Pro Tips for the LVO!

 

The LVO is almost upon us! Here’s a quick guide for the new, traveling tournament player and the vet!

Going to a big tournament is a blast. You get to see beautiful armies, play against new people, have a laugh with other gamers and in general get away from real life for a while! That said, their are some logistical issues to consider when traveling to a GT.

1. Read your player packet
   1. No joke. Open it, read it. Take the time to do this as the TOs have gone to great lengths to put these things together and they will answer 99% of the questions you will have without having to take TO time asking questions they’ve already answered for you. Also, read the missions!!!!!! The A number 1 rule of tournaments is to read the missions thoroughly. You don’t want to think you are winning only to end up losing because you didn’t understand the mission.
      1. Get your Warhammer 40K Championships Player Packet here.
2. Register Early
   1. To avoid long lines at registration, be sure to get checked in early! Registration at the LVO will be open on Thursday, come on by in the afternoon or evening and you can help set up the event, get registered, grab your player packets, etc. This helps us out a ton and it means you do not have to wait in line the day of!
3. Logistics
   1. Be early. Seriously, be early. Get there before you need to be there, familiarize yourself with your surroundings, and don’t try and rush everything. See what table you are on and go there before the crowds and get set-up. This leaves more time for playing and less time stressing out about getting where you need to be.
   2. Getting around a big tournament with hundreds of people isn’t the same thing as getting around your garage or FLGS. You REALLY want a convenient way to transport your models around from the room to the hall, and from table to table. Even with the 6′ wide walk ways we will have at the LVO, it can get congested fast. In order to facilitate this, you have a few options. Also, know where you’re going when you make your way around the hall. Get familiar with the order the tables go in, and where your game is located before the event starts so that you can get to where you are going, efficiently.

1. Display Board. These are probably the easiest to make and use. Essentially these are decorative boards that can look amazing and often match your army. They allow you to carry them around as well as display them. However, they are not easy to travel with, can be precarious to move around a crowded hall with, and are hard to store once games have begun. As most tournaments have tables 6′ in length, butt to butt, you have to stick them under the table and they can easily get stepped on or broken, and placing them on the table requires you to move terrain around. A lot of folks then leave the terrain moved after they leave, meaning the next players have to try and re-position the terrain as best as possible to where it was. For all of these reasons, I do not use big display boards myself at large events despite the fact that they can be beautiful, as they often get in the way. That said, a small display board with a lip to keep models from falling off, and handles, is easy to maneuver and stow during play. These work quite well. Lastly, it can be a rather funny experience to make the trip from the hotel room to the con hall with a big, ostentatious board full of models through a crowded hotel!

1. Model Bag. These are the best while you are in motion. They protect your models, can take a bump with no harm and are usually pretty easily stowed under the table. They, however, eat up precious time as you have to remove and replace each, individual model for each game. This can really add up on the ever-present ticking clock of a big event where time is a precious resource.

1. Hybrid systems such as the TableWar Display Towers and cases are awesome for tournaments. They are space efficient in that the models stand up in levels like a model bag and fit easily under a table, but are also on a display board when the trays are pulled out and make it easy and fast to get models in and out of the transportation device like a display board. These type of devices really shine at a tournament as that is what they are built for. They can be harder to travel with than a Model Bag in the bigger sizes and don’t take a hit as well.

All of the above choices have their pros and cons, but give this some thought before going to your next event as this can make your experience a lot more enjoyable!

1. Lunch
   1. Invariably, lunch breaks are short at big events. Between finishing games late, putting away your models, submitting scores, etc. you can find yourself with barely any time for lunch, even with an hour break. Eat before going, and be prepared with a plan for where you are going to eat on your break. As we are in a big hotel, for us it is as easy as walking out the door and grabbing something, but still, be prepared as you do not want to come back late as that is very inconsiderate to your opponent. For the 40K Championships especially, we recommend that you just eat BEFORE the first round of the day and then wait till AFTER your last round to eat again.
   2. BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR ARMY OUT FOR PAINT JUDGING DURING LUNCH! This helps a ton to get this very laborious task done quickly. Also, be sure to leave your name and player number next to your army so the paint judge knows who it belongs to!

1. Score Sheets
   1. Make sure you turn yours in, accurately, right after you finish your round with your opponent. You have plenty of time to discuss the awesomeness of your game with your friends and opponent AFTER you turn those score sheets in! If you do not, we tend to have big lines at the admin desk that slow everything down. Help keep the event running smoothly by getting us your scores ASAP!
   2. For the 40K Championships, we will be using Torrent of Fire, a tournament management software. Go on the site and register if you have not already done so. It also tracks your scores and ranks you compared to other 40K players around the world! It will keep your score updated in real time as well, which is a ton of fun. You can submit your scores using your tablet or smart phone, too, which means less crowd at the admin table and less running around for you.
2. Pace Yourself
   1. This is going to be a great event, and a lot of fun! That said, don’t blow your wad in the first 3 hours of arriving! Pace yourself on the booze, get some sleep (as much as you can, haha) and remember these big events are marathons, not sprints.
   2. Similarly, play your games in a competitive, but relaxed manner and remember everyone is there to have fun. Win, lose or draw, you want to walk away from it having enjoyed yourself and having been a gentleman while stomping your competition into dust! Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.
   3. If you need a boost, think about bringing an energy supplement like an apple or a 5 hour energy to keep you going, but don’t overdo it. I drank two 5 Hour Energies at Adepticon one year and thought I was going to have a heart attack! Lol, do not repeat my mistake.
   4. Don’t argue with the judges. Please. They have a tough, thankless job and it is even harder when a belligerent player starts arguing with them. We all come together under a social contract to abide by the judges’ calls, whether it be on rules, paint, or what have you. I understand all to well what it feels like when you think you’ve been screwed on a rules call or paint score, but it is what it is. Give the judge the benefit of the doubt and let the little things slide. The judges have given up having fun to facilitate your fun and while you can politely and rationally argue your case, know when to let it go. Show them the respect they deserve because without them, there is no event to go to in the first place.
3. Hygiene
   1. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is an old topic but we all know us gamers can be stinky bastards. A tough game can get your heart racing and make you sweat. Sweat makes you stinky. Put on that deodorant! Maybe even bring some with you to put on mid-event if you think it may be an issue. Also, bring gum or mints or something similar as often, we don’t have time to brush after eating and chugging a few cold brewskies. I know I can get funky breathe after eating, so I always try to bring gum with me so as not to punish my opponent. You should do the same!
4. Take time to enjoy the Con!
   1. A lot of people have put a lot of effort into making the event fun for you! Check out the companies displaying their goods, and buy some if you can! They came here to show you their stuff and their prize support really helps to financially support these events. Support them supporting the community!
   2. Demo and observe other games. Cons are a great way to see new games and check them out as they are being played by experts. Don’t let the chance pass you by to find a new game to geek out on!
5. Have Fun!
   1. Duh, right? Don’t forget that. You are here to get away from the pressures of real life. Unwind, relax and remember that the worst day of gaming is better than the best day at work! Enjoy the time with fellow hobbyists, and don’t worry about things that don’t really matter much. Make some fun memories, play some fun games and enjoy each day as it will be over so fast you won’t believe it.

See you all in one week and counting!