badruck]

This is very funny Alf... I sure hope you are taking the piss man because this you post made me laugh as much as Voss's reply...

I love Sportsmanship it is the equivalent of red cards in football with out them I would have to bring a tazer to a tournament... of at least a back up team of hooligans to mess up any one that wants to play rough...

[me_in_japan]

ah, the long awaited arrival of the comedy troll Nah, actually, I did think it was funny. (although not as funny as Voss's reply.) Still, nice first post, Mr. Alpharius, sir. Way to go on the controversy and misdirection from the get-go.

I can't really state my opinion on win vs fun any more clearly than TOD already has, so I'll just add my Dave vote to his, with the addendum that there shouldnt be a RULE against being a twat, as one is either a twat or one is not. Being ostracised and treated like a wierdo by the gaming community should be enough of a disincentive to prevent most folks from playing like an arse. Anyone who requires RULES to control their temperament is already a pillock, and no amount of additional rules is going to change that.

[Alpharius]

Well if kicking a person in the jimmies is ok with you, how about I bring my nightstick and service revolver .357 magnum (my grandfather master crafted it to boot ) from my policing days when I play you? Work you over some and heavens forbid I shouldn't be winning by less then three points or I might just blow your chest off.

Now you're getting into the spirit of things.

...I know of at least one 40k tournament where the police had to do it...

DUDE!!! That is an awesome way to win. I am totally stealing that idea. Next time I'm losing at a tourney, I'll call the police in and get my opponent dragged off for a night in the cells. Wicked awesome.

[me_in_japan]

DUDE!!! That is an awesome way to win. I am totally stealing that idea. Next time I'm losing at a tourney, I'll call the police in and get my opponent dragged off for a night in the cells. Wicked awesome.

Much as I detest internet acronyms...

lol lol lol lol

[Spevna]

If I play a game of 40K and don't get kicked in the nads, I feel like I've wasted my time! Anything that increases the chance of contact of any kind with my groin is OK in my book.

On a serious note, I only get to game once a month so if I don't enjoy it then what's the point? I would rather lose to a nice guy than win against a douche. Spending two hours listening to some spanner talk about his battle plan and wonderful tactic while bemoaning his bad luck is not my idea of fun.


Hell, I've heard of guys that have won yet still got their knickers in a twist because some unit or another didn't do what it was supposed to. Seriously, what is the point in flinging your own models around just because the dice didn't roll how you wanted them too?

[Admiral-Badruck]

Well Speve I will get me football boots ready and bring them along this Sunday... to the Yokkaichi game... I can kick you in the ballz then... HAPPY???

Cops ehh.... well I say you take a cricket bat to the your opponents land raider.. thatz one way to crack it.. and when he gets bent out of shape... get out the air hammer and nail his hands and feet to the floor.. no need for sportsmanship...

[Spevna]

Happy like a fat man at a buffet