Let's talk about the Nova.
The first thing anyone says when
they're talking about the Nova (right after how great it is and right
before they ask is it “Nova” or “the Nova?”), is how the
missions are very unique.
Unique in the good way, of course – the tiered mission set was the
gold
standard for tournament organizers worldwide (see 3++ Con
http://www.3plusplus.net/2011/11/3-40k-tournament.html
or Event Horizon
http://kc40k.blogspot.com/2012/04/event-horizon-2012.html
). But now 6th
Ed is here and the missions have stayed the same... or have they?
In
case you've been living under a rock for, like, ever, and yet still
managed to stumble upon my 40k blog, here's a summary of the Nova
missions: In each round, there are three missions (four, actually)
being played – if you win the primary, you win, but if you can
force a tie on the primary, you instead check the secondary, and so
on down the line. These win conditions are Kill Points, 5
Objectives, and Table Quarters (and the fourth is Victory Points,
always the final tiebreaker). So, in a given round, you may play for
KP first, but in a tie, instead play for Objectives, and in a tie
there, play for Quarters. Simple.
So,
you can see, the most important win condition is the primary (most of
the time). And, according to the data Mike released last year, the
primary win condition does determine the winner most of the time.
Why is this important? Because this year, not all win conditions are
created equal – in keeping with the 6th
edition tradition, Kill Points are only primary once and secondary
once; they are the tertiary win condition in the other 6 rounds. If
Kill Points are the loser, then Table Quarters are the winner –
they are primary 4 times and secondary 3. And Table Quarters have
changed more than any other condition.
In
previous years, Table Quarters were scored by a points preponderance,
with any unit putting its points toward the goal, and Troops always
counted full strength. This year, however, only scoring and denial
units count at all (excepting Heavy Support and Fast Attack units in
their respective missions). This makes a much bigger difference than
you might think, for one main reason: vehicles.
History
lesson: in 6th,
all units are denial units except for vehicles, units in vehicles,
swarms, units with special rules stating they are not denial units,
and units that are currently falling back. The important part is the
first: vehicles. Why so important? Let's look at an example.
Consider
the following list:
2
Bargelords
4
units of Warriors in Scythes
2
units of Warriors in Ghost Arks
2
Annihilation Barges
1
Doom Scythe
I
would consider this to be the basis of a pretty sound list (if Necron
flyerwing is your cup of tea). However, I bring it up because of the
Table Quarters mission – nearly 1200 points are bound up in units
which do not count for Quarters. This only leaves slightly more than
800 points to score with – and if your opponent brings, say, foot
Guard, Logan wing, or something similar, you have to make up a pretty
big handicap.
What
it Boils Down To
At
this year's Nova, you need to justify each and every point spent on
vehicles. They still perform an important duty – either getting
your troops to the point(s) on the field you need them to be, or
adding to your firepower, or giving you options that you wouldn't
otherwise have. Vehicles are important, and mech is still powerful,
but you need to be careful that you don't overspend on them. Simple
changes, like taking Rhinos instead of Razorbacks, can leave you with
more points to control quarters with. And quarters win you games,
especially at the Nova.
