The rumor of sideboards, or “secondary detachments” coming to 40k had me nearly clicking my heels when I read it over my coffee this morning.
I’ve been an advocate of sideboarding in 40k forever. In general, I think that the more that GW mimics the play structure of Wizards of the Coast and their handling of Magic: The Gathering the better. Why? Because although Magic and 40k are vastly different hobbies from many perspectives, when it comes to making a robust and competitively viable asymmetrical gaming environment there are certain universal features that need to be addressed. Sideboards are one of them, and I would argue that this single feature will positively impact the overall “balance” of 40k more than any other single decision GW could have made.
And from a purely true-to-the-background or even just true-to-war perspective, sideboarding just makes sense. The notion that two armies would meet each other on the battlefield with units and equipment that is entirely arbitrarily chosen regardless of the nature of your foe is just not realistic. And it’s not fun. To me this was one of the fundamental disconnects that occurs in tournament environments, where min/maxed lists created in a vacuum, or with a general “meta” in mind clash, with very little consideration being given to what your foe will actually fight like.
No good general would truly say “well they have a lot of infantry, but I’ve brought lascannons, not heavy bolters. I guess I’ll just lose this one.” No, they would say, hmm, maybe time to put away those lascannons and bring out the dakka. OK, no real general has ever used the word dakka, but let’s not bring this realism thing too far, this is 40k after all.
There will never be an end to grumbling about balance in 40k, but I think this is a terrific step in the right direction, and it is right for both casual and competitive players.