As the image above says, over powered is called awesome; which I think is clever combos and creative thinking. So to me over powered lists are awesome.
Before going on with this post you'll have to bare with me as there's some jumping about a bit, just so you're aware like ;)
As you all know I like to use bad ass armies. It's not because I am desperate to win or anything like that, it's just I don't like sucky units and like to blow stuff up. There's nothing cool about getting your face beaten in and losing all the time; everyone likes to win, even if once in a while. It's just some people take losing better than others. Anyway...
Jumping around a little bit, as you know I play Magic: the Gathering and there's a mechanic from an earlier set called infect. This infect rule basically puts infect tokens on a player equal to the damage amount a creature does.
The above sounds pretty groovy, but here's the slightly annoying part; a player only needs ten infect counters to lose the game. Normally you have twenty life, so it is like having half the life total. If you think you can ramp some creatures to do massive damage and some of them are flying (only creatures with reach or other creatures with flying can block flying creatures) you're going to lay the smack down pretty damn quickly.
Is the infect rule over powered in the true sense of the word or is it awesome?
I used said infect deck against my missus last night and she used it against me. In both situations the infect deck won the games for both of us. My missus said she wasn't keen on the infect deck because it is too easy to win and you do not get a proper game out of it.
Back to 40k then, as I mentioned I don't like taking sucky units in 40k because they get mashed. I like to take as optimal army builds as I can. I just like getting the most out of things. For example I think Meganobz are sweet models, but in game when I used them they just got a beat down with plasma or took a lascannon to the nuts. To me that makes them weak, but of course each one to their own and whatever floats your boat.
I think Imperial Guard are probably the strongest codex in the game and that's due to the popular Mech Guard build. I know vehicles got more balanced in 40k, but what Guard lost out on they gained with i.e snap fire on vehicles weapons when they move, fire 24" with rapid fire guns after moving and of course flyers. This awesome or perhaps over powered list would look something like this:
Company Command Squad w/ Chimera - 4 x plasma guns
Company Command Squad w/ Chimera - 4 x meltaguns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x meltaguns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x meltaguns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x meltaguns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x plasma guns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x plasma guns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x plasma guns
Vendetta
Vendetta
Vendetta
Manticore Rocket Launcher
Manticore Rocket Launcher
Manticore Rocket Launcher
Ok, so the above list has a lot of vehicles and a reasonable amount of infantry. It then has a large number of meltaguns for heavy armour, large number of plasma guns for elite infantry and monstrous creatures, Vendettas for air support and Manticores to blast hordes to pieces.
The only weakness of the list is the weak Guardsmen, but with the sheer amount of guns and tanks are you even bothered about Guardsmen being the weak link in the chain?
In my opinion this list is perhaps the best build in 40k and can deal with everything; it's the perfectly balanced list. I think this list is awesome.
But is it over powered? I guess maybe you could say it is over powered, as like the infect MtG deck I mentioned above, it really doesn't give the other player a chance and doesn't feel like you're getting a game out of it so to speak. It feels one side and unsporting. Plus no one likes getting smashed in a couple of turns.
Seeing things from an over powered point of view I guess the above is what people would describe as over powered.
But, from other side of the coin you could say the list is awesome because it has an answer to everything, which makes it the perfect list and creative thinking for something being an all rounded list.
When I am up against a creative list I live for the challenge and the hard coming game and the struggle to beat it. That victory comes all that sweeter when someone is using an awesome list and even sweeter when used by an experienced player.
I think really it boils down to your view point; I understand what people mean when they say something is over powered (Daemons raise some eyebrows along with their arch enemies Grey Knights), but it's also cool for how bad ass it is as well. As always where there is a will there is a way and that will is to shoot pansy Daemons in the face ;)
Be interesting to hear your thoughts on this one, let your words be free in the comment box.