ROAD TO ATLANTA: ROB GOOSSENS
Four Dutchmen are on their way to Atlanta at the end of November to compete in the Warhammer 40K World Championship, sponsored by Games Workshop. Over the coming week’s, while Dean regales you with his own account of the lead-up to this event, I will be sitting down and chatting to each of the other three to find out a bit more about who they are, what they are playing and how they are preparing for this incredible event. First up we have the Overlord of the undying legion himself, the winner of the 2022 DTC Circuit, Rob Goossens. Rob - thank you for taking the time to chat to us.
Let’s start right at the beginning. What got you into competitive 40K?
Ahhhh. The 40K scene in the Netherlands is awesome. The skill level for players around the country is growing and I’m here for it. There are more events now than ever before and there’s nothing like playing a nail-biter of a game with a great opponent. I love and adore list building. Like many of us, I’m always thinking about it in the back of my mind - is this the right loadout for the current meta, what about that unit, is this unit in my list worth the points or is there something different I can find to do it better for less? What got me into competitive 40K was when I realized just how certain strategies and tactics actually work together with the units. After this “clicked” I was able to start winning more games, playing better opponents, learning a lot and placing higher at events.
Rob in action at his local gaming club, Wardice
How would you define your playstyle?
I like a solid base from which to jank! I focus on Primary. I want it ALL. And you can’t have ANY! This approach helps me to focus on the simple things in the game and can define specific matchups, making them better for me.
I also love movement shenanigans. The more I can mess with my opponent’s mind the better. Movement isn’t generally a phase that people pay a lot of attention to, but it’s the most important phase of the game in my opinion. Necrons give me a lot to play with each game with their reanimation protocols. Beyond being a simple stat-check the idea of extra movement after reanimating forces a lot of thinking to be done by my opponent and hard choices on their part.
Ha, good to hear Rob! Is this also how you want your Golden ticket to Atlanta?
I won last year’s DTC Circuit. It was a hard fight across many months, but in the end the hard work paid off and now I’m on my way to the US and the Warhammer World Championships!
We’re two weeks till Atlanta, what excites you most about the event?
I just love being a part of the very first Warhammer World Championships and being able to travel to a foreign country and play with the best players in the world. It’s incredible. The more you listen to and read about tournaments from the US and the UK the more nuances you pick up on, from terrain formats, to popular armies and units and archetypes there is so much variation around the world when it comes to Warhammer. I can’t wait to see how it comes together at one event!
How have you been preparing for the World Championships?
I’ve been playing a lot of games, including TTS games(DTC discord). With the use of TTS i can have more games in which helps me understand my army and specifc matchups better. Sadly I haven’t played on any of the GW terrain sets or layouts so that’s going to be quite interesting..I’ve been looking at the meta, trying to figure out what builds are up and coming and doing a lot of theory crafting against those builds.
And ofcourse the big questions.what army are you bringing to Atlanta?
I’ve been toying with the idea of bringing a speedy, tank-killing Drukhari list, but in the end, I feel it’s only right that I bring Necrons. They are the boys that got me here - they deserve to play. Plus they are the army I have the most experience with and, I think, in tough games versus world class opponents understanding your army is probably better than having the right tech in the list.
Rob is bringing his necrons to Atlanta!
Is there anyone you’re looking forward to playing in ATL?
Honestly - no. (I’ll take pics of Rob when he’s fanboying over the AOW players-Dino) I’m just excited to be playing among the best players and I want to be surprised. But, of course, I’d like to play all the Dutchies in the final elimination bracket.
Haha, that would be such a feat if all our Dutch players manage to make it into the championship rounds!
So, let’s go a bit more into your preparation, what’s something that you can’t do without at a tournament?
Good vibes, healthy snacks, coffee and water. These combine to make for great games and a great overall experience. And, of course, at the end of the day, you need a good beer.
Alright, last question and then you can get back to your busy schedule. Do you have any tips for us mortals to get good enough to compete for a spot at the world champs?
Play against stronger opponents and lose. Learn from them. They’ll make you want to be better so you can eventually beat them. Take notes on your games. It’s often hard to remember all the decisions you made when in the thick of things, but keep a small notepad nearby and jot down the most important decisions and the outcomes, then go back and look at how those decisions impacted your game and learn from good and bad calls.
Thank you, Rob for taking the time. We wish you all the best at the World Championships. The DTC will follow Rob and the other three Dutchies as they prepare to invade Atlanta. Next up in this series - the true Karnivore, Dick van der Harst. Stay Tuned!
By winning the DTC Circuit or the upcoming DTC Masters you can win a Golden Ticket and secure your invite to next season’s Warhammer World Championships for more information visit us on the DTC40K website, hangout with us on the DTC40K discord, where we help you sharpen your skills and support us on Patreon to gain access to the best players in the country and trade ideas on secret discord channels only open to our members. Till next time!