Emperor’s Emporium of Empowering Improvements
by Jim

Positioning: Units.
“Where are you going?”

You ask this question everytime you move your units. Where are you going with that unit? This is a relevant question.

Second, has it occurred to you in some games that your units always tend to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Third, does it seem that your unit did very well one turn , but had nothing of significance to do the next turn?
These are the 3 very important questions to ask, and what starts to form the basis of unit positioning. So lets ask the questions again, and see why each one matters, and why they should be asked before you commit your unit.

1. What does that unit need to affect this turn?
This is the step most players begin and end their unit positioning. Its by and far the simplest to understand. This turn, the unit either contests an objective, shoots and/or assaults another unit, or both. This is the move a player uses to reduce the effectiveness of their opponents army and attempt to lay claim to a better winning position. Its the first step, but players who want to maximize the most from their army and units need to understand the key word there, First. The key to great position lies in the next 2 questions.

2.What units of my opponents can affect my models this turn?
It is all well and good that the Termagaunt unit is utterly destroyed, but did you leave your tank to get Hammered (of Wrath) by that Carnifex? The basis of question 2 is to avoid giving your opponent an easy one for one trade off. The person on the other side of the table is going to take out units of yours, and will probably make the one for one trade-off, but we don’t have to make it easy for them. Make them work for it. The more you do, the more they might line up a juicy move for you next turn. And speaking of next turn.

3. What does the unit need to affect next turn?
It all fine that you got the action you wanted, and your opponent had to work for their’s, but if all of a sudden, this turn your unit is no where near where it need to be, you are going to waste a turn getting them there. This is the question that illustrates the phrase, “Thinking 2 turns ahead.”, and knowing what you want to do over the course of the game will help you put your units in the spaces it needs to maximize their effectiveness. It is called a game plan for a reason, and having a plan beyond this turn will help a lot.
Correct positioning is key in staying in any game your in. From routing your opponent in 3 turns to winning or tying a game that you never felt you were in, positioning will maximize great die rolling and minimize not so great die rolling. The key to any of these games is to never give your opponents anything, while you take everything. As one learns to position correctly, any player should be able to use positioning to set up bad situations for the opponent. But you have to start by asking yourself 3 simple questions.