Hi all,
Recently I was able to chat with one of the organizers (Steve) for the Holy Havoc event coming up this weekend in Illinois. What caught my eye about this event was that it is structured as a narrative team event. While life stuff has kept me from attending I wanted to reach out to Steve and learn about how it is run.
Tell me a bit about you and the other organizers, what armies do you play?
The event is run by The Holy Hammers gaming club that was established in 2011. We have some other local club members that help us out as needed. I play the following armies and I have some that are still boxed on my shelf of shame not to be discussed here.
- Ironjawz
- Skaven
- Sylvaneth
- Stormcast
- Slaves to Darkness
- Daughters of Khaine
How long have you been playing and what are some past events you have organized?
I have been playing Games Workshop games since 2003. We started out playing 40k and LOTR and then WFB. Holy Wars and Holy Havoc are the two events I organize.
What is the story ahead of this year’s event?
Your Warlord of Havoc has been betrayed and is seeking revenge against those who plot against him. There is an enemy spy in your army that is betraying your Warlord and disrupting the battleplans. The Warlord of Havoc has poisoned the General but fears the spy may reveal this betrayal to the army. Players are on a quest to kill their own General and ascend to power; in addition to capturing, interrogating and executing the spy.
How is the event structured?
There are 5 games over 2 days. Teams consist of 2k points each player bringing 1k. During set-up each player on the team sets up a unit from their 1k list when it is their turn to do so. Instead of each player taking a turn during the game each team takes a turn. The team’s roll off against each other to see which team has priority. Where individual players would normally alternate taking actions, the teams alternate taking actions, with each player in the team being allowed to carry out their actions. For example, in the combat phase, each player on a team can attack with one of their units, then each player on the other team, and so on. Attempts to unbind or dispel a spell are limited to one attempt per team, rather than one attempt for each player on the team. There is only ever one chance to unbind or dispel a successfully cast spell.
The slogan for Holy Havoc and Holy Wars is “The event where the tables get to play.” Each table has a unique theme and Holy Terrain rules that have a direct impact on the game. This makes each player’s experience narratively unique. No player will have the same experience on the tabletop and every table with its unique rules and terrain presents different challenges. The tables are not “balanced” for power and there are some tables where the terrain moves around the table causing destruction in their wake. When I develop a new table, I base it on a location in the mortal realms or an army theme. Then the rule design begins testing and retesting rules layouts and play ability.
Do you have the stories built on a past event or start fresh every year?
We do not “start fresh” every year but we are in a constant state of development. During the event I get feedback from players and the other TO’s on how our rules impact the game and the game experience. I will actively make updates to the table rules, scenarios, and rules pack for next year in real-time.
It has long been a dream of mine to link the events together. We are in the planning stages of doing just that, now that both events are doubles events. Holy Wars is unique from Holy Havoc. It has 18 unique battle plans. This presents us with a set of narrative challenges since there is so much more going on. We are excited about the possibilities to move our story forward.
How will using the 3rd edition rules impact this event?
For the Holy Events we do not use Battle Tactics and we limit battalions to the Core Rules and GHB. We typically do not see much impact, but this year could be vastly different given the amount of damage our tables do in addition to the output of damage Bounty Hunters can cause. During play testing our games ended quickly but when we started using the terrain to our advantage things began to balance out and the games lasted longer.
Are you incorporating the new Path to Glory rules?
Not currently. I do have it under consideration for 2023. My concerns are centered around the amount of bookkeeping our event demands of its players. To do it well I believe we will need to adjust.
Any advice for those looking to put together their own narrative events?
Best advice I ever got before I started the Holy Events was to make the event an event I would like to go to. With that in mind I decided to bring the Holy Hammer club experience to the community. The games we play here at the Holy Hammer HQ are Holy Wars and Holy Havoc. We were able to bring the crazy rules and table design to the community and they embraced our insanity of fun crazy rules that will destroy your entire army at the end of the game stealing victory from you. One thing I can say about running a narrative event is you have to stay true to your events’ creed. A narrative does not mean it cannot be competitive or challenging. There are ways to blend the narrative experience with the competitive experience. As a TO you must decide how to blend it together and once you have your vision stick with it.
Why a team event rather than a solo narrative one?
Make the event an event I would like to go to. Team/doubles events are my favorite and preferred events. Holy Wars started as a singles event and Holy Havoc was our doubles event. There was energy and excitement with the doubles event that was not there with Holy Wars. So, last year I decided that we would make Holy Wars into a doubles event, and it was a massive success. By making both events into doubles events it allows us to explore linking the events into a cohesive narrative.
What are you most excited about for this event?
The Spy is a new mechanic for Holy Havoc and during play testing we just loved it. I hope the players enjoy it just as much as we did.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
