Heading to a tournament? Want to know what the etiquette for tournament play is? Check out these tips to make your experience painless!
Let’s face it, Warhammer 40k is a game full of material. Especially with all the FAQs and content releasing in White Dwarves here lately. Let’s jump into what you should be bringing to the big day to get the most out of any tournament experience!
Necessary Materials You Have to Have
By now, you should be playing an army that’s gotten a codex. While most of the points may be obsolete after Chapter Approved (which is another book we strongly recommend bringing), you’ll still need the info in the codex for your Warp Charge values on Psychic Powers, Stratagem details, etc.
Too often, we see people roll dice in the Psychic phase and the power doesn’t actually go off. But players think “eh, close enough” and roll with it. Another big mistake we see is Stratagems being used out-of-phase. Some players try to pop Stratagems that can only be done at the start of the turn while they’re somewhere in the combat phase. Keep your opponent and yourself honest when it comes to that kind of stuff and bring your materials!
Have Your Dice Ready
A simple, good habit to be in is to have your dice ready in groups of 10-20. Instead of having to count the dice you’ll be rolling in different phases of the game, you can just grab a few batches of ten’s and cut your time way down. (This is a huge help if you’re playing with the ITC Chess Clocks.)
Get Your Army Above Tabletop Quality
If you’re a player that tries to skate through qualifications by doing the bare minimum, you’re already starting off on the wrong foot. 40k is as much of a hobby as it is a game. Take pride in your work and don’t show up on the table with grey models everywhere. Believe it or not, a lot of players enjoy the game to just watch the battle unfold before their eyes. It completely ruins immersion when they’re rolling dice against models that are barely put together.
A lot of tournaments (if not all) have a best-painted award anyway! If you show up to an event and get demolished by your opponents, there’s still a chance of you winning the best-painted, best-theme, etc. However, there’s no chance of that happening if you don’t throw some paint on your dudes.
Have a Portable Army Board
Have a portable board to transport your army around. (They don’t all have to be as extravagant as this one, but you get the idea). By having a board where you can set your models, you’re cutting down on time and space. You don’t have to worry about pulling out all of your foam trays and placing your entire horde army model by model in their correct spot.
Collapsible Pack-N-Roll Tournament Push Cart
Believe it or not, these collapsible carts are perfect! They breakdown and fit in any trunk, and at the event, they don’t take up a ton of space and there’s room for you to put your army and whatever other materials you might need during the game. Then the games start you’re expected to be in front of your opponent when the next round is starting. it’s usually cramped and full of people. So, instead of trying to find space to pull everything out of your hobby bag, just stick it all on this rolling shelf!
Know Your List
Some players spend hours and hours perfecting army lists. they usually pull from multiple different factions and Cults, Chapters, Septs, etc. If you’re going to be making some kind of soup list with multiple detachments, then make sure it’s visually clear to your opponent which units belong to which detachment. (This is just to prevent misuse of faction-specific Stratagems and buffs being activated on illegal units.) You’ll also want to brush up on all the rules/auras/buffs your characters give out. There’s no going back in a legitimate tournament setting so if you forgot to re-roll all failed wound rolls with your lightning claws. Tough luck.
Make sure you print off multiple copies of your list and hand them to your opponents. Label which characters have relics/warlord traits. Your opponent should be doing the same! The goal is to have fun and bond with like-minded players coming together from different backgrounds to enjoy the game. Don’t make enemies and raise suspicion of cheating at your expense!
Hopefully, you’ve learned a thing or two for the next time you go to an event. Remember, your good manners don’t have to only be used on extravagant tournaments like Warzone Atlanta, LVO, and Adepticon. It’s a good habit to follow even if you’re playing at a local tournament in your hobby shop down the road.
Let us know some of the pet peeves you have when you’re playing at a 40k tournament in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
