WYSIWYG vs Proxying in Warhammer 40K - What's the Deal?

Let's talk about counts-as models vs strict WYSIWYG in 40K...

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0:00 Intro
0:37 WYSIWYG
3:22 Some Issues with WYSIWYG
7:20 Magnets to The Rescue?
8:24 reasons to Proxy
9:08 Proxying Levels?
11:35 Proxying - Gameplay Confusion
13:49 Proxying - Lore + Immersion
15:08 Proxying - Gameplay Advantages
16:45 Avoiding These + Tournaments
20:02 Closing Thoughts

[bigchungus]

The Welsh man named Wysiwyg when you tell him he's being rejected from the 40k tournament

[bananaheals]

My favorite game ive ever played involved my friend realizing he forgot his rhino, walking and grabbing a house roughly the size of a rhino from unused fantasy table, taking the roof off and dumping his marines in, then playing the whole match with it. Was really funny to see this little cottage motoring around the board.

[tomgordon]

Idk bro the beer bottle drop pod is a classic staple

[jacobcarter]

If it's not an imperium weapon I have no idea what the gun should look like.
"My unit is firing it's Nexus Annihilation Rupture Blaster"
Alright man, what's the strength?

[CommisarB]

As long as i can tell what units are what apart from each other, proxys are generally fine

[Wybrand]

Most of the time your opponent won't notice. My buddy was shooting with a missile launcher on his rhino, and it wasn't until after the game that I saw that there physically was no missile launcher.

[DeathInTheSnow]

Look, my Ultramarines may be green, and numerous, and love collecting teef, but they enjoy a good scrap for the glory of _Da Emprah_ all the same!

They get played exactly like their fancy counterparts, they're the same size, and have the same bases. It's just that their Rhino looks like it was built in a shanty town. Or perhaps, out of one. But that doesn't affect how the rules apply to them!

[larmoth]

GW themselves kinda killed WYSIWYG for Drukhari when they released the Hand of the Archon Killteam and then said "Just pretend those special weapons are default Kabalite splinter rifles"

[Prattical]

When I first got into warhammer I never heard of wysiwyg. I had already assembled and primed 500 points of marines. It was kinda discouraging that I was making decisions I wasn't even aware I was making!

[joetickle]

So Im old and have been to about 30 tournaments. I even went to a few games days and gw tournaments. I have never seen any 3D printed armies but I have seen a LOT of GW kitbashing and proxies. The onlt time in the last 27 years I have seen a judge get involved was over a Demon Prince being to small so the player brought a second DP for any line of sight questions. The judge over heard and just let the guy know if a player had a problem with this he could lose points or be forced to use his other DP during that IT. Enjoy doing your own thing.

[whitee]

With free wargear i don't care what equipment units are equiped with as long as I'm told before hand and any special weapons are assigned to a distinctive model.
Same for tanks. If sponsons aren't modelled but they want to use them in game, as long as i know beforehand then i have no problem letting them use weapons i can't see

[ThrustMasterFlex]

Wysiwig is the tool of the GW proletariat! Reject the whims of our soulless overlords!

[krism.]

The only problem with wysiwyg is when GW tried to enforce it via their recent “only what’s in the box” policy.
So for example, no special weapons teams for Guard or Chaos terminators and chosen not being able to take all one kind of weapon. It kills any uniqueness in the army, and if you built your models a certain way it’s basically the company telling you “You did it wrong, better hope there’s a legends entry so you can cope.”

[karlfranz]

Mostly a casual player, but I couldn't care less how people proxy stuff. Ork boyz as standins for special weapons in a Guard squad? Go right ahead. Beer bottle drop pod? Absolutely. Running your immaculately painted Blood Angels as Iron Warriors CSM? No problem. Running a 3rd party gundam as a Fellblade? Why not

[Johnsn]

My Chapter Master(s) for my Successor chapter is actually a Gulliman Proxy with 3 Models on the same base size as Guilliman: 2 x Captains (which are twin chapter masters) and 1 x Custodes from The Aquilan Shield - Gonna model them so they are standing on rocks so that the height my model matches guilliman :D

[Calgar_Gaming]

I think in the Havok example if you don’t mind using less chaosy models using heresy Modells can get you to a full lascannon squad or whatever you like
It’s cheaper especially secondhand

[vxicepickxv]

I doubt my opponent will care if I mention my proxies because GW deleted the weapons options from the models after I built them WYSIWYG.

Yes, my Catachan sergeants are modeled with Chainswords because it was legal when I built them. Yes, my Catachans have shotguns because it was legal when I built them. They're close combat weapons and lasguns now.

[raszota]

Im team proxy. As long as every rules wise disctint unit is visibly distinguishable (maybe put a little name plate on a base as an addon) then why limit gameplay to the size of a players wallet? Gameplay avability and user experience over anything else.

[TheKillercroc]

Proxy are fine as long as you tell your opponent what you have. It's a little annoying when the Leman Russ with Heavy flamers starts shoot Plasma cannons at you and it wasn't discussed at all. Personally I WYSIWYG all my models cause I find it more fun to convert them all with the weapons I want them to have.

[dirtyblonde]

I had a few contemptors for my CSM during 9th, but no Helbrutes. Now I just use them to proxy Helbrutes, because they're somehow weakened dreadies 😑