POINTS
 |
Comparing The Skullhamma Battle Fortress datasheet to that of the Standard Banebladecan give you some idea of how to point up your models. |
he final thing you need to do is to work out a points value for your creation. In the past I’ve tried to invent complicated mathematical formula for working this out,
but as I mentioned in the introduction, none of these
ever seem to work all that well. Instead you should
do what we do, and base the points value on another
model that is a close match for your own. Then modify
the points value up or down depending on how much better
or worse your model is at doing things. Keep on tweaking
the points value until it seems about right, erring
on the side of charging too many points rather than
too few. After all, an Apocalypse battle is 3,000 or
more per side, so an extra 10 or 20 points here or there
won’t make all that much difference. It may sound like it’s quite hard to get the points right doing things this way, but in fact it’s fairly easy – just be fair and trust your instincts, and you won’t go too far wrong. You’ll certainly get a more accurate result than from any formula I’ve seen.
SHOW & TELL BEFORE YOU PLAY
|
hen you design a datasheet you must
let your opponent know in advance before using it in a game
- in other words you must 'show and tell' before you can use
it. There are some circumstances where the 'show and tell'
rule might not apply. For example, amongst a close-knit gaming
group you might decide to forgo the rule after a new vehicle
has been used for a few times, while clubs or gaming stores
may allow the use of certain vehicles in their games. Alternatively the
organiser of a themed Apocalypse game may decide to include
some scratch-built models or new battle formations that enhance
the theme of the game. However, these are the exception rather
than the rule, and in most circumstances you will need to
show and tell the other players about any new datasheets you’d
like to use when you arrange to play a game of Apocalypse.By now you may be thinking something like “Hurrah! My datasheet is finished!!!” Sadly this is not the case - what you’ve finished is your first draft, and there will be quite a few more drafts before you get to the final version. So having finished the first draft, file it away for a day or two, and then go back and look at it again. I can almost guarantee you’ll find one or two things you'll decide to modify or change. Having done this, show the datasheet to friends and people you know and whose opinions you trust on 40K. Listen to their feedback, and if there is any you agree with, modify your datasheet once again. Pay particular attention to the points value of the model, and why players may think it’s too high or too low.
You should now be ready to use the datasheet in a game of Apocalypse. It’s best to use datasheets you’ve designed yourself in games where you know all of the other players and are good friends with them. With friends you’ll have a much better idea of what they think will be a really cool addition to a game, and they are likely to be more forgiving if your new creation turns out to be a horribly unbalanced death-dealing game winner! Getting off on the wrong foot with a new gaming group, on the other hand, will pretty much guarantee you won’t get invited back again.
Assuming that the players do allow you to use the new model (and if you’ve followed all of the guidelines so far they really should feel honour-bound to do so), then make sure to keep track of any questions that arise about it during play, and have a feedback session about it after the game. Make any changes that seem appropriate, and with that the datasheet should finally be complete!
Time to start work on the next one then...
CONCLUSION
really do hope that this article has inspired you to have a go at converting or scratch-building a model and creating your own datasheet for it. It really is an extremely enjoyable side of the hobby, and one that everybody deserves to be allowed to have a go, not just games designers like me. Have fun, and remember, you can never have too many tanks or big guns!
Next: Gallery
Previous: Creating a Datasheet
