The end of competitive 40K

The beginning of the end.

With the recent datasheets, Escalation, Strongholds, Titans, and crazy netlists, I think competitive 40K is finally going to die.  Events and TOs out there have already started making restrictions, rules and banlists to counteract GW's efforts at making the casual game that it was set out to be.  If you look at how the game is designed, how the army books are written, and how the current edition of rules (6th) promotes a cinematic form of gameplay, you will know this game was never meant to be played in a competitive setting.  You know what?  Good.  I hope 40K dies as a competitive game.

Frankly, I don't know what happened to 40K from 5th edition going into 6th.  Out of all the years I've played 40K, I've sat and watched power armies rise and fall like autumn leaves.  Poetic, I know, but shouldn't this be a clear sign that the books were not designed with balance in mind in the first place?  God knows I love game balance,  but GW is not a company who makes its money from eSports or tournament players, they make their money from their lore/model fans.  As much as GW loves free publicity and marketing provided by these external tournaments, they don't need it to run their business.

As a widely-labeled competitive player myself, I'm a bit ashamed to see what the meta has turned into.  I'm saying this as a player who's lived through the early days of Nidzilla, Mechdar and Lash Princes to seeing what the game has become now (Taudar, Cronair, Screamerstar).  For the older players out there, how are you still enjoying this kind of play?  I sincerely hope you're not and you've moved onto greater and better things.  For the newer players out there, I tell you this:  This is not how the game is supposed to be played.  It took me a long time to realize it myself, but once you get out of that repetitive circlejerk you'll find yourself having more fun with your hobby.

Truth be told:  With all these tournaments out there making up their own rules, it's only a matter of time before 40K turns into Warhammer ETC.  Before you know it, you won't be playing the same game you started the hobby with, and that's a sad, sad thing.  It divides the community, alienates newer players and kills the hobby for a lot of older players.  None of these are a good thing and best way to solve this is not get involved in any competitive circuits.