Also I'm a total liar, my friend Mark just reminded me that I played in a Guildball tournament a couple years ago. That was likely my first tournament, but I forgot. Sorry!
"PAINT MORE MINIS!" says the guy that played a tournament with unpainted minis haha. Thanks for sharing that experience, I've seen some war gaming tournaments at PAX unplugged and watching the sweaty try-hards there definitely turned me off to war gaming tournaments (to be fair I won one of the tournaments for the evolution board game because I became a sweaty try hard for that game when I heard there was going to be a tournament at PAX Unplugged). Hearing about your relaxed tournament experience definitely got me more curious to check out some local wargaming tournaments (and not feel like I have to be a sweaty try hard about it).
Hey Scott, thanks for sharing your love of ASOIAF. My friends and I were getting burnt out on our usual GW game and your content convinced us to try out ASOIAF. Now we are back to weekly game nights! Thanks.
I'm getting some Stannis Baratheon minis for this game come Christmas, watching this for some tips and tricks, and your painting videos for...more tips and tricks. Keep up the good work, big guy.
Well this certainly sparked some nostalgia hah, used to play 40k tournaments at the Games Workshop in Gurnee Mills Mall in the Chicagoland area in the late 90's and 2000 before moving away (Black Legion/ Khorne mix was my go-to). Was a good time, long days, but super fun.
I've played in a lot of local tounaments (the big 'uns are too far away), though the tournament scene has petered out recently, as has in-store gaming in general. Always had fun, but the most memorable had to be a 40k tournament at our FLGS. A friend and I decided to take identical armies, so after perusing our collections we decided on Eldar. I wrote up a backstory about twin farseers and made it general enough that it could go with either twin. We even wore matching GW t-shirts. The funniest thing that happened was that we played each other's first round opponents in the second round. Their dawning realization as we placed units was priceless! He went 3-0, while I got 1-2. I guess our lists matched his play style better. All in all it was a great experience!
To me a tournament that allowed unpainted figures would be a signal that it was going to be all about the winning. I'm glad you got the experience you were looking for
Or “Burnville”, as Scott pronounced it at the end. I don’t know if he just misspoke, or if we should mock him mercilessly for still not knowing that suburb’s name after living in the Twin Cities for so many years. 😆
Having just started to play AoS from painting, I jumped into my first tournament with my Soulblight just a couple of months ago. Best experience in a competitive setting. Local lists arent ultra competitive, and having had only 3 games played prior I felt I was going to be too slow and give my opponents a poor experience. Could not have been farther from the truth, as all 3 of my opponents were very relaxed and understanding, and although I only managed one victory I learned a ton and had so much fun. The interaction with other players, not just talking about the game you are playing but chit chatting was very enjoyable, and it felt more like a casual game than cutthroat gameplay. I would strongly recommend to anyone to participate at least in a local tournament of your game of choice. It should be a fun and rewarding experience
I actually just had my first tournament about two weeks ago! I started playing 40k with friends back in 2020, but recently fell in love with the x-wing mini game (I think I’ve played 20ish games in the past month I’ve been playing) as I ended up trying it at my LGS. I was lucky that everyone I’ve met so far has been super friendly in the local league, and totally willing to lend me a unit or card to try a combo out. I ended up going 2-2 which I was super happy with, as even in my losses I learned a significant amount. I met a bunch of cool people and learned about some more unique combos. I didn’t really expect to ever play tournament style but I honestly would recommend it to everyone at least once!
Scott points out some of the best things about comps in any gaming genre; you will meet new players and face different armies, it will be an intensive tutorial in the rules so you'll come out knowing them much better. In any field of endeavor you want to improve your skills - within whatever framework you chose, be that moving from novice to competent or perhaps to world champion - your choice. In nearly 40 years of competitions, mostly historical but some fantasy, I reckon I've met only two objectionable players to balance against the many friends I've made. As Scott suggests, some competitions will be laid-back and small scale, some will be large where contestants play hard to test their skill. I enjoy both.
I saw your video on making a table top for this game and it seemed interesting and I loved the lore from the books so I gave it a shot. I haven’t had this much fun playing a tabletop war game since I started gaming 4 years ago. Thank you for exposing me to this game
Thanks for sharing your experience! Just went to a tournament last week myself after not playing much for a decade. Attending these events really is a great way to get more out of the hobby and have fun playing too many games in one day. Cool to hear you "did it right" and went to your tournament tired and underprepared. Always more fun like that.
I need to get back into painting again. Been a few months and watching your videos has always helped me feel inspired. I cleaned my wet palette last night... it was moldy... and I'm going to clean my brushes so I can, you know, lick those tips safely ;)
I loved this unexpected type of video. It is amazing and surprising what other aspects of the hobby there is past painting. More videos like this please.
I stumbled onto this video after recently acquiring the Starks vs. Lannister starter set and trying to figure out what to do with it, especially how to get it played (or whom I can sucker into learning it with me)... Anyway, I have no idea if tournaments are still happening in my city, but you've inspired me to go look for one. And you are hilarious! Subscribed, and now I shall go though your video list to find more things to watch :)
Love this type of content from you ! My first and only tournament was a european warmachine horde tournament in France and it was exactly how you described : relaxed and fun and I wish a can do some more someday (this was over 5 years ago)
A few years back I was part of a gaming club which met every saturday to play Flames of War in our local store. The store had a separate location for gaming, and we started organizing a tournamnet there. It was great fun, because we soon had a group of regulars who'd come twice a year. Games were mostly friendly, many gentleman gamers. I'd play a tournament likee that again in a heartbeat, but I do not think I would like a highly competitive tournament.
My first tournament was a 25th anniversary celebration for 40k. It was hosted at the Seattle GW Bunker (which has since closed). I went 1-2 with Space Marines, against Orks, Necrons and Necrons. It isn't my favorite format because of the pressure to win and tighter time frame, but I do like the number of games and variety opponents that tournaments offer.
You should have visited Chicago last month for the Chaos Cup. There is no greater tournament community than Blood Bowl. This year's Chaos Cup had 110 teams. The World Cup in Dornbirn, Austria, had almost 1500 teams! It was GLORIOUS!
Dreamers is a great local game store! I'm glad you had a great tournament experience. Smaller tournaments are a ton of fun! Glad you had a similar experience!
Cool vid, Scott! My first, and only, tournament experience was playing Mordheim back around 2001. There were a similar number of players as yours, and there was a $5 buy in. Whoever won got the pot at the end. In my first game my warband was so decimated (ie: models killed outright) that I was unable to field a team for any more games. I always lose, so that wasn't anything new, but to have a warband disband after one game was a first!
I went to gaming conventions back in the mid-80's (Suncoast Skirmishes -FL) and always had a great time. Back then there was a great variety of games, much like today. Kind of like GenCon, Adepticon and such. I've never attended a game-specific tournament though. Looking towards my first.
Fantastic view into what a local, small, game shop hosted tournament looks like for someone, like myself, that is pretty virginal to the hobby but has always been interested. Like you, I've been curious what they look like, the type of crowd they attract, etc. so this was very eye-opening and may spur me on to get my ass in gear and join one! Also, VERY refreshing to see unpainted minis Scott, now I don't feel so bad about my pile of shame.
Every time i go to a tournament i expect the tryhards to be there but i'm yet to find one. Last tournament I played in was an AoS doubles, i figured for hilarities sake i'd run a cities list with alarielle. to my suprise the other cities player in my area entirely without any discussion between us also turned up with an Alarielle list. everyone had the stuff they thought was cool and it was just over all super chill. can't wait for my locals next ASOIAF tourney, missed the last one by virture of not seeing your video that sold me on it yet but next time i'm definitely there.
Last week I found myself in a similar situation =) I had never had ever tried any kind of tournaments and decide to go to one for a game I am very very unexperienced..Blood bowl. Got crushed but had a blast, it was also a small sized tournament, 5 other players plus me, all very experienced but all very welcoming to a newer dude. In the was a great day ended up over some beers discussing this games that we all like.
I played at a LGS tourney back at the start of 8th edition 40k. I played 3 rounds and what I really like about it was the fact I got to play against 3 armies I had never played against before. Imperial Guard, Space Wolves and Harlequins. Everyone was super nice. The Guard player won the event and crushed me game one. His list was very optimised and competitive unlike the majority of the players. He was still very friendly though.
I think for me the best part of hobby related tournaments is showing up with the crew and not worrying about how we play but getting to meet new people and see how other people approach the hobby.
Tournaments are good experience 😁 I remember when we went for Underworlds tournament, in Netherlands. In my Renault Laguna...without heating during winter time 😅
I’ve done a few long kill team store campaigns which are fun. Since they’re done over the course of 6 weeks or so, it’s in a king of the hill format which I quite like. 1 victor takes all the glory. There’s normally prizes for best painted squad as well.
My first tournament was back in 2005 with my tau against eldar. Having never played before in a tournament I was nervous. I lost 2/3 games but I did railgun eldrad back when the railgun was the best gun in the game. Made it all worth it
First tournament was 7th Edition Killteam. I brought 23 Kroot models, so I had the largest Killteam, but they died fast. They had an infiltrate ability so I would just not deploy any models until my opponent was set up then always counter deploy. The last game was against 3 Marine bikers. It got down to his Sgt and one kroot. My opponent charged and I declared overwatch with sniper rounds. I got a 6 to hit, followed by a 6 to wound and he failed his save. My 360 no scoped a Marine on a bike. Good times.
I remember my first MtG tournament... I had a mono black removal deck and my oppo had a mono blue counter deck... maaan, it was a slow game! I won by doing 1 damage per turn just using the single festering goblin I played during the first turn!
I'm kind of in the same boat with you. I've been in this hobby for 10 years, and only attended one tournament in early 7th edition 40k before I stopped playing for a few years. I definitely saw some ugly unbeatable lists there, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed just playing the game for two days straight. All of my opponents were cool guys that were great to play against. I managed to get a best painted award as well as a first place overall due to some very lucky pairings (I was lucky enough not to play against White Scars - Thunderwolf Cavalry - Biker Librarian invisibility list, for those whe remember the dark days of 40k tournament scene) I'm actually going to my second big tournament with 100+ players next week, playing Nagash in Ossiarch army, looking forward to the event! For me it was a great way to push myself to paint said Nagash that I was putting off for so long, since the event I'm attending is a fully painted armies only event.
Lol! The "buttcracks every" line got me. I about died laughing. Tournaments can be great or terrible. You never know if the opponent will be nice or a total jerk. Usually they are nice.
I actually went to my very first tournament at a local store a few weeks ago, after 20 years in the hobby. Was similar to your experience, small scale and friendly with no real try Garda (except for this one AdMech player 🙄) Great video, loved the chill vibe
My first tournament experience was a Star Wars: Legion Grand Army team battles… we went 0 - 3, but it was a pleasant day in which I learned a lot. My 2nd was a SW:Legion Prime tournament in which I brought an illegal list because I was still a noob list builder. That seems to be my largest failing; making a competitive army to play with.
I won my first (and only, so far) tournament (it was a super small semi casual), the prize was a 15 euro gift card to the store that organized it. The gift card said that it is valid until the end of time and I still have it. That was 15 years ago. Sometimes when I stumble upon it I think it would be funny to go use it and see their reactions. Maybe I need to give it some more time.
I started playing infinity and signed up for a 60 player tournament. First time ever playing a wargame and participating in a tournament. With the rules half learned and a bunch of unpainted minis I had a Great experience. Highly recommended, if you enjoy the game, you'll find people alike.
The last tournament I was in was over 10 years ago. It was 3 big tables all in the same battle which meant flyers could go from table to table and certain cannons could also shoot onto other tables. The key moment from that day was one of my friends came by with this girl that was a goth model and every person in there stopped playing because they weren't used to be in such company. It was rather funny, but also explained why I felt a bit as an outsider at the time xD
I've been playing in tournaments for the last ten years, haven't tried an ASOIAF event yet but I'm keen My main system is Epic Armageddon, I've competed in 27 tournaments to date, including representing the UK in both the European and World Championship (in fact I'm a team member of the current reigning world champions) I've even organised and run a couple of local tournaments It's nothing like the try-hard, win at all costs events everyone is afraid of, and with a handful of warmachine events under my belt, I am starting to doubt the existence of such events... Overwhelmingly my experiences have been positive, win and lose.... I've made lifelong friends at tournaments, started friendly rivalries, won awards for best painted army, and had a great time. There have been a handful of games that my opponent has been a bit dodgy, but you can't let that sour the overall experience of tournament gaming. I think the people who turn their noses up at competitive play are probably just aware that they aren't good players and are probably sore losers to boot..... There are few better experiences than testing your skills against like minded folks, and losing games teaches you lessons Apologies for the essay!
Now try an Infinity tournament! From my experience only GW/Privateer Press games had unpleasant tournaments... smaller communities just don't have the stamina for letting them exist; They either kill the community or they bounce out.
My first tournament was playing legion, I was really nervous about it but it turned out to be mostly me and my friend's which really helped calm them nerves
The first tournament I played in was for ASOIAF too, and it was just before the whole Covid lockdown. I was really nervous, going in with a list that centered around Builder Crossbowmen + Pypar for his shifting shenanigans (this was before the 2021 update to the units/cards). The other tournament players were all seasoned gamers, and all knew each other very well. I thought that maybe I was going to be sidelined for most of it, but it turned out to be quite the opposite. They were quick to make me feel welcome, to discuss strategies, and just have a whole lot of fun together. It was a blast. I ended up coming in 3rd too! Since then, they invited my brother and I into their community WhatsApp group, and we talk about everything ASOIAF every now and then. Guess there was really nothing to be nervous about :D
I've been involved with a number of local/ provincial tournaments over the years (hello from Canada by the way). So my very first one is a little hazy. I will however, tell you of my first partaking of a small tournament a number of years ago, and my return to it during a brief gap between the 2nd and 3rd wave of Covid. So my first trip to this fledgling tournament was a fun one, the event was pretty small, only about 8 people. The points limit was fairly small, only about 1000 points (this was an Age of Sigmar event) but I didn't mind as I like smaller games. They're generally free of big named characters and I like how every unit and hero has that much greater significance since you'll likely not have back-ups. The games were close, quick, and most importantly fun. Fast forward about 4 years and now the tournament has jumped to 1500 points, while sticking to the 1000 point unit selection requirements. That may not sound like a big difference but I can tell you it was. My first game had Lord kroak, my second Katakros, and my 3rd had two verminlords. I'm not ashamed to admit my named character free list of Stormcast were pretty easily overwhelmed. I don't know if this is happening in the America, but here I'm seeing a shift away from playing games for the fun of it, and towards playing game for the sake of winning. Sure losing all the time isn't fun, but I'd much rather lose a close game than win a crushing defeat.
Played my first local tournament last year and, while it was a shock to play against competitive lists, getting to play 5 games of AoS in a row really helped me learn the game!
My first and only tournament experience was with X-wing 1st edition, and while everybody was nice and smelled fine, the room was filled with the same 2-3 meta netlists and just wasn't much fun to play in. There was something about that game that really brought out the sweaty tryhards in my area. I'm currently into Marvel Crisis Protocol which has a much more casual vibe, so I'd like to try a tournament for that if I ever get the chance.
Honestly, I think tournaments and highly competitive play is detrimental to the enjoyment of the hobby. When people play with their friends or random strangers or clubs, they're often just playing for fun. I remember when I was young and we played magic the gathering in high school. This was back when magic was very very young. It was really fun, until I got to college, it was fun for a bit there too, but then everyone starting to get into fine tuned 2 turn stomp decks for competitive play. Gone were massive crazy theme fun decks. Playing became less about playing and more about your stats and you could see their disappointed when they didn't get the starting hand they wanted, and their minds would immediately go to tweaking the deck rather than enjoying the game in front of them.
If you enjoyed the tournament and wanted to learn a easy game you ever considered blood bowl you could easily paint a team up to enjoy your videos plus there bringing out dungeon bowl this year
Only tournament I played in was in like 1997 and for battle tech when I was a kid. I probably would play in a small tournament like you did for 40k some day if I coukd get some games in before.
I have never played any of the games that go with the mini's I paint. There aren't a lot of LGS's around here and the ones I looked up had questionable reputations. I enjoy painting mini's but it would be cool to play a game and use my painted mini's at some time.
I also recently have gotten into ASOIAF, I partially blame you, and am looking forward to getting to try a tournament some time. Now if only we could get a ASOIAF stuff easier in Canada (I have no idea when I'll actually be able to buy the card updates here. I'd love to see your lists!
Awesome. I'm glad you both had a good time.I love this game to the point I'd rather lose a game of Song than win any other. Over on Blitz Minis you can see Ben destroying me in the 38 strong National Titles I co-ran in the last great con from The Time Before. I look like the ham-fisted noob I was. Still had a blast and Ben was an awesome opponent. I wish you good fortune in the wars to come
I'm from the Twin Cities and always like popping into game stores I pass. Even if I don't really need anything. This video I was like, "ooh! I bought some washes there!"
I played in a Warmachine tournament, played 10 points down because I refused to play with my unpainted models (personal chose), and I came in second place. Lots of fun!
This is awesome, I've been a huge fan of the MESBG but no one in CT plays. Makes me wanna get into it. What are the cavalry models at 8 min in!? They look awesome and I cant find them on the webstore.
I've only painted minis so far.. I haven't even played a game yet. I know the rules and how to play. Its just that none of my friends are into 40k, and I'm still on the fence about going to a local store to play.. I guess this is the sign that I need to just get going and do it.
Also I'm a total liar, my friend Mark just reminded me that I played in a Guildball tournament a couple years ago. That was likely my first tournament, but I forgot. Sorry!
Unsubbed
YOU SIT ON A THRONE OF LIIIEEESSS
Ah fuck, I can't believe you've done this.
I miss Guildball tournaments!
says a lot about how memorable that tournament was LOL
Yep. Another banger.
Perhaps... Scott plays and attends tournaments: The series?
I'm down to try some more!
Du eet!
@@Miniac looking forward to more Song content from you, tournaments, painting, discussions ...
"PAINT MORE MINIS!" says the guy that played a tournament with unpainted minis haha. Thanks for sharing that experience, I've seen some war gaming tournaments at PAX unplugged and watching the sweaty try-hards there definitely turned me off to war gaming tournaments (to be fair I won one of the tournaments for the evolution board game because I became a sweaty try hard for that game when I heard there was going to be a tournament at PAX Unplugged). Hearing about your relaxed tournament experience definitely got me more curious to check out some local wargaming tournaments (and not feel like I have to be a sweaty try hard about it).
😆😆😆
In my experience local tournaments are really relaxed. I also have only played non GW games though
You showed Conquest! At 7:58 , The knights in blue. The best game ever! 😀👍🏻
Liking the stubble!!!! Keep it up Scott
Hey Scott, thanks for sharing your love of ASOIAF. My friends and I were getting burnt out on our usual GW game and your content convinced us to try out ASOIAF. Now we are back to weekly game nights! Thanks.
Congratulations! Looking forward to following your ASOIAF journey!
I'm getting some Stannis Baratheon minis for this game come Christmas, watching this for some tips and tricks, and your painting videos for...more tips and tricks. Keep up the good work, big guy.
Your enthusiasm for Ice and Fire is a great advert, you’ve got me wanting to give it a try!
I second the vote for a tournament prepping and experience series.
Well this certainly sparked some nostalgia hah, used to play 40k tournaments at the Games Workshop in Gurnee Mills Mall in the Chicagoland area in the late 90's and 2000 before moving away (Black Legion/ Khorne mix was my go-to). Was a good time, long days, but super fun.
I've played in a lot of local tounaments (the big 'uns are too far away), though the tournament scene has petered out recently, as has in-store gaming in general. Always had fun, but the most memorable had to be a 40k tournament at our FLGS. A friend and I decided to take identical armies, so after perusing our collections we decided on Eldar. I wrote up a backstory about twin farseers and made it general enough that it could go with either twin. We even wore matching GW t-shirts. The funniest thing that happened was that we played each other's first round opponents in the second round. Their dawning realization as we placed units was priceless! He went 3-0, while I got 1-2. I guess our lists matched his play style better. All in all it was a great experience!
I think next year when covid (should) be a lot better a lot of the local scenes should be getting back to normal
Imagine playing a tournament against the Miniac and not have Any of his insanely gorgeous painted miniatures to look at.... 😕
S E V E N Y E A R S S S S S S S S ! ! ! ! ! ! !
To me a tournament that allowed unpainted figures would be a signal that it was going to be all about the winning. I'm glad you got the experience you were looking for
Oh my god that used to be my LGS but I just moved out of Minnesota two months ago. Dreamers Vault in Burnsville Minnesota.
Or “Burnville”, as Scott pronounced it at the end.
I don’t know if he just misspoke, or if we should mock him mercilessly for still not knowing that suburb’s name after living in the Twin Cities for so many years. 😆
Having just started to play AoS from painting, I jumped into my first tournament with my Soulblight just a couple of months ago. Best experience in a competitive setting. Local lists arent ultra competitive, and having had only 3 games played prior I felt I was going to be too slow and give my opponents a poor experience. Could not have been farther from the truth, as all 3 of my opponents were very relaxed and understanding, and although I only managed one victory I learned a ton and had so much fun. The interaction with other players, not just talking about the game you are playing but chit chatting was very enjoyable, and it felt more like a casual game than cutthroat gameplay. I would strongly recommend to anyone to participate at least in a local tournament of your game of choice. It should be a fun and rewarding experience
I wouldn't mind getting into this game... the Wildlings are looking especially up my alley. :D I'm loving the emphasis you're putting on the game.
I’ve been wargaming for 25 years and this is my favorite. If you’re a wargamer and a fan of the books/show… you should definitely be playing it.
I actually just had my first tournament about two weeks ago! I started playing 40k with friends back in 2020, but recently fell in love with the x-wing mini game (I think I’ve played 20ish games in the past month I’ve been playing) as I ended up trying it at my LGS.
I was lucky that everyone I’ve met so far has been super friendly in the local league, and totally willing to lend me a unit or card to try a combo out. I ended up going 2-2 which I was super happy with, as even in my losses I learned a significant amount. I met a bunch of cool people and learned about some more unique combos. I didn’t really expect to ever play tournament style but I honestly would recommend it to everyone at least once!
Scott points out some of the best things about comps in any gaming genre; you will meet new players and face different armies, it will be an intensive tutorial in the rules so you'll come out knowing them much better.
In any field of endeavor you want to improve your skills - within whatever framework you chose, be that moving from novice to competent or perhaps to world champion - your choice.
In nearly 40 years of competitions, mostly historical but some fantasy, I reckon I've met only two objectionable players to balance against the many friends I've made.
As Scott suggests, some competitions will be laid-back and small scale, some will be large where contestants play hard to test their skill. I enjoy both.
I saw your video on making a table top for this game and it seemed interesting and I loved the lore from the books so I gave it a shot. I haven’t had this much fun playing a tabletop war game since I started gaming 4 years ago. Thank you for exposing me to this game
Thanks for sharing your experience! Just went to a tournament last week myself after not playing much for a decade. Attending these events really is a great way to get more out of the hobby and have fun playing too many games in one day. Cool to hear you "did it right" and went to your tournament tired and underprepared. Always more fun like that.
I need to get back into painting again. Been a few months and watching your videos has always helped me feel inspired. I cleaned my wet palette last night... it was moldy... and I'm going to clean my brushes so I can, you know, lick those tips safely ;)
I loved this unexpected type of video. It is amazing and surprising what other aspects of the hobby there is past painting. More videos like this please.
I'm glad to hear about your positive experience. I'll have to try those myself. Looking forward to more tournament stuff from you as well!
I stumbled onto this video after recently acquiring the Starks vs. Lannister starter set and trying to figure out what to do with it, especially how to get it played (or whom I can sucker into learning it with me)... Anyway, I have no idea if tournaments are still happening in my city, but you've inspired me to go look for one. And you are hilarious! Subscribed, and now I shall go though your video list to find more things to watch :)
Really like this video. I would like to hear about how the next tournament goes. Maybe even ask some of the other players a few questions.
Love this type of content from you ! My first and only tournament was a european warmachine horde tournament in France and it was exactly how you described : relaxed and fun and I wish a can do some more someday (this was over 5 years ago)
A few years back I was part of a gaming club which met every saturday to play Flames of War in our local store. The store had a separate location for gaming, and we started organizing a tournamnet there. It was great fun, because we soon had a group of regulars who'd come twice a year. Games were mostly friendly, many gentleman gamers. I'd play a tournament likee that again in a heartbeat, but I do not think I would like a highly competitive tournament.
My first tournament was a 25th anniversary celebration for 40k. It was hosted at the Seattle GW Bunker (which has since closed). I went 1-2 with Space Marines, against Orks, Necrons and Necrons. It isn't my favorite format because of the pressure to win and tighter time frame, but I do like the number of games and variety opponents that tournaments offer.
I was there, I saw Scott and met him at this LGS and you're awesome dude!
You should have visited Chicago last month for the Chaos Cup. There is no greater tournament community than Blood Bowl. This year's Chaos Cup had 110 teams. The World Cup in Dornbirn, Austria, had almost 1500 teams! It was GLORIOUS!
Dreamers is a great local game store! I'm glad you had a great tournament experience. Smaller tournaments are a ton of fun! Glad you had a similar experience!
Oh man i loved that sweet shot along the product wall in that LGS.
Always enjoy your ASOIAF content. Hope to see more of it!
Going to my first 40 tournament on Nov20th. Played in a lot of Magic tournaments back in the day but I am still nervous yet excited for this
Always nice to see more people playing games in and out of tournaments
Cool vid, Scott! My first, and only, tournament experience was playing Mordheim back around 2001. There were a similar number of players as yours, and there was a $5 buy in. Whoever won got the pot at the end. In my first game my warband was so decimated (ie: models killed outright) that I was unable to field a team for any more games. I always lose, so that wasn't anything new, but to have a warband disband after one game was a first!
I went to gaming conventions back in the mid-80's (Suncoast Skirmishes -FL) and always had a great time. Back then there was a great variety of games, much like today. Kind of like GenCon, Adepticon and such. I've never attended a game-specific tournament though. Looking towards my first.
Fantastic view into what a local, small, game shop hosted tournament looks like for someone, like myself, that is pretty virginal to the hobby but has always been interested. Like you, I've been curious what they look like, the type of crowd they attract, etc. so this was very eye-opening and may spur me on to get my ass in gear and join one! Also, VERY refreshing to see unpainted minis Scott, now I don't feel so bad about my pile of shame.
@Miniac Love the video! Only thing I wasn’t super into was the second camera on the side, it felt a little like a reality tv show.
Excellent video Scott!
Every time i go to a tournament i expect the tryhards to be there but i'm yet to find one. Last tournament I played in was an AoS doubles, i figured for hilarities sake i'd run a cities list with alarielle. to my suprise the other cities player in my area entirely without any discussion between us also turned up with an Alarielle list. everyone had the stuff they thought was cool and it was just over all super chill. can't wait for my locals next ASOIAF tourney, missed the last one by virture of not seeing your video that sold me on it yet but next time i'm definitely there.
Great vid, glad you’re enjoying ASOIAF. Hope to see more of these!
Last week I found myself in a similar situation =) I had never had ever tried any kind of tournaments and decide to go to one for a game I am very very unexperienced..Blood bowl. Got crushed but had a blast, it was also a small sized tournament, 5 other players plus me, all very experienced but all very welcoming to a newer dude. In the was a great day ended up over some beers discussing this games that we all like.
Yo, Curtis, you a good dude. Keep that confidence-a buildin’
I played at a LGS tourney back at the start of 8th edition 40k. I played 3 rounds and what I really like about it was the fact I got to play against 3 armies I had never played against before.
Imperial Guard, Space Wolves and Harlequins.
Everyone was super nice.
The Guard player won the event and crushed me game one. His list was very optimised and competitive unlike the majority of the players.
He was still very friendly though.
Awesome, glad you had a good time! I have never been in a tournament either, but I'd love to try one out for AoS or something sometime
I think for me the best part of hobby related tournaments is showing up with the crew and not worrying about how we play but getting to meet new people and see how other people approach the hobby.
Great video, Scott.
Tournaments are good experience 😁
I remember when we went for Underworlds tournament, in Netherlands. In my Renault Laguna...without heating during winter time 😅
Saturday video and an INTRO! YES!
I’ve done a few long kill team store campaigns which are fun. Since they’re done over the course of 6 weeks or so, it’s in a king of the hill format which I quite like. 1 victor takes all the glory. There’s normally prizes for best painted squad as well.
My first tournament was back in 2005 with my tau against eldar. Having never played before in a tournament I was nervous. I lost 2/3 games but I did railgun eldrad back when the railgun was the best gun in the game. Made it all worth it
I have been really Enjoying these asoiaf videos, looking forword to seeing more :D
First tournament was 7th Edition Killteam. I brought 23 Kroot models, so I had the largest Killteam, but they died fast. They had an infiltrate ability so I would just not deploy any models until my opponent was set up then always counter deploy. The last game was against 3 Marine bikers. It got down to his Sgt and one kroot. My opponent charged and I declared overwatch with sniper rounds. I got a 6 to hit, followed by a 6 to wound and he failed his save. My 360 no scoped a Marine on a bike. Good times.
that is SO EPIC
I remember my first MtG tournament... I had a mono black removal deck and my oppo had a mono blue counter deck... maaan, it was a slow game! I won by doing 1 damage per turn just using the single festering goblin I played during the first turn!
Woop woop! Conquest at the 8th minute!
I'm kind of in the same boat with you. I've been in this hobby for 10 years, and only attended one tournament in early 7th edition 40k before I stopped playing for a few years. I definitely saw some ugly unbeatable lists there, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed just playing the game for two days straight. All of my opponents were cool guys that were great to play against. I managed to get a best painted award as well as a first place overall due to some very lucky pairings (I was lucky enough not to play against White Scars - Thunderwolf Cavalry - Biker Librarian invisibility list, for those whe remember the dark days of 40k tournament scene)
I'm actually going to my second big tournament with 100+ players next week, playing Nagash in Ossiarch army, looking forward to the event! For me it was a great way to push myself to paint said Nagash that I was putting off for so long, since the event I'm attending is a fully painted armies only event.
Lol! The "buttcracks every" line got me. I about died laughing.
Tournaments can be great or terrible. You never know if the opponent will be nice or a total jerk. Usually they are nice.
I actually went to my very first tournament at a local store a few weeks ago, after 20 years in the hobby. Was similar to your experience, small scale and friendly with no real try Garda (except for this one AdMech player 🙄)
Great video, loved the chill vibe
My first tournament experience was a Star Wars: Legion Grand Army team battles… we went 0 - 3, but it was a pleasant day in which I learned a lot. My 2nd was a SW:Legion Prime tournament in which I brought an illegal list because I was still a noob list builder. That seems to be my largest failing; making a competitive army to play with.
Oh hey nice, dreamers vault is my main hobby store, nice to see
I won my first (and only, so far) tournament (it was a super small semi casual), the prize was a 15 euro gift card to the store that organized it. The gift card said that it is valid until the end of time and I still have it. That was 15 years ago. Sometimes when I stumble upon it I think it would be funny to go use it and see their reactions. Maybe I need to give it some more time.
I started playing infinity and signed up for a 60 player tournament. First time ever playing a wargame and participating in a tournament. With the rules half learned and a bunch of unpainted minis I had a Great experience. Highly recommended, if you enjoy the game, you'll find people alike.
The last tournament I was in was over 10 years ago.
It was 3 big tables all in the same battle which meant flyers could go from table to table and certain cannons could also shoot onto other tables.
The key moment from that day was one of my friends came by with this girl that was a goth model and every person in there stopped playing because they weren't used to be in such company.
It was rather funny, but also explained why I felt a bit as an outsider at the time xD
I've been playing in tournaments for the last ten years, haven't tried an ASOIAF event yet but I'm keen
My main system is Epic Armageddon, I've competed in 27 tournaments to date, including representing the UK in both the European and World Championship (in fact I'm a team member of the current reigning world champions)
I've even organised and run a couple of local tournaments
It's nothing like the try-hard, win at all costs events everyone is afraid of, and with a handful of warmachine events under my belt, I am starting to doubt the existence of such events... Overwhelmingly my experiences have been positive, win and lose.... I've made lifelong friends at tournaments, started friendly rivalries, won awards for best painted army, and had a great time. There have been a handful of games that my opponent has been a bit dodgy, but you can't let that sour the overall experience of tournament gaming.
I think the people who turn their noses up at competitive play are probably just aware that they aren't good players and are probably sore losers to boot..... There are few better experiences than testing your skills against like minded folks, and losing games teaches you lessons
Apologies for the essay!
The outro should have been ''and dont forget to PLAY your minies!!''
Now try an Infinity tournament! From my experience only GW/Privateer Press games had unpleasant tournaments... smaller communities just don't have the stamina for letting them exist; They either kill the community or they bounce out.
My first tournament was playing legion, I was really nervous about it but it turned out to be mostly me and my friend's which really helped calm them nerves
The first tournament I played in was for ASOIAF too, and it was just before the whole Covid lockdown.
I was really nervous, going in with a list that centered around Builder Crossbowmen + Pypar for his shifting shenanigans (this was before the 2021 update to the units/cards). The other tournament players were all seasoned gamers, and all knew each other very well. I thought that maybe I was going to be sidelined for most of it, but it turned out to be quite the opposite.
They were quick to make me feel welcome, to discuss strategies, and just have a whole lot of fun together. It was a blast.
I ended up coming in 3rd too! Since then, they invited my brother and I into their community WhatsApp group, and we talk about everything ASOIAF every now and then.
Guess there was really nothing to be nervous about :D
This game is awesome. I am glad that others are playing it.
1:42
Scott: "I like to describe myself as a casual tryhard"
*cuts to motorized camera dolly/slider shots*
Me: YEP SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT
I've been involved with a number of local/ provincial tournaments over the years (hello from Canada by the way). So my very first one is a little hazy. I will however, tell you of my first partaking of a small tournament a number of years ago, and my return to it during a brief gap between the 2nd and 3rd wave of Covid. So my first trip to this fledgling tournament was a fun one, the event was pretty small, only about 8 people. The points limit was fairly small, only about 1000 points (this was an Age of Sigmar event) but I didn't mind as I like smaller games. They're generally free of big named characters and I like how every unit and hero has that much greater significance since you'll likely not have back-ups. The games were close, quick, and most importantly fun. Fast forward about 4 years and now the tournament has jumped to 1500 points, while sticking to the 1000 point unit selection requirements. That may not sound like a big difference but I can tell you it was. My first game had Lord kroak, my second Katakros, and my 3rd had two verminlords. I'm not ashamed to admit my named character free list of Stormcast were pretty easily overwhelmed.
I don't know if this is happening in the America, but here I'm seeing a shift away from playing games for the fun of it, and towards playing game for the sake of winning. Sure losing all the time isn't fun, but I'd much rather lose a close game than win a crushing defeat.
Played my first local tournament last year and, while it was a shock to play against competitive lists, getting to play 5 games of AoS in a row really helped me learn the game!
My first and only tournament experience was with X-wing 1st edition, and while everybody was nice and smelled fine, the room was filled with the same 2-3 meta netlists and just wasn't much fun to play in. There was something about that game that really brought out the sweaty tryhards in my area. I'm currently into Marvel Crisis Protocol which has a much more casual vibe, so I'd like to try a tournament for that if I ever get the chance.
Honestly, I think tournaments and highly competitive play is detrimental to the enjoyment of the hobby. When people play with their friends or random strangers or clubs, they're often just playing for fun. I remember when I was young and we played magic the gathering in high school. This was back when magic was very very young. It was really fun, until I got to college, it was fun for a bit there too, but then everyone starting to get into fine tuned 2 turn stomp decks for competitive play. Gone were massive crazy theme fun decks. Playing became less about playing and more about your stats and you could see their disappointed when they didn't get the starting hand they wanted, and their minds would immediately go to tweaking the deck rather than enjoying the game in front of them.
I think that local tournaments are normally more relaxed than a bigger regional or national tournament
Love this content,enjoyable video. This game seems like a good system.
Tournaments are fun. I play some X-Wing tournaments and the experience is always great.
If you enjoyed the tournament and wanted to learn a easy game you ever considered blood bowl you could easily paint a team up to enjoy your videos plus there bringing out dungeon bowl this year
What a coincidence, I'm playing my first 40k tournament next week end. Great timing
Only tournament I played in was in like 1997 and for battle tech when I was a kid. I probably would play in a small tournament like you did for 40k some day if I coukd get some games in before.
I have never played any of the games that go with the mini's I paint. There aren't a lot of LGS's around here and the ones I looked up had questionable reputations. I enjoy painting mini's but it would be cool to play a game and use my painted mini's at some time.
The facial hair is a great look. For real it suits you.
Lovin these videos
I don’t think I’ll be visiting any tournaments with my hand painted d&d minis lol
But I’m glad you had fun!
I also recently have gotten into ASOIAF, I partially blame you, and am looking forward to getting to try a tournament some time. Now if only we could get a ASOIAF stuff easier in Canada (I have no idea when I'll actually be able to buy the card updates here. I'd love to see your lists!
Awesome. I'm glad you both had a good time.I love this game to the point I'd rather lose a game of Song than win any other.
Over on Blitz Minis you can see Ben destroying me in the 38 strong National Titles I co-ran in the last great con from The Time Before. I look like the ham-fisted noob I was. Still had a blast and Ben was an awesome opponent. I wish you good fortune in the wars to come
At 2:35 someone in the Night's Watch is trying to start a snowball fight.
My local gw used to run 1k 40k tournaments; they were a blast
I'd love to get my first ever game in at some point. No idea when I'll ever manage it though.
Just sinned up for my first AOS torment in December
I'm from the Twin Cities and always like popping into game stores I pass. Even if I don't really need anything. This video I was like, "ooh! I bought some washes there!"
I played in a Warmachine tournament, played 10 points down because I refused to play with my unpainted models (personal chose), and I came in second place. Lots of fun!
This is awesome, I've been a huge fan of the MESBG but no one in CT plays. Makes me wanna get into it. What are the cavalry models at 8 min in!? They look awesome and I cant find them on the webstore.
This has me stoked to play ASOIF
I've only painted minis so far.. I haven't even played a game yet. I know the rules and how to play. Its just that none of my friends are into 40k, and I'm still on the fence about going to a local store to play.. I guess this is the sign that I need to just get going and do it.
Is there anyway you could post some battlereps of this on your channel? Love seeing games I haven’t played be played by personalities I enjoy!
Good day for a video from you, I have my Miniac tshirt on!!!!! :D
Plz consider upload the Twitch Vids here. So we can watch it when we got the time.
the twitch VODs go up on patreon for the $5 tier!
Is there a pretty active ASOIAF tournament scene in the Twin Cities?