I’m curious if there are any genuine advantages to being the player who goes first in a match. Most videos I’ve watched show both sides hoping to go second, and I’m struggling to see any clear benefits to taking the first turn other than potentially scoring early points. It seems like going first often results in taking a lot of damage during the opponent’s turn once they come out to counter. What are your thoughts on this?
6 Answers
Going first can definitely have its perks. If your army features tough and fast units, you can quickly seize control of the central board or key objectives. For instance, with armies like World Eaters, there’s a solid chance of getting Angron across the board for a turn one charge while other units secure No Man’s Land. That can make it tough for your opponent to respond effectively.
There have been times when going first provided a huge advantage, especially with fast melee proponents that could pin opponents in their deployment zone early on. Improvements to balance have shifted this over time, but I still like to include fast melee units in my lists, as many players tend to play cautiously. Taking the offensive in turn one can disrupt their tempo significantly!
It depends on your plan; I’ve managed to get a lot of my army into combat right away by going first. However, going second can be easier if your opponent makes mistakes. It really varies based on what you’re trying to achieve and how your units work.
It really comes down to your army and strategy. As a World Eaters player, I don’t really mind either going first or second. Going first lets me capitalize on poor deployment from my opponent or get a jump on them when it comes to objectives.
Statistically speaking, the win rates for going first or second often balance around 50:50, but your success can depend heavily on the map, the mission, and even the lists involved. If you can consistently pull off a turn one charge, that’s definitely a strong play, but it can be a hassle if your opponent is set up to counter it. On the whole, there’s a slight edge to going second across various games right now, usually within a small percentage range, making it more about the specifics of each match than a sweeping conclusion.
The advantage really hinges on the mission at hand. Some missions favor going second—you could score big points by the end of the game if you play it right. But for others, like Purge the Foe, going first is essential to applying pressure on your opponent. For certain armies, like Mechanicus or Orks, going first is often a must since many of their abilities activate at the start of the round instead of during their command phase, which can feel frustrating if you end up going second. But remember, the Orks’ rule recently changed to allow for command phase abilities, so that might shift things a bit.
True, but balancing has changed the way these armies operate since the latest updates. It’s definitely worth considering how those tweaks affect early turns.