Unbound in your area...Abused or not?

[JMichael]

I seem to constantly see people on this and other forums complaining about Unbound and how it has wrecked 7th.
In my area and the stores I frequent, both competitive and fun play I don't see any unbound lists winning.
Our GW store had a 9 week league that allowed unbound lists and being that prizes were on the line I expected to see some true nastiness. But no.

My personal experience is that our players consider the advantage of the Command Benefits of their Detachments to outweigh the need to bring 'all the crazy stuff'.

Sometimes I will see the Lord of War (super heavy) belonging to the allied detachment's faction and thus unbound. But not a huge deal at all.

I should also mention that while leagues I have played in allow unbound, all of the tournaments require Battle-Forged only.

Anyway, what is your actual experience at your LGS or group?

[Katharon]

Considering the fact that only Battle Forged armies can get 'Objective Secured' and trump all Unbound armies, and that all Maelstrom of War missions are objective based, this would be the obvious reason for why you are not seeing Unbound in those competitive settings that allow it -- at least far less than most people expected. When Unbound was first released into the game as a method of playing, most players either panicked or immediately went to go pick up those two extra Wraith Knights that they'd been thinking about. However, once things settled and the reality of the mission requirements sunk in, most players on average realized how Unbound was a one-shot shot. Sure, it can hit like a hammer -- but when faced with either having to table an enemy opponent or hope to achieve points against an army that will trump you in objective taking, it calmed things down.

[daboarder]

I use unbound to run my Chaos Termi list....the thing is, I do that because I like to take a certain combo of units, if people complain about a list that is fluffy and clearly not built around face smashing, then I bring out Typhus and the Zombies and make them face my much harder list that is not unbound, normally I haven't had the problem against an opponent more than once, then they get the point

[DrBored]

Main reason I don't complain about Unbound? I don't play against armies that are unbound. I've noticed that most players in the hobby around me don't just collect an army specifically to play unbound, they typically will collect an army of one faction, with CAD or a formation in mind. I just play against that.

If someone wants to play unbound against me, I just say 'OK, here are my 100 individual counts-as Obliterators that I'm going to deep strike, all with Mark of Nurgle.'

They typically don't want to play Unbound any more after about turn two or three.

And not even because it's good.

Because I take my time rolling for every single individual reserve and scatter roll, and take my sweet time marking each individual model that has shot or hasn't, and what weapon it has shot so I don't use that weapon in the next turn, and who has lost one of their wounds.

Ye olde Ruin Their Fun With Obnoxiousness technique.

[JMichael]

I use unbound to run my Chaos Termi list....the thing is, I do that because I like to take a certain combo of units, if people complain about a list that is fluffy and clearly not built around face smashing, then I bring out Typhus and the Zombies and make them face my much harder list that is not unbound, normally I haven't had the problem against an opponent more than once, then they get the point

This, in my mind, is what unbound is best for. There are certainly times you may face a force that does not adhere to a strict organization.
Like having a Saim Hann Eldar force of just jetbikes, or an all terminator assault force.
I also like the idea of no HQ (especially for my Eldar), but a sergeant or Exarch leading the force instead.

I have noticed that a lot of the additional detachments lack objective secured, but have some other rule in its place.
We do play mostly Maelstrom missions, and I rarely have a case where Objective Secured really comes into play. Of course that may be because if we are both playing CADs then our play will be around both of us have OS.

[daboarder]

Main reason I don't complain about Unbound? I don't play against armies that are unbound. I've noticed that most players in the hobby around me don't just collect an army specifically to play unbound, they typically will collect an army of one faction, with CAD or a formation in mind. I just play against that.

If someone wants to play unbound against me, I just say 'OK, here are my 100 individual counts-as Obliterators that I'm going to deep strike, all with Mark of Nurgle.'

They typically don't want to play Unbound any more after about turn two or three.

And not even because it's good.

Because I take my time rolling for every single individual reserve and scatter roll, and take my sweet time marking each individual model that has shot or hasn't, and what weapon it has shot so I don't use that weapon in the next turn, and who has lost one of their wounds.

Ye olde Ruin Their Fun With Obnoxiousness technique.

charming, so you'd have an issue against a blood angel player running an all jump pack force, despite the lack of it being the biggest stupidity in the new codex? Because it was CAD only 5 months ago

[JMichael]

charming, so you'd have an issue against a blood angel player running an all jump pack force, despite the lack of it being the biggest stupidity in the new codex? Because it was CAD only 5 months ago

I he wouldn't have any issues as that is, in my opionion, the exact reason to bring a fluffy unbound list!

Although you still can run an Archangels Strike Force detachment and be Battle-Forged(up to 2 HQ and 16 Elites) and they get to re-roll failed reserve rolls! That's a ton of Death Company, Sanguinary, Vanguard Veteran, and Command squads! Basically all of the Jump troops except the general Assault Squad!
You could still add Lemartes (Elite), Sanguinary Priest, The Sanguinor, and Cmdr Dante!
All a legal Battle-Forged army and crazy!

[DrBored]

charming, so you'd have an issue against a blood angel player running an all jump pack force, despite the lack of it being the biggest stupidity in the new codex? Because it was CAD only 5 months ago

Nah, tbh I wouldn't have an issue with that, and I might play it, but here's the thing that people seem to forget about 40k in A LOT OF INSTANCES (I don't mean to yell, I really want to emphasize this point).

40k doesn't exist in a vacuum.

Centurions don't exist in a vacuum.

Necrons don't exist in a vacuum.

Unbound as a rule doesn't exist in a vacuum.

In every situation there is a counter, or at the very least, a conversation. Just because the rulebook has Unbound as an OPTION doesn't mean it's going to happen every single time in every circumstance. If I have a mature conversation in the language that my opponent happens to speak, and he responds to me in a way that shows he is a reasonable human being, I have a feeling that we can come to various conclusions about what we would like and not like to play in a game of 40k, and if our opinions seem to differ by a significant margin, then we can go about our business in other ways, or interact in meaningful ways outside of the game of 40k.

[daboarder]

fair enough

[JMichael]

All this is great to hear...er read.
I think the community concern was that Unbound would be synonymous with cheese monsters (i.e. All Flyrant, Riptide, WraithKnight, etc) lists.
In the groups I play in here in San Diego, I have never come across that situation. Perhaps people know they will be outed, or most likely the groups I play in don't have those kind of people.