In light of a recent email that I received, I felt it was necessary to explain my motives for how I build my Black Templars armies (or any army for that matter) and how I run Implausible Nature.  It seems this is a continuing topic of conversation, though most of the time it players is poking fun, some people are genuinely angry with the way I handle the BT codex.

You could just read my Site Primer to get the gist of what I'm going to say here, but repetition is the key to ensuring information is retained.  So I'll do it again.

It is not in my personality to keep all of my experiences, knowledge, and opinions to myself.  I'm not selfish.  That is one of the reasons I built Implausible Nature.  Right around when I joined the online community, I discovered the distinct lack of resources available for the Black Templars.  I felt that this was a tragedy and needed to be rectified.

Over the past year and a half, I've done my best to teach players how to improve their game-play using the Black Templars.  Sometimes, its as simple as improving their list building skills.  Other times, its more on the tactical side of running the army itself.  Whatever the case may be, it seems to be working.  I've gotten quite a few thank you emails, Implausible Nature is linked on dozens of other Warhammer 40k websites around the internet, and the daily hits on the website are steadily increasing (up to about 800 a day on average now). 

While all of this is amazing, I don't do it for the personal glory and recognition.  It isn't about stroking my ego or pretending that I'm the best Black Templar player in the world.  Simply put, I'm probably not.  Even so, I'm damn good with my army of choice (BT obviously) and know them like the back of my hand.  While I don't have any actual proof of this yet (I intend to earn myself some credibility at this year's Nova Open), readers should have the ability to decipher good advice from the bad.  Especially when I take great pains to show why certain advice isn't the best way of doing things.

This leads me into my next important thing of note:  I am a competitive player and I play to win.  This is a game, and while I mostly enjoy the hobby aspect of it, games are meant to be won.  With that being said, games are also created to provide enjoyment for those playing it.  That means that it isn't in my nature to take my hardest list to my LGS, pick some random new player, and smoke the living day-lights out of them.  That isn't fun for me, and certainly isn't fun for them.  Being a competitive player does not mean I'm a douche.  It doesn't mean I throw out sportsmanship in the pursuit of winning at all costs (WAAC).  I've been accused of it and its a bunch of crap.

So what does competitive gaming mean to me then?  In it's basest form, it means I take all of the tactical knowledge, list building philosophies, and experience I have and combine them to create the most efficient and optimized gaming experience I can.  There are things that I'll never do in a game, simply because those tactics simply do not work in a tournament environment.  You also see this most visibly in my army lists.  They are "spammy", boring, and in some cases, not adherent to the BT "fluff".  In most cases (not all), redundancy like this is what needs to be done to be successful.  It might be distasteful for some players who find more enjoyment in the background and feel of the army, but the fact remains, armies are more effective in this style of list building.  While they may not find fun in these types of armies, I most definitely do.  Every player is different and I don't buy into the belief that repetitive units make an army list boring to play.  Its the player's attitude towards the game that makes a list enjoyable or not.  I just happen to find far more enjoyment playing tournament-style games against like-minded players, who also build their armies for peak efficiency.  Pitting each others competitive gaming against each other is the ultimate test of skill and I can find no other greater thrill in our game than a close-fought battle to the finish.

Unfortunately, most players don't know how to do this in a tournament environment.  And that is what I'm here to do, teach effective competitive gaming to players.  There are so few places to learn how to compete effectively in a competitive environment, and fewer still with a specific focus on a particular army.  That is my niche.  If someone wants to know how to completely optimize their BT army list for a tournament, I do my best to teach them how.  Players can email me for list reviews, tactical advice, or whatever.  A player can go to innumerable other online resources for advice on casual gaming.  If that is all you care about, then those places are perfect and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  But some players want something more in their gaming and that is why Implausible Nature exists.

Sometimes it takes a different perspective for a person to view things in new ways.  This isn't a bad thing.  I provide that for players and give them the opportunity to see into my style of gaming.  If they decide that it isn't for them, all the power to them.  I don't force my ideas on anyone, I can only guide and give advice where it is asked.  No one has to implement what I say into their games or army lists.  It is much like going to school.  Most primary schools teach you how to survive in the real world with a basic set of information.  This can be likened to casual resources like forums.  But if you want to become an expert in a specific area or field, you need to go to college to learn what you need in a much more detailed fashion.  Implausible Nature is the next step in competitive gaming, much like college is to primary school.  It teaches the casual player how to become effective in a tournament environment.

It is also important to note my target audience.  I live and play in the United States, where tournaments generally are not comped.  With the growing popularity of creating legitimate competitive tournaments here in the USA, these ideas have begun to spread to other areas around the world, most notably the United Kingdom.  So that is who will find the most use out of all of this information:  those who do not play in tournaments with comp restrictions.  I have to ensure that the information on Implausible Nature is applicable to the widest audience as possible.  Unfortunately, I simply cannot do anything for those who have to play under comp restrictions.  As I don't play under them myself, I cannot legitimately say what is good or not good under their rules.  Comp changes the entire game and doesn't fall under what I would call "competitive" gaming.  My armies would not be good in comp tournaments, but on that same token, comp-inspired army lists would not be effective in a non-comp environment.  But I understand their reasons for instituting comp, even if I don't agree with them.  I'm not here to judge, just know that I give all advice assuming the player doesn't play under a comp system.

So when you're reading Implausible Nature, keep all of this in mind.  I am a competitive player who is trying to teach that play-style to my fellow gamers.  I don't believe myself to be the "end all, be all" or some Black Templars pariah.  But I do believe that my advice deserves consideration at the very least, even if your goal isn't to become a tournament goer.  I am simply a differing perspective on our codex and the Warhammer 40k game.  Take what you feel is valuable and leave the rest if that is what you wish to do.  :D