The Komitatus group has come under fire in the past for a number of reasons –powergaming tendencies, elitism, and arrogance chief among them.  But I count myself fortunate in that I have heard no complaints about unfair tournament play.  I can live with being considered an arrogant, elitist powergamer.  There are at least some elements of truth in that claim.  But I couldn’t bear the thought of being labeled part of a group of cheaters.

It’s true that Komitatus espouses the philosophy of “bringing your ‘A’ game” and striving to provide a high level of competition for their opponents, but shouldn’t all players do their best?  It may be a lesser-known facet of the group, but Komitatus also strongly supports a philosophy of honor and fair play.

Gaming, at its heart, is about having fun, and a good number of players enjoy a healthy, competitive atmosphere.  It’s hard if not impossible to enjoy such events, though, if some players choose not to play by the rules.  These rules will (hopefully) sound like common sense, but there are days that common sense seems lamentably uncommon.

Rolling the Dice:
If you accept the premise of playing by the rules to establish an even battlefield and a healthy, competitive atmosphere, it should go without saying that loaded dice are unacceptable.  But fair play with the dice goes beyond that and also includes honestly reporting what you roll, honestly reporting your roll modifiers, and even treating cocked dice in a consistent manner.

In tournaments, it’s best to make sure your opponent has an opportunity to see your rolls and your stats (to know what you need to roll), but just because you can “get away with” something sure doesn’t mean you should.  A fair loss is more honorable than a win via pulling one over on your opponent.

Basic Math:
I’m not sure I would have realized I needed this section a year or so ago.  When someone tells me “five damage,” I mark down five damage.  I don’t need a math degree to understand how many five is.

But some of the stories I’ve heard recently about people “forgetting” to mark damage or making “mistakes” in how much damage they mark just boggle my mind.  If you’re intelligent enough to play wargames based on mathematics and probability, then you’re intelligent enough to count to five.  Mark the damage – all of it.  It’s really quite simple.

A Game of Inches:
Most of us have been in a situation where one inch or even a small fraction of an inch spelled the difference between victory and defeat.  Minis games are founded upon the concept of ranges and distances – “in” is “in” and “out” is “out.”  In a game between two true competitors, there should be no bickering about what’s “close enough.”  You’re either in range or you’re not.  A 5” move is a 5” move, not 5-ish and sure as hell not 5” from the front of your base in the old position to the back of your base in the new one.

Move fairly.  Measure fairly.  It’s pretty simple.  If a game requires straight movement for a charge attack, move straight; don’t curve around the rough terrain and hope your opponent doesn’t complain.  If an area effect weapon hits 4 guys, don’t tell your opponent that the one on the edge of the template is out.

Time is Money:
Stalling is a touchy subject.  Players game at different speeds; there’s really no way to deny that.  But in a timed format, every round counts.  A game that only goes a few turns is not always an accurate indicator of who played a better game or even who would have won the game given sufficient time.

Timed or not, play to give your opponent every opportunity you would want him to give to you… if not more.  Don’t make excuses; make a decision and move.  Sure, I’m speaking out against blatant stalling where a player moves one mini in ten minutes while waiting for the judge to call “last round.”  But I’m also talking about fair time usage in general.  There’s simply no excuse to take nearly half of the tournament round for just one of your turns, for example.  Such actions are unfair to your opponent.

The Bottom Line:
I’ve spoken with some of my fellow Komitatus members about wanting to do this article, and I asked for their input.  They really did a great job of putting a point on it.  I’ll close with their words, pointed summaries of what playing with honor really means:

“Just because you do something and get away with it doesn’t mean everyone doesn’t notice and think you are a huge tool.”

“Honor is doing that which is right, even when no one else will ever know.”

 

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