Welcome, Warhammer 40k fanatics! SaltyJohn from TFG Radio bringing you some exciting news, and memes, from the world of Competitive 40k!
The ITC had yet another shift in the top spot! After several weeks of John Lennon holding first place in the ITC we have new number one, Brad Chester!
With multiple number one finishes including FLGs Atlantic City Open and a strong second place at the GW US Open in New Orleans Brad has managed to edge out fellow teammate John Lennon to claim the top spot. Brad’s ascension to the top and the continued strong showings from John Lennon and Jack Harpster means the top 3 spots in the ITC currently all rest in the hands of Art of War teammates.
Looking at the long list of events Brad has managed to attend and perform well at this season is impressive. He has accumulated a massive amount of points through placing well at large tournaments, his top 6 scores are all over 200 points! The top 10 currently has a pretty healthy diversity in terms of teams, 40% of the top 10 is on Art of War but the rest are spread across teams. It will be interesting to see if Nayden decides to put together another run at late in the season or if he’s going to bank on a strong Las Vegas Open to push him into the top spot.
There’s still plenty of time left in the season to begin accumulating those points and put together a run of your own at a top spot! The vast majority of ITC players, over 90%, play local RTTs and maybe a GT-level event a year. In fact, hundreds of players have only a single ITC score! It is cool to look at the top players all the time, the big events, and who is winning what. But it’s also important to keep it all in perspective. For the vast majority of players the ITC is about playing a few small tournaments a year, maybe a GT or two, and keeping tabs on their scores for braggin rights among their friends and locals. Most players aren’t trying to make a run at winning it all, but enjoy the competition all the same.
In other big news, which most of you I assume already know, Black Templars are getting their Codex and you can order it now! I am excited to see if the book will be able to breathe life into the Space Marines as a viable faction for competitive play, outside the exceptional player, on a local and even GT level. I am wondering if the reaction to them, once they’ve settled into he meta, will be more Hermione or Ron from the above meme. I am hoping for a strong codex, but the Space Marine track record isn’t great as of right now. I am still getting one of those Chonky Castellans though, that model is great.
In other news, besides the inexplicable popularity of Squid Games, the So Cal Open is fast approaching! A lot of the great West Coast players are going to be attending, and also some well known but mediocre players too. This will be my only Major I will attend as a player this season, normally I attend the Bay Area Open but this season didn’t have one for obvious reasons. I am looking forward to the competition and while I don’t anticipate having to play on day 3, I am sure I will still be the guy on the right at the end of day 2. Check back in next week for another update on the ITC!
If you’re looking for another Grand Tournament to help round out your season and you live in the Southern California area come on out November 13-14th to the Old Town Showdown! Fellow LVO Judges, TFG Radio staff, and FLG writers Adam Solis, Daniel Ruiz, and myself help organize and put these on. The Old Town Showdown follows hot on the heels of the most successful GTs in Los Angeles: the Battle for LA GT and the Hammer of Wrath GT. Both of which are also put on by us and Gameology Pasadena. Check out the short promo video below.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
