Good rules lawyers are paranoid rules lawyers.
Everyone knows that cheating at a game like 40k is dishonorable and stupid, but that doesn’t stop people from trying it anyway.
Why is cheating stupid? Because the risk is never worth the reward. Most games of 40k are friendly games with nothing on the line except pride, and it is impossible to take real “pride” in a victory earned through cheating. The rest are competitive games, sometimes played for prize support. But understand that prizes aren’t really what’s at stake, even in a tournament. Prize support is rarely “worth” the time and expense of winning it… typically even the grand prize of a major tournament is something you could’ve easily purchased for the cost of transportation, food, lodging, and your own expended time. All of that time listbuilding, planning, playtesting, and playing in the tournament is all time you could’ve theoretically spent earning money to buy whatever is being given away at the tournament (and then some). So what’s ultimately at stake, even at a tournament with prize support, is pride (again, something impossible to gain through cheating). So we can conclude that a cheater has nothing to gain, and everything to lose. What do they have to lose? Cheaters risk being exposed for the unethical, untrustworthy, win-at-all-costs players that they are, and they risk all of the consequences that come with such exposure: being ostracised from gaming groups, banned from venues and tournaments, etc.
It’s never worth risking one’s personal integrity, along with all of the other possible consequences, to win a game of toy soldiers. Unfortunately, that’s just not enough to dissuade some people. So, unlikely as it may seem, there’s a chance you’ll end up across the table from someone trying to cheat to win, and it is the goal of this article to prepare you to recognize and deal with these situations. This article focuses on three significant ways people cheat at 40k: deliberate misrepresentation of the rules, deliberate fastplaying, and dice manipulation.
The first significant method of cheating in 40k is deliberate misrepresentation of the rules to gain advantage. It is most common among newer players. One example of deliberate rules misrepresentation would be telling opponents who are unfamiliar with ‘nids that hormagaunts have rending. This type of cheating can be countered/avoided by simply having a healthy level of “too good to be true” skepticism (if it sounds too good to be true, ask to see it in the codex) as well as a thorough knowledge and understanding of the rules. If you know the core rules and both armies’ rules better than your opponent, there’s much less of a chance he’ll be able to pull the wool over your eyes. This type of cheating is probably the easiest to deal with, as with proper knowledge of the rules, you can simply correct your opponent’s mistake (deliberate or otherwise) with a reference to the appropriate text, and finish the game using the correct rules. If the opponent doesn’t agree on your interpretation of the rules text, a tournament organizer or judge should be able to clear up the issue quickly.
The second significant method of cheating in 40k is what we’ll call “deliberate fastplay”: deliberately breaking the rules in small ways, over and over, very quickly so as to avoid detection. This includes things like quickly and deliberately overmeasuring models’ movements, bumping models/terrain into more advantageous positions, picking up extra hits that weren’t hits quickly before the opponent has a chance to verify if it’s a hit or a miss, etc. This type of cheating can be countered by simply being observant and not being afraid to call your opponent out on it. After all, this is a war game – this isn’t the time or the place for “avoiding confrontation.” Speaking up about a perceived fastplay problem is the best way to remedy it, whether it’s deliberate or not. Nine times out of ten it’s simply a bad habit and not deliberate cheating, and your opponent will probably have no problem doing things the right way. Always start out polite. Ask your opponent politely to slow down, measure carefully, etc. If that doesn’t work, you can try browbeating him a little. If even that doesn’t get your opponent to change what he’s doing, then it’s time to call over a tournament organizer (or in the case of a friendly game, a neutral observer) to keep a close eye on the game and keep such behaviors in check.
The third significant method of cheating is dice manipulation. While this is certainly the rarest form of cheating, one most players will never encounter, it is nevertheless significant because it can be difficult to spot and even more difficult to prove, and it can have a huge impact on a game. In a game like 40k where virtually everything is dependent on dice rolls, manipulating dice rolling to affect the chances of rolling higher or lower can give a player a significant illegitimate advantage.
We begin this discussion with a serious caveat: dice are based on chance. Infuriating as it may be, there is a chance that even someone using perfectly normal dice and no dice manipulation techniques whatsoever will simply have a “lucky game” and roll whatever he or she needs every time… all game long… while you can’t pass a 3+ save to save your life. Therefore, unless you have incredibly obvious evidence that someone is cheating through dice manipulation, it is a terrible idea to accuse them of it. Accusing someone who is playing legitimately of cheating is about the quickest way we can think of to garner ill will, lose a regular opponent, or earn yourself a zero on your sportsmanship score. If there are specific behaviors you recognize, address those first. Only bring out the “c word” if absolutely necessary.
That said, if you do believe someone is cheating, it is very important that you have concrete, articulable facts and observations to back up your accusation. Telling your tournament organizer “my opponent is rolling way too many 6′s, he must be cheating” isn’t going to cut it. It is incredibly important to know and understand the odds. If your opponent is rolling at or near average, he’s either not cheating or he’s so terrible at it it doesn’t matter. But if your opponent’s rolls just seem too good to be true, be watchful. We will examine two ways that we are aware of that cheaters use to manipulate dice, and what to watch for:
One way cheaters manipulate dice rolls is by using loaded dice – dice purposefully weighted or balanced to increase the odds of rolling high or low (usually high). These are typically easy to spot, because besides the fact that they never come up anything but a five or a six, they very often just won’t look like they belong in a game of 40k or even in that player’s dice collection. If a player uses two sets of GW dice (or chessex dice or whatever) and two bigger white dice that he just so happens to use for every important roll, and they never fail to come up boxcars, there’s a chance he’s got loaded dice.
Before you go running to the tournament organizer, though, build your case. Comment on those dice and how cool you think they are. Ask if you can try ‘em out a few times. Nobody running legitimate dice is going to care if you want to roll their dice. Don’t let ‘em weasel out of it. For example, if they complain about germs, offer to wash your hands first, or use hand sanitizer. Better yet, ask if you can use the “special dice” on some of your own important rolls. Again, if they’re legitimate, your opponent shouldn’t care. If he abjectly refuses, that’s more evidence for your case. Also, if the dice suddenly “disappear” into a bag or pocket once you start drawing attention to them, that’s even more evidence for your case. But again, keep in mind that loaded dice are extremely rare in 40k. Most players will go their entire lives without ever having someone try to pull this kind of stunt against them. Therefore throwing around accusations of loaded dice without incontrovertible evidence to support your position is foolish and certainly won’t win you any friends or sportsmanship points.
The other way cheaters manipulate dice rolls is by using techniques to manipulate a roll using normal, legitimate dice. This, too, is extremely rare. If an opponent is truly talented enough to pull this type of dice manipulation off without being caught, he or she should be in vegas winning briefcases full of cash, not sitting at a 4′x6′ table in a game store/basement cheating his way to victory in a game of toy soldiers. But, on the off chance that you’ll ever run into someone attempting dice manipulation techniques, here are some telltale signs to look for:
1. Insisting on rolling one or two dice at a time. While it is possible for cheaters to manipulate one or two dice, and it becomes exponentially harder as the number of dice increases from there. The more dice rolled, the tougher it is to control where they go and what they do. Thus it is a good practice to insist that your opponent roll all of the “situationally similar” (same type of attacks, same models’ saves, etc.) dice together. Don’t buy the excuse that it’s “more dramatic this way” if you have any reason to suspect dice manipulation.
2. Not shaking the dice. Manipulating dice rolls depends on controlling how the dice are positioned in the hand. Watch out for players picking up dice and rolling them without shaking them first, or giving them a “fake shake” where the hand moves but the dice do not. Insist that your opponent shake his dice vigorously before rolling.
3. Looking at the dice in-hand. Again, controlling how the dice are positioned in-hand is a big part of manipulating dice rolls. If a player is watching to make sure a certain number is face-up on the dice in his hand, there’s a good chance he’s trying to manipulate the roll. Watch for players attempting to hold dice a certain way that allows them to see how the dice are positioned, shaking the dice in the palm with the fingers open so he can see which numbers are shaken to the top, etc. Insist that your opponent shake the dice with a closed hand, or with two closed hands, or in a dice shaker.
4. Not rolling the dice hard enough. If the dice are making one complete turn or less, they’re not being rolled hard enough and are subject to manipulation. Don’t let opponents get away with picking up dice and dropping them gently back to the surface, or rolling them limp-wristedly so that they don’t make a few complete turns. Insist on a vigorous shake and an equally vigorous roll. Browbeating is especially effective here. A habit of limp-wristed rolling is certainly grounds to call an opponent’s manhood into question.
If you genuinely suspect dice manipulation, one surefire way to address it (without outright accusing him of cheating) is to ask your opponent to use a dice shaker, a-la Yahtzee or Duff Dice. Or address the specific behaviors as suggested above. If the opponent gets overly defensive and refuses to change whatever it is they’re doing, it’s time to take your observations to a TO.
In conclusion, cheating is stupid, and it is rare, but it does happen. Be aware of it, be ready for it, and above all, don’t be afraid to address it. Letting someone get away with cheating only encourages more cheating. Remember to address specific behaviors first, and only accuse someone of cheating if the person refuses to change those behaviors and you’ve gathered up concrete proof – clear observations that will help you explain what’s going on to a tournament organizer.
