What is your Tactic to Kick everyones Arse?

Specifically... if you have a planned match (ie. I'm going to play space wolves this weekend) what do you plan for, what do you take, what do you hope your opponent has, what do hope he doesn't have.

I play Codex marines.

Imperial Guard:
- I plan to assault his weaklings, I take lascannons to pop his transports, I hope he Blobs (nothing like sweeping a 20 man with 5 space marines), and I pray he has no more than 1 russ..... stupid rumbling behemoth SOB's...

Chaos
- I shoot him and stay away.... spikey CC badness makes me scared. I krak him with landspeeders, I hope he takes a defiler so I can glance on 4+ and take away a large blast, and I pray that he doesn't have terminators... I HATE terminators....

Blood Angels -
- I cannot plan for them. They are me, with different special characters. I am capable of anything (in my mind). I can shoot, I can assault, I can deepstrike, I can infilitrate and overall I am a pain in my opponents ass... thusly so, the Blood Angels can be all of the above. I plan for everything, I take a plasma cannons (to deal with un-transported troops/termies) I hope he takes a landraider (for me to multi-melta/avoid), and I pray he doesn't completely counteract my list.. which he can.

Tau -
- I assault. Go for the assault. I take scouts, for a target to deal with, and dreadnoughts for a vehicle target. I take a predator for a suprising pain in the arse. I hope he loads up on broadsides, so that way 1 25pt powerfist can wack down 100pt of model per successful hit, and I hope he does not spam Fire Warriors. Fire warriors are super squishy, but have a huge damage output in range and force my troops to make saves, and as a basic troop can pop transports... Littler F-ers is what they are.

Orks - I plan to be suprised. Orks can outshoot me (in which case I will out assault them), they can out vehicle me... out template... out assault me... but only one at a time. I take a versitile army, something that can handle many threats. I always take a landspeeder (or 3) to out-maneuver and to put the pressure on early (or late) in the game. I hope he takes 30 man squads... because as annoying as they are... I always have an answer to them and it always hurts if I wipe them. I pray he does not have Grazkhull, or deffkoptas... although these units are manageable... They are friggin annoying.

Grey Knights -
- I have played against these guys once, and played as them once so my experience is limited. I plan for force weapons (take an eternal HQ or take one that costs so little that I don't care if he dies). I take a librarian or a minimalized force to outnumber my opponent 3 - 1. 1 Greyknight is not equal to 3 spaces marines. I plan for terminators (ap 2 or 1 weapons). I hope he takes a stormraven so I can Krak it 1st turn and snowball him the rest of the game, I pray he does not take a dreadnight... cuz although I can deal with it.... its a focused effort to do so.


Space Wolves - I plan for long fangs... any Wolves players worth anything will have at least 1 pack. I need to be able to return the love (probably in the form of a devastator squad). What do I take? Plasma-cannons/Lascannons to make his armor negligible and More models than he has. A space wolf is equal to a space marine, and mine are cheaper in most circumstances. I hope he takes Bjorn, so that way I can blow up that 270 pts pieces of ancient crap and snowball him the rest of the game. I pray... he does not take 400 pts of missile launcher long fangs... as this is F-ing redundant, versitile and HARD to deal with. Space Wolf Pricks....


These are the only armies I have experience playing against. I look forward to playing new armies, as I'm sure they'll surprise me.

Most feared army I have not played against: Tyranids.
Army I fear the least: Dark Eldar.
Army that will suprise me: Sisters of Battle


So there is my confesional. I try not to pre-plan for games, but after playing everyone so many times.... I can't help but know what to prep for and am sure others are in the same boat.

So post what works for you, what doesn't and what you do not want to see on opponents field.

Nice post!!! When you mentioned that you like to preplan for armies don't you like the surprise aspect when you just build an army, show up at the shop or tournament and then play anyone. (Hopfully kick their asses)?

I llike that definately, like with the tournament. But now that I'm more experienced and have played against several armies multiple times I think I pretty much know the threats. I don't like pre-planning, but at this stage I can't really help it.
I don't like showing up to the gun fight with a knife.... but If I do and I still win that's always way cooler.

I like being suprised, and don't mind a good ass kicking. But if I am knocked down a peg, I'm sure that I will be better prepared for a similar threat next time.

Chaos
- Artillery

Blood Angels -
- Artillery and hug the board edge

Tau -
- Artillery

Orks - Artillery... and shotguns

Grey Knights - Autocannons


Space Wolves - Show up



Vanilla Marines - blast templates and a slow pull back