Pete here (punchdub on Dakka), from League of Underwhelming Miniature Painters (leagueofpainters.com) to briefly pitch my latest upcoming tournament. Just over 2 weeks away, on October 3-4, 2015 will be my third event this year, and the first 40K singles GT held in Sacramento in a decade. The event will be, of course, an ITC event, but the format and rules will differ. While I love what the guys here at FLG have done with the ITC scene, playing the same game over and over can get a bit dull – or at least repetitive. Plus, whenever I hear the results of an ITC rules poll I scream at the stereo in my car, much to the dismay of passers by.
I hypothesize that 40K can, in fact, be played out of the box – so to speak. Know No Mercy is taking Warhammer 40K as close to “stock” as we can get it. Fluff bunnies may cry foul (and I can understand why) but in my opinion, CTA allies is the one thing that completely balances the game. Sure, maybe Tyranids and Imperial Knights on the same team is a recipe for a fanboy’s aneurysm, but let’s be honest, its not like GW is actively balancing their codexes or game system. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love dramatic, themed games. I loved themed events. I also love to get dirty and just play with cool toys.
If you haven’t stopped reading, thanks for having an open mind and let me tell you more. Know No Mercy is a two day, six round event. With a 64 player cap, a natural best general will emerge, regardless of their battle points. I think this is important, as battle point victories can exclude certain styles of armies from effectively competing, and I really want to see diversity. Games will be won or lost, ties will not be allowed.
Mission design is also important, and has a tremendous effect on the meta game. I’ve drawn two mission from the ITC, two from Nova, and two from the rulebook. The last two missions will be a Purge the Alien, and a modified version of tactical objective card maelstrom. In my estimation, this diversity of mission design will stretch the minds of our tactical generals while ensuring that army list design moves towards an “all-comers” style of play. If your tool-belt only has hammers, you will run into a screw (and get screwed) out of an undefeated finish.
Finally, we love to have fun playing this game. I’ve got over 50 people coming from hundreds of miles away, and only a handful of people will win prizes for Best Overall, Best General, Best Hobby/Paint and Best of (faction). Since we have such a great partnership with Great Escape Game and Powered Play gaming, there are going to be tons of raffle prizes, and every time you lose a game you get twice as many additional entries as the guy who beat you. If you came to No Mercy 2, Let’s Make a Deal will be returning.
So, if a weekend in Sacramento playing a great game with great competitors sounds like fun, check us out, we have a handful of tickets left.