Most players focus on army lists and rules when it comes to competitive 40K. The real secret weapon of success at the competitive level is your mindset. Confidence at the table leads to making less mistakes, smarter decisions and having more fun at the table. Confidence in competitive 40K is not a personality trait. It’s a skill you can and should develop. Let’s get into it.
Why Confidence Matters in 40K
Let’s get one thing out of the way. Confidence does not equal arrogance. When I talk about building confidence in competitive 40K I’m not talking about being loud or aggressive (and usually wrong). Arrogance at the table is often a defensive shield for a player’s insecurities and lack of confidence. Arrogance can lead to overconfidence and underestimating your opponent. As the old saying goes, pride before the fall.
Confidence in competitive 40K is built through practice, repetition, and process. It leads to less overthinking and “analysis paralysis” at the table. It speeds up your game play, leads to better decision making and can shield you from tilting when things don’t go your way or there is an unexpected turn in the game.
Confidence allows you to refocus and adapt at the table. It gives you more clarity and keeps you “zoned in.”
Confidence is Developed Through Preparation
The key to improving your abilities and skill is preparation. Preparation builds confidence.
A lot of players faction hop consistently as the meta evolves because the perception is “if I don’t have this I won’t have a chance.” That is a lack of confidence. In competitive 40K no faction can beat every other faction. The game is not intended to be this way. If it were, there would be no balance in the game.
You can hone your skills more easily by sticking with your faction. I have several factions I play just over years of collecting and being in the hobby. Usually I like to pick a faction and play it for a certain period of time.
My main army faction is Blood Angels. I have played hundreds of games with them. I know the faction inside and out. I understand its strengths and weaknesses. It’s good and bad matchups. Knowing this has helped me play confidently with the army no matter the opponent.
This confidence has come through preparation. You don’t have to practice 7 days a week, but getting a couple of games in a week against various factions can help you understand your army and build a plan to execute in your games.
Building confidence starts by
- Knowing your army’s strengths and weaknesses
- Getting practice and reps
- Learning and understanding the core rules and the missions
- Understanding how to develop a game plan for a mission from deployment to end state
Managing Anxiousness Before an Event
You’ve probably experienced anxiety or anxiousness prior to the start of an event. That feeling of butterflies in your stomach as you wait for round 1 pairings and the initial pregame discussion and setup. This is normal. Everyone goes through this even the most confident and capable players.
You can manage this anxiety by taking a few deep breaths and just focusing on the task at hand. The jitters will fade eventually as you get into round 1.
Make sure you are asking the right questions beforehand. I’ve created a pregame checklist perfectly suitable for this to go over at the start of the round with each of your opponents.
Chances are your event organizer has published a mission pack with the missions and terrain layouts selected. You can use Tabletop Battles to screenshot the map with the layouts and edit in a photo editing app to create your deployment plan. This helps with the immediate anxiousness and builds confidence because you’ve come into the game with a plan.
Here’s an example of one I used for my Blood Angels this past weekend:
Practical Ways to Build Confidence
Building confidence in competitive 40K can take some time especially if you’re a new player or just jumping into the competitive scene.
My favorite method I use to build confidence when I work with my clients are game journals and logs. Going over your games objectively and identifying mistakes can help make you more prepared. Learn from your losses.
Setting realistic goals for yourself as you progress and focusing on process instead of results.
The more you play and grow the more confident you will become. And confidence is key to success in competitive 40K.
Final Thoughts
Confidence leads to better results and it comes from preparation. Don’t mentally defeat yourself before a game.
It’s about having the right mindset. If you’re interested in building confidence in your skills at the table and becoming a better player, then check out some of my coaching options. I can help you develop the confidence you need to succeed on the tabletop.
If you’re new to the game or want to improve quickly, grab my FREE eBook: Forging Your Path to Victory: A Beginner’s Guide to Competitive 40K.
Remember, building confidence comes from preparation and having the right mindset.
See you on the tabletop!
