Hey everyone! Adam, from TFG Radio, here to rain on your victory parade!
If you are reading this then the cutoff to upload your lists for the Las Vegas open has passed. Like many grand tournaments, the LVO is requiring that lists be submitted early. What many players have done in the past is upload their list at the last minute, or later if there are no penalties for being late. It’s your prerogative as to when you submit your lists, and I know that you think your army is a special snowflake, but lets be real. No one really cares about your super secret list.
There are a lot of people playing in the tournament. There will be people from all over the world coming to Las Vegas. There a lot of big fish from small ponds coming to the ocean that is the Las Vegas Open. Everyone has their secret list that works in their local scene, and they think it will work on the big stage. A lot of times, this results in some people not uploading their lists to a tournament at all. One reason is that most tournaments allow the lists to be seen before the event. Although this is to help check for mistakes, this also lets players look at the lists of possible opponents. They can then decide on how to build their list to counter certain armies, or even to use a different army than what they were planning. Some players don’t upload lists because they are afraid that other players will steal their army lists and do well with it. either at the same or a different tournament. The need to be original and get credit for a new army build is strong in some players.
Sorry to break it to you, but no one really cares, at least before the tournament. People will talk about your list once the tournament starts anyway, especially if you start winning. So what if people want to copy your list. Let them try. If you are the better player, then you will do well in the tournament and show that you are good with the list. There are not very many people that come up with unique lists. There are even fewer people that can even understand how some of those unique lists work in order to win a tournament. There is no reason to you should be incurring a penalty for turning in a late list. You are starting a tournament on the wrong foot if you do. With the introduction of a code of conduct, and now penalties for when a list is turned in late, their really is no positive reason to wait. If you do it so you can see what you are up against, and want to adjust accordingly, then you have other issues with your play style. So be sure to get your army lists in as soon as you’re set on your list. Unless you are in the top 1 percent at the tournament, no one will care.*
That’s all for this week, I hope you enjoyed the read. Let me know your thoughts, and how soon you upload your lists, in the comments section. Don’t forget to visit our Facebook, Twitch, and Patreon pages to stay up to date on what we’re up to and when episodes drop!
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*Until you win a 700+ person event
Are there lists already posted?
This is less true for people who have an actual shot at winning the tournament. Knowing, say, Nick Nanavati’s list or Tony Kopach’s list in advance is a nontrivial advantage, hence why FLG iss keeping lists hidden.
You should still upload by the required date, though. In theory, everyone needs to have it by then, so it shouldn’t offer an advantage to anyone.
Well, you HAVE to or come to the event with a Yellow Card =)
I made sure to upload my special snowflake. Then I also uploaded it to a certain facebook group discussing the idea of lists being released.
I’m not attending LVO, but as someone that’s hosted tournaments and attended large ones as well, I understand that people tend not to submit their lists until very late (especially people that are aiming to be competitive) not out of secrecy, but because it gives them more time to find better options through list practicing, or to adapt to new releases either by absorbing them into their list or if the new hotness really seems OP, figuring out what potential changes to make when fighting against it.
I know for myself, right now, I have to submit a list in early February for a tourney in late February. My list uses Genestealer Cult. How that works, the points values, everything about it might change at a moment’s notice. I need to wait, simple as that.
People have in other tournaments and bao uploaded pics saying dumb things like “secret shhhh…” And then uploaded actual lists day of, so silly
Yeah, we will be rolling out penalties for doing things like that via the Code of Conduct.
If nobody cares about people’s lists, and knowing lists top players are taking before hand is inconsequential… Why then are the LVO lists hidden in BCP….
By hiding them, someone clearly feels its important to not have them on show until the event..
We’re going to be revealing them in a bit, just allowing time for stragglers and those having technical issues.
What is the need of posting any lists at all? Why not communicate with players that need to make adjustments prior to LVO and everyone else just receives a, “you;re good” email? That’s what I thought was happening when I received my thumb’s up email. Just release the lists on February 8 and leave some mystery until then.
There’s no reason not to post them as everyone is locked in at that point and it is fun to see what everyone is bringing. People LOVE looking at lists, so it will be fun to check it out and get some hype building.