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So I'm curious how people feel about prizes at tournaments. Assume here we're talking GT's and larger tournaments. While I know some people mostly go for the competition and the games, winning a prize at the end certainly seems to be a universally good thing for most folks.

But what are peoples preferences?

-Trophies?, and what's better, something scratchbuilt with some 40k feel to it, or a traditional gold and crome one with an engraved plaque?

-GW boxes off the wall of a store? Go pick 200.00 worth of stuff that you want? Or 'here, take this high elf army box I know you always wanted'?

-Forgeworld? And would you like to take home the prize, or have a gift certificate of some sort so you can get what you want and have it shipped to you.

With just having added a 40k event to the Big Show!, we're looking at what we want to do for the main prizes for it.

Part of your choice lays in how they are awarded. If the winner gets given the prize on their own at the end or at a later time a choice or certificate is fine. If its in front of an audience you want something big and obvious for everyone to get jealous of so they come back next year. With an audience, oh look he won and envelope, doesn't go as well.

I quite like the idea of scratchbuilt trophies and perhaps a gift certificate/shopping spree voucher. That way the winner gets to buy what they want, and they also get something flashy and unique to show off (and for other people to see and be impressed by too ).

Having said that, the chances of me winning anything are remote

But no matter how often you win, a trophy will always be a cool thing to have. Perhaps even a medal?

Warhammer-themed Trophy . Especially if it was scratchbuilt! If someone is entering and winning a large-scale tournament, they probably have funds for gaming (with the travel, hotel stay, army cost, etc.) but are looking for recognition of their playing/painting ability. I think an awesome warhammer trophy does that best

This is a good question

We'll have trophies at the open either way, but it's tough to figure out sometimes whether to buy a bunch of smaller boxes and battleforces and such, or cash prizes, or gift certificatets, or ... you know, titans.

I do like the"pick any items that go up to $200".

RiTides wrote:Warhammer-themed Trophy . Especially if it was scratchbuilt! If someone is entering and winning a large-scale tournament, they probably have funds for gaming (with the travel, hotel stay, army cost, etc.) but are looking for recognition of their playing/painting ability. I think an awesome warhammer trophy does that best

a Local tourney in January had a working spear chucka for a prize likely in 1/2 scale.

This was given out at a recent event at one of the local FLGSs. Everyone got a real kick out of it. Usually I just give out Store Credit at my tournaments though.

I loved the way Valentine's prizes went with one complaint....I wanted a trophy! One of the coolest scratch built trophies I've seen is one that had a magnetized miniature that was brilliantly painted and converted that you could play with if you ever felt like taking him off the trophy! I also think plaques with warhammer style imagery on them can be really cool.....anyone can buy a box of trolls...you have to win a trophy!


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That kegga trophy is totally sweet BTW

I agree with NotMatthew. Trophies are awesome. You can look at them and think fondly back of dice and fun. I like the idea of prizes to be chosen or handed out that day. I had a bad expirence last year at the 'Ard boyz semis when I was supposed to get an online voucher for my prize. To date, I have not recieved any such prize. I called, emailed, and talked to everyone I could. Still nothing. So, prizes that day make me feel safer. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for sharing that gem, Aduro

NotMatthew wrote:I loved the way Valentine's prizes went with one complaint....I wanted a trophy! One of the coolest scratch built trophies I've seen is one that had a magnetized miniature that was brilliantly painted and converted that you could play with if you ever felt like taking him off the trophy! I also think plaques with warhammer style imagery on them can be really cool.....anyone can buy a box of trolls...you have to win a trophy!


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That kegga trophy is totally sweet BTW

This.

NotMatthew wrote:I loved the way Valentine's prizes went with one complaint....I wanted a trophy! One of the coolest scratch built trophies I've seen is one that had a magnetized miniature that was brilliantly painted and converted that you could play with if you ever felt like taking him off the trophy! I also think plaques with warhammer style imagery on them can be really cool.....anyone can buy a box of trolls...you have to win a trophy!


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That kegga trophy is totally sweet BTW

For the Big Show!, which is a 2999 WFB tourney based on larger armies, we are keeping with a theme of big prizes. I have a large two handed sword, supposedly "Safe for larps, RPG, and nerf wars", (but looks like it would leave one hell of a bruise if used so), giant tankards, etc. For the big prizes, I'm going to do up trophies with models magnetized to them so that they can be taken off and used for the games: Forgeworld Great Fire Dragon and the huge Giant.

The 40k Ironman event is a bit of the opposite, so the theme doesn't help. It's 4 games in one day, all battle points, with a separate painting prize. I could do trophies, give out store credit, (and we have a lot of stuff in the store, believe me.), give out forgeworld, or let the winner pick some forgeworld and order it. In the past I did Red Scorpian armies and Death Korp of Kreig.

So since I've got 6 weeks to go until the event, and it was a 4 beer lunch, I'm coming to Dakka for wisdom and input.

My thoughts:

1. Trophies: I think that trophies should be relevant. For a 40k tournament, I don't want to win a LARPing sword. If I win a LARPing tournament, give me a LARPing sword. I might be amused by a life-sized bolter or a chainsword, or an ork helm with a plaque on it or something....but big stuff also takes up room where it is stored. Lot of personal choices to make, but the relevant piece I'd hope to relay is to make it relevant to whatever the event is.

2. Lewt: Better to give certificates than items. Nothing sucks more than winning a tournament and being handed a Stompa, an IG battleforce box and a brand new shiny small GW case and and you're like "Uh....I don't play IG, GW cases are crap, and I already have three stompas. Anyone want to buy any of this stuff so I can get something useful?" Sounds harsh, but better to either give a unique prize that is not race / codex affiliated (hardcover BRB, GF9 templates, beer...) or a certificate to get something useful to them than to pick their prizes for them - you're more likely than not to award something the winner doesn't need or want.

We had this discussion in person at our AWC tournaments, and by-in-large, people like trophies.

For those who aren't in the running all the time, they don't feel so much like they're just paying an entry fee for someone else to walk off with a new model. For those who don't need any more models, a trophy is still fun to win.

In general, store credit is preferable to any specific model, simply because you know, if you buy a super-cool marine dreadnought for a prize, the winner will play anything but marines.

The more value the prizes have, the greater the risk of having bad behaviour because the stakes are high too. If you're playing for pride and a wooden plaque, there's no real incentive to be an ass to win games. If you're playing for a 2500 point army all sorts of drama tends to break out.

I prefer a trophy. I proudly display my trophies and plaques in my paint room, while any store credit or loot I win get's washed away into the masses.

I prefer crystal. I've heard good things about these guys.
http://www.glassicaldesigns.com/

I don't remember what I got with store credit. I do remember the trophies I won in Bloomington-Normal, IL - some of the McFarland Spawn figures, attached to plastic bases w/engraved plates indicating what they were for.

Trophies (of reasonable size) are cooler than loot.

Mike I love you but no trophies please I don't need any more of those. A sword axes numchuks that’s the cool stuff. Also Boxes of mystery stuff is cool. Trophies just take up space and get thrown out in a couple of days.

scooter wrote:Mike I love you but no trophies please I don't need any more of those. A sword axes numchuks that’s the cool stuff. Also Boxes of mystery stuff is cool. Trophies just take up space and get thrown out in a couple of days.

You've been outvoted : )

scooter wrote:Mike I love you but no trophies please I don't need any more of those. A sword axes numchuks that’s the cool stuff. Also Boxes of mystery stuff is cool. Trophies just take up space and get thrown out in a couple of days.

What makes you think you're going to win, Scoot scoot scooter?

<3

Maybe a big as hell, very cool trophy for everyone else, and some Taco Bell Gift Certificates for Scooter?

Brilliantly appropriate.

You've been outvoted : )

Nooooooo trophies suck so lame
Swords swag actual prizes amazing. No cash thou prizes. and if you do have to do trophies plakes are way cool.


P.S. taco bell is just fine for me.


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What makes you think you're going to win, Scoot scoot scooter?

I'll see you at Nova lol.

A 40k themed trophy or plaque would be the best to me. Loot is boring unless it's really rare or a new release.

Loot!

I prefer store credit or a prize over a trophy.

Some people want to show off that they won a major award. Maybe something like this?

http://www.redriderleglamps.com/productDetails.cfm?merchID=100324231322562182&category=100324202230609269&position=2

To be serious, you should look into custom trophies. Laser engraving is not too expensive and you can claim that you had fricking lasers cut the trophies!

I like trophies that you can fit in your display case along with your army, so don't go too tall. The display cases in my garage have all the hardware backing up the armies they belong to and it is the perfect backdrop for the models. Many club members have their models in the communal cases so there actually are a bunch of trophies/certificates/etc..

Benefits of custom trophies:
-Custom trophies are not too hard to order
-Pricing is very reasonable and you can have plenty of funds left over to pop in FW or gift certificates as well
-Getting coverage of your event every time someone sees a branded trophy

I vote for Taco Bell gift cards

Some people want to show off that they won a major award. Maybe something like this?

http://www.redriderleglamps.com/productDetails.cfm?merchID=100324231322562182&category=100324202230609269&position=2

Mike this is the only trophie i will be willing to play for lol.

and yes Taco Bell gift cards are always nice.

mikhaila wrote:So since I've got 6 weeks to go until the event, and it was a 4 beer lunch, I'm coming to Dakka for wisdom and input.