Hey Everyone! Adam, from TFG Radio, here to talk about lessons learned from the GW San Diego event!
It has been a while since I played in a pretty large tournament. I think the last one was 3 years ago at SoCal Open. It has been a much longer time since I played at an event that was run by Games Workshop. I think the last one I played in was in 2004 or 2005 so it has been a good amount of time. When Games Workshop announced a multiple day event close to where I live, there was no way that I was going to miss out, barring some type of family emergency. So with army in tow I went down to San Diego to play some 40K. Here are a few things I realized after playing in the tournament.
Reputation is Everything
If you are new to this series, or you don’t go to any of the Frontline Gaming events, then you may not know that I am a judge for many of their events. If you ever attended the Las Vegas Open, you have probably seen me. I attend and judge many local events and, as a regional rep, had discussions with a lot of other players an tournament organizers. While at the event, I got a of “Are you here to play?” and “Aren’t you the guy that judges all the events?” I found this amusing and just rolled with it while showing why I judge by ending the weekend with a 4-4 record. I did get asked a few questions by players but luckily there was usually a judge nearby to direct them there. These interactions further show why I prefer judging to playing. Sure I met 8 great people but as a judge I interact with many more people over the weekend.
Different Atmosphere
There is a bit of difference between an event run by Games Workshop and Frontline Gaming. Although Frontline does run some narrative or friendly events at Las Vegas Open, the Games Workshop events almost seem a combination of the two. The Games Workshop events do attract players that are more interested in the overall aspect of the hobby as opposed to other events that seem to make the competitive aspect of the game their focus. that doesn’t make one way better than the other, just different. One thing I will say about the event is that it did remind me very much of the old Games Workshop Games Days. These events catered to every aspect of the hobby. Games Workshop even had an area that had local clubs running scenarios they created. It very much brought back a lot of memories.
Spirit is Willing but Body is Weak
One thing that I did learn from playing 8 games over the course of the weekend is that I am no longer built for it. Judging games over the weekend is much easier that playing. As a judge I am constantly on the move. Sure I walking the equivalent of a number of miles each day but at least I am in a constant state of motion for most of that weekend. i have found that when I am actually playing, I don’t move around as much and I am almost always standing. I think the most movement I do is when I have to move my models or when I have to walk to the other side of the table. After the 2nd day my whole body was in a lot of pain and I was glad I had some Advil on me for day 3. I am not sure I would try to play 8-9 games over the weekend again but we will see. I think I can at least do 5 or 6 games so hopefully I can try that and see how my body holds up. Don’t get old kids!
That’s all for this week. Hope you enjoyed the article. Let me know what you think, and your thought if you attended a Games Workshop Open, in the comments section below. 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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