psych out factor

I'm just curious what has your guys experience been with psyching out your opponent?

Specifically I have had experiences where my opponents will not bother throwing spells at my main block because they assume I have runemaw.

I have also had a game where my opponent kept unit jumping his characters assuming I had taken a hellheart on my firebelly (my most common caddy for that item).

Have you guys had any similar experiences?

I sit across the table and play with a really big knife.....


But in all honesty that is why I always keep P-Sun... Because people will save dice for it

It's old, but this article is quite good 'un: http://www.ogrestronghold.com/articles/tactics/10.php

I love this part of the game and tend to test my regular opponents on how far I can go.

- In one game (7th) one of them had a block of Saurus Cav on my flank on which I had no reall answer for so I convidently put a small unit of Corsairs right in front of it and without another thought moved on with my movement phase. The guy was stunned as to the reason I would have done this obviously dumb move and as such seemed convinced the unit must held a tin can opening assassin (which offcourse it didn't). In his turn he did not charge the corsairs because of this which saved me the game.

- I often also keep the Maw spell with no intention of ever casting it, but indeed, as Johnny-Crass says some people will indeed keep dice and letting other spells (such as trollguts) through, just out of fear for the spell.

- Also, sometimes you can go really light on protective gear for your Slaughtermaster, since once your opponents know how hard to kill he is (fencers..etc, etc) they simply stop attacking him in combat.

- Prominently telling your opponent that your Mournfangs have a banner almost allways lets your opponent think instantly that the Dragonhide Banner is in the unit for some reason. Especially if you put the flame template on the table.

- Somehow many opponents also think that all gnoblars have trapper upgrades

D...

Some of our army is "Psych-out" to begin with. Leadbelchers for example. Very rarely will we wipe out a unit of cavalry with them, but it can happen and people will remember that it happened and be Psyched-out by the chance. In 7th edition I wiped out a unit of Boar Boys and the Lord within with 2 units of 2 Leadbelchers. First wiped enough Boar Boys that the second unit of 2 wiped the Lord and remaining Boar boy off the board. After that my friend gave Leadbelchers a wide berth.

I take a sharp intake of breath, and tut, when they make a move. They think I'm disagreeing with their choice, so they second guess themselves. When they start to figure it out, I start doing the same thing on the bad moves too, just to mess with them again.

That and 6 sniping maneaters that scare the hell out of enemy wizards...

I quite like maneaters for the psych out. Put them on the sideboard during deployment. "What's their special rule?" "That would be telling now wouldn't it?" Even with open list you don't need to reveal what they have until deployment so if you hold off until the last moment to deploy them, you can have your opponent trying to prepare for scouters and snipers even if you have neither.

I enjoyed the psy-ops article. I do find that deliberate attempts at misinformation go a bit far towards unsportsmanlike behavior if not exactly cheating so I would draw the line there. Bluffing with goblin units without fanatics is totally fine as long as you don't say or imply they have fanatics.

Obviously all this only works with closed lists, which is sadly rare at tournaments these days.

I take a sharp intake of breath, and tut, when they make a move. They think I'm disagreeing with their choice, so they second guess themselves. When they start to figure it out, I start doing the same thing on the bad moves too, just to mess with them again.

But see this is a thing a TFG with emphasis on the F does.  If someone did this my entire game I would be waiting for them in the parking lot.

But mind games are soooo much fun

Tire Iron beats Jedi every time....

This is why I always put ItP on myself. 

Yes, but there is always that little bit of doubt.

nawing, biting, chewing, o the agony

For better or worse, I don't second-guess myself much. I've gotten enough reps in with my lists that my second guess is usually not as good as my first. But yeah, that's a pretty effective way to mess with your opponent's head, though how sporting it may be is open for (a doubtless rather spirited) debate.

Regarding the psych-out factor, here's a couple of things that psych people out that haven't been mentioned yet (because Leadies + Maneaters are an excellent example... but it's been said already):

1. Hordes of Ogres. When people see that much muscle in one unit, especially if you inform them on what the Runemaw will do to most of their attempts to deal with it using magic, well, things get real tense real fast. Obviously won't work against everyone, but it'll scare the crap out of those it does get to.

2. Mournfang Cavalry. Think about it - it's an imposing model to begin with, it comes in a unit, and anyone remotely familiar with what they do will want to keep anything that's not a Horde of Great Weapons far, far away from them. And if they're not familiar with them, one round against anything with limited offense or defense (or worse, both) and they'll learn to fear them.

3. Ironblasters. Cannons that can run around your attempts to cover yourself from them. 'Nuff said.

I play against a WoC player, and we've been playing a campaign...I've used Runemaw banner on him, as well as hellheart.  I dont have either in most of my lists..but unlss he asks me outright, I dont tell him what I have..and theres been a couple games that he's not even bothered casting at my big unit because it might have Runemaw in it

When I play someone and a unit of mine would perform REALLY well in a CC turn, I would sometimes keep a straight face when seeing the AWESOME dice roll and just keep going as if I expected that to happen.  The next game against that person they really focus on killing that unit with range or they focus on avoiding it with their main units in CC because that unit is "so OP in CC on average!".

It's really funny seeing a unit of scary enemies trying to avoid a unit of normal ogres with Iron Fists.

Sadly this technique only works until the said opponent starts doing some math, or starts looking closely at the dice rolls that I act so "normal" on.  Usually only works once against most people.