Rogue Squadron - Being a Losing Loser

It’s the big game day. You’ve been practicing for weeks. You have everything you need on hand. You’ve studied your opponent and are mentally prepared for every challenge she might throw at you.

Then you lose. And lose hard.

We’ve all been there. Doesn’t matter what type of game, whether it’s a physical sports game, a board game, miniatures game or card game. We’ve all experienced a sudden series of inexplicable losses. Losses that you can’t explain. Losses that make you question why you even play the game.

A friend of mine went to the X-wing Regional at Dragon’s Lair in Austin recently. He’s a good player who taught me a lot about playing the game. Getting to the point where I could beat him half the time was a milestone for my game development. He had one of those sessions going 0-4 in the first four rounds.

I’ve had similar experiences myself. Most tournaments I usually win more rounds than I lose and sometimes even pull off a tournament win. But sometimes, sometimes I’ll show up and apparently I’ve forgotten how to play and end up losing every game. Even against opponents who are flying lists mine should tear apart.

How do you deal with such crushing defeats? The dice gods are against you. Every tactical decision you make turns out to be wrong. And not just wrong but so boneheaded the complete game noob you’re playing against is able to recognize how stupid it is.

I wish I had some solid advice for you on how to turn these kinds of days around. Words of wisdom that would turn your terrible day into a come back story right out of a Hollywood movie. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work like the movies (or fortunately if you live in New York City and appreciate the entire city not being trashed by the superhero or alien invasion of the week).

But a string of bitter defeats doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. In fact, being able to still enjoy the game, win or lose is one of the key components of flying casual. This applies to all games, not just X-wing.

When the game has turned against you it’s important to remind yourself that you don’t play just to win. You play because you enjoy the game. You play to engage in a game with some other cool people.

And it’s okay to put the game away if you’re not having any fun. Some days, even though you might really want to play, it just isn’t working for you. There is nothing wrong with finishing the round you’re playing, telling your opponent “Good game” and withdrawing from the event, ending the session or switching to another game (depending on circumstances). If you’re no longer having fun it’s time to do something else.

Take note that this is very different than rage quitting. Rage quitting involves anger and frustration. Rage quitting is of the Dark Side. It’s giving up. Walking away from a game probably results from a fair bit of frustration but it does not involve anger. No one throws dice or flips tables or raises eyebrows. It’s a tactical redeployment to another day, not an army panicking and fleeing from battle.

So when these losing streaks hit you, take a deep breath and just remember why you play. I’ll be attending my own X-wing Regional event this weekend so here’s hoping it doesn’t turn out to be one of those days.