Would Tournaments in 11th Edition be more interesting with fixed or per-game selection of dispositions?
With the realisation that with the ability in the new edition to combine multiple detachments, each with their own dispositions (and that detachments are also stated to one or more dispositions), this would mean that a list having access to multiple dispositions would likely be the norm, not the exception. My mind was racing with possibilities around how players would resolve selecting dispositions when both player’s choices could affect the mission they and their opponent played. That both players would have to select a disposition card in secret and reveal simultaneously to keep the process fair.
Then I reread the article, and realised I totally fixated on the “for each battle” statement at the top about selecting dispositions, and completely forgot about the bit further down which stated at tournaments, you’d typically be expected to lock in a disposition when submitting your list. So any possibility of tailoring your disposition to your match up would only be a consideration in casual games.
This significantly lessens the meta-gaming element around selecting disposition, and forces you to to stick with a singular disposition for an entire event, but might the alternative be better or worse?
Being able to change your disposition with each game would give you a much wider array of potential missions, and would allow you to actively try to influence what sort of mission you and your opponent end up playing, something that would greatly reward a deep knowledge of the mission deck, what sort of missions are the most rewarding / punishing for certain armies, and what disposition and mission your opponent would likely prefer.
It would also greatly incentive stacking access to as many dispositions as possible in your list, and make having multiple detachments favourable over a single three point detachment. Let’s also face the fact that unless the designers stick to a hard rule that a one-point detachment can only have one disposition, it won’t be long until armies with lots of detachments like Space Marines could field a detachment mixture that grant them access to all five possible dispositions at once.
Fixed dispositions definitely streamline mission selection though. You might not think it would be by much at first, but thinking about it, if you did draw dispositions with your opponent each game, you’d probably want to want your opponent to introduce their list first. Your World Eaters detachment can only play Purge the Foe? Allow me to leaf through the entire mission deck before picking which of my three dispositions would draw a mission that would probably frustrate you the most.
That’s probably the most pressing reason they went with suggesting fixed dispositions for competitive play. If you truly do have only have access to a singular disposition for your list, you are effectively ceding control of mission selection to an opponent who has multiple possible dispositions. Nevertheless, I can’t help but think per-game disposition selection could give some events a unique flavour.