NOVA OPEN 2012 8/30-9/2; RESULTS ON PAGE 17

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**MVBrandt**

July 23 Update:
Weekend Q&A:

1) Mannahnin's answer is correct, more or less. You can use FW models, but not the rules, for the GT/Trios. That's to say, you could use the FW GUO as a Great Unclean One if you wanted, provided proper base sizes / yadda yadda. You can use FW models AND rules for the Narrative, with the exception of Super Heavies and Gargantuans.

For the Narrative, there is both a Tactical Track and a Cinematic Track, so if you're more of a competitive player and want to get in some 6th Ed games with a FW-inclusive army, you can do the evening Narrative alongside the GT, and get 4 games using such a list in.

2) For the trios, your 2,000 point "singles" list needs to be from the same codex as your 1,000 point "team" list, but it does not need to use the same building blocks; it can be completely different.

3) The seminars are explained in more detail on the site - from there:
Hands-On Weathering -
Justin “misterjustin” McCoy, founder of Secret Weapon miniatures, will introduce participants to weathering pigments and give them an
opportunity to use pigments to weather a class exclusive 50mm base. Topics will include:

* What is a pigment
* What to look for when you buy
* Pigment weathering vs. painting
* HANDS-ON rust weathering
* HANDS-ON brick and dirt weathering
* Mud and muck weathering

DEMO Weathering Techniques:
Justin “misterjustin” McCoy, founder of Secret Weapon miniatures, will spend two hours introducing participants to a wide range of

weathering techniques working as quickly as he can to cover:

* Order of application
* Acrylic paint techniques (sponge, salt, hairspray, etc.)
* Weathering pigments
* Pencils
* Oil paints

DEMO Basing Your Models:
Justin “misterjustin” McCoy, founder of Secret Weapon miniatures, will share some of the techniques he has used to make hundreds of display
and gaming bases from 20mm singles to army display boards in this two hour demonstration class. Topics will include:

* Display vs. gaming – approach
* Display vs. gaming – materials
* Theme
* Composition
* Order of application
* Painting, pigments, and scenics

DEMO Airbrushing
Justin "misterjustin" McCoy, founder of Secret Weapon miniatures, will introduce participants to the basics of airbrushing models, from small infantry to large vehicles, in this two hour demonstration class. Topics will include:

* Airbrushes, compressors, and canned air
* Airbrush and compressor components
* Basic airbrush techniques
* Proper paint dilution
* Spraying techniques
* Pressure and flow regulation
* Airbrush cleaning and maintenance

I believe the DEMOS are more lecture-based, while the Hands On is DEFINITELY something where you will work with a model yourself. I'll see if I can route Justin himself to eyeball this for proper descriptions or explanations.

As Target shared, a lot of the people who've had courses with McCoy have had an AWESOME time; that and his very responsive nature were big reasons for why we pursued him as a sponsor and for giving demos.

Finally, Narrative DRAFT Primer (not formatted yet, but helpful hopefully)
http://www.novaopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Narrative-DRAFT-Primer-and-Rules.pdf

Our Paint Competition will be awarding a Grex Tritium TG Pistol Grip Airbrush to EVERY Category Winner (that's a $300 MSRP highly-reviewed/regarded airbrush), in addition to vouchers from SWM, and numerous other prizes. It's cheap to get into, and it's getting in on the first year - if you've got models you think are half decent, submit them in for judging!

January Newsletter: http://www.novaopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/NOVA-Open-January-2012-Newsletter.pdf
February Newsletter: http://www.novaopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/NOVA-Open-February-2012-Newsletter.pdf
March Newsletter: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=8i9inqiab&v=0015_lm2NH4ZFKdX8P-0um9vd3Du74Qwz_0wTWprTPEJQP3rCWWRHIGQAb_lzynMO8LYHxlCJWlGKkoc0-vYv4lvobFdwhdcdjhuqHr7wGVtXE%3D
April Newsletter: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=8i9inqiab&v=001PSxIp8rnBcKHtNSND2H4elPsLft5Q7-q1MV7HNRNq76KhZS9LLrr1t0fuUJ0exTt5lAPJpF9vQ28c6aWBAquE_iCo9ry7Ik-cH_QDl7Dd2M%3D
May Newsletter: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=8i9inqiab&v=0019AZp80hh5E5g674fsxfCUjLIy_bLIEYL98Zze9Z2aF2kRhfEsArJtzMBinYcWC0RU9Xyh7OcjKanCTbmeZSCykKNEa5uBOTkRKsBWd_wHr0%3D
June Newsletter: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=8i9inqiab&v=0015XVNn_3fRZWvcU_MNoRdyu_ceOIqagdShuwKeZaorMI4QfWzUcy0JjiAGdivkHsDyuYWH5laEhAWsvxKpsFrTFcDiG5yYCqCl6WMDx6f0rLnBDWLgrddCg%3D%3D

Comedy short: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW9S2Ll1xJ8

http://novaopen.com

http://whiskey40k.blogspot.com/2011/11/nova-open-2012-date-and-initial.html

40k GT registration open as of 12/1/2011

Though all information is available at the site, the points level is 2000, and the round lengths have been expanded to 2:30 each

Updates from further down in the thread:

re: the Narrative event:

It's actually going to be playable, and integrated with a variety of events.

Some of the tables will be terrained/designed to suit competitive play, some will be terrained/designed to suit the higher use of super-heavies, and at least one - the Washington Monument / National Mall centerpiece - will be more of a tactical map readout table, where the two overall faction commanders will work to assign teams/players to sections (tables), and "direct" the flow of the event.

These commanders, keep in mind, will mostly be part of the narrative/"cinematic" nature of it - perhaps even Black Library authors or the like if things work out ideally - and the event will be hard-wired, fine-tuned, and properly planned/run "behind the scenes" in terms of pairings, missions, formats, etc.

Think along the lines of the ability to register for team narrative, singles narrative, trios tournament, and perhaps some unique 40k mini-tournaments a la 6th Ed (if just out by then), mirror matching, fixed list, etc. ... all under the moniker of "Nighthammer" or similar, with most of them being primarily 3-4 round events occuring spread over the evenings Thurs - Sat, and Sunday during the day in more of a laid back fashion. These various events will be "Centered" on the DC tables, with events playing on table layouts appropriate to their design (i.e. the more competitive evening/side events being on more terrain-balanced tables, while the more narrative events happen on more cinematic tables with a higher concentration of DC memorials / accurate proportions / etc.). The net results of all events and individual games will have an impact on the day-to-day and overall final narrative.

There'll be a full line of blog posts, primers, etc., on this leading into the event.

Registration Live and Additional Information:

Additional GT and Narrative 40k Information:

http://whiskey40k.blogspot.com/2011/12/nova-open-2012-gt-registration-open.html

Excerpted here:

More Time for Rounds, More Time to Relax

The NOVA Open's schedule for 2012 is much friendlier to the more casual gamer. This combines well with the format we use for pairing and scoring ... further gearing our event toward ALL player types, all within the same event.

The draft schedule at present for the NOVA Open 2012 40k GT is as follows:
Friday, August 31, 2012

Up until 1:30PM, all day check-in and paint judging
2:00PM - 4:30PM - Round 1
5:00PM - 7:30PM - Round 2
Saturday, September 1, 2012
7:30AM - 10:00AM - Round 3
10:30AM - 1:00PM - Round 4
1:00PM - 2:00PM - Lunch break, Bracket Splits and Record Resets
2:00PM - 4:30PM - Round 5
5:00PM - 7:30PM - Round 6

After Round 6, the Final 4 for each bracket advance to Sunday's Final Fours. Renaissance Man will be determined after 6 rounds instead of 8. All players will be able to continue to participate in organized competitive or casual gaming on Sunday morning if they wish, or they can sleep in and enjoy the day, check out DC, or whatever they feel up to. Players no longer in the running for Generalship awards within their bracket will not be required to continue.

So, in a nutshell - 6 rounds mandatory instead of 8, 2:30 minute rounds instead of 2:15, and only a single day of 4 rounds in a day even for Final Four attendees. Plus those in it for Ren Man and the like are evaluated based upon 6 rounds instead of 8.

All 40k All the Time - "Nighthammer" - Integrated Experience

For those of you looking for the most comprehensive and universally appealing 40k experience out there, we're proud to add our night project to the 40k offering. Internally referred to as "Nighthammer" while we finish hammering out details and processes and missions and the rest, this will be a comprehensive all-player-style-integrating 40k experience covering Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as Sunday all day and Saturday during the day for non-GT players.

A couple of highlights to anticipate for "Nighthammer."
- Unique, balanced, fun and interesting scenarios fine-tuned to player styles and narrative gaming
- A weekend-long, club-involving, mass-results-incorporating story unique to the NOVA's style and geographic location ... results of all game styles - from competitive tournament games to casual narrative games to "Gladiator-esque" (ref: AdeptiCon) Apoc-inclusive games - will be incorporated in the overall story
- Custom designed terrain built to the tune of some of Washington DC's most iconic memorials, with table layouts and structures designed to evoke the feel of battling for the future of our nation's capital
- Comprehensive social enhancers ranging from swap meets to drink specials, all designed and aimed at integrating and bringing together players after a long day of gaming for a blast of an evening every single night

Many of the NOVA's "side" 40k tournaments will occur amidst these evening events, including:
- The NOVA Invitational's Round 1 will be Thursday Evening
- The Warhammer 40,000 Trios Team Tournament will occur Thursday and Friday evenings, and Sunday afternoon
- Narrative Singles and Narrative Doubles Gaming will be added covering Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoon
- Additional offerings and side events, to possibly include 6e if it is released, across the evenings
- Drop in organizer-assisted gaming for all player styles - competitive gamers deployed to square off against other competitive gamers, all the way to hobbyists with gorgeous armies deployed to square off on scenic tables with other hobbyists fielding gorgeous armies

Saturday DC Narrative-Tied Scavenger Hunt
- For hobbyists looking to participate in evening narrative gaming, but not wishing to participate in the GT on Saturday, we'll be building and directing an event through our Nation's Capital during the day on Saturday. The results of this event and the teams sent out for it will have an impact on the continuation of the Narrative Gaming for Saturday evening. Explore the city with missions in mind during the day, and battle across its iconic monuments at night!

Hotel Reservations - Make sure you reserve your hotel rooms now; the weblink is on the NOVA Open's frontpage. We'll be once again holding our multi-thousand-dollar hotel cash raffle, and you get more raffle tickets the earlier you reserve your rooms.

There's a GREAT deal more information to come on the NOVA Open 2012, so stay tuned to the website, facebook, blog, twitter, forums and more as we move forward for the best NOVA Open ever!

**Hulksmash**

At first I was a little sad regarding the location. But it looks like they are genuinely trying to work with you and the fact that I can shuttle from the airport is awesome. the increase in time and breaktime will be good too. If I'm reading this right though when would the Invitational be? Since you'd be playing 2 games on Friday night and 4 Games on Saturday?

**MVBrandt**

Right now we're slotting the Invitational as also a little more spread out and less fatiguing ...

Since Invitational attendees all pretty much had to arrive Thursday regardless, we'd start with Round 1 on Thursday night, Rounds 2 and 3 Friday AM prior to lunch and the start of the GT.

Ren Man - like the GT sorta - would be based on the 3 rounds, and the Final Four would be Sunday afternoon. So, Invitational players would not at an y point have to play more than 2 Invitational games in a row, which should help keep the quality and flow of the games higher, and fatigue lighter.

**Hulksmash**

Also spreads out possible drops after the Invitational. I like it. Though it is pretty different.

It'll still be an intense weekend assuming finishing final 4 in your bracket but a good time. Looking foward to it again this year Mike.

**Horst**

I'll be there. Got a full time job to support my plasticrack addiction, and can afford to make the trip this time!

all yall are going down.

**BSent**

This is shaping out to be a really good weekend next year. With the exception of a few little quirks(cough cough Hyatt) I really enjoyed the NOVA last year, and I'm glad to see that you are working hard to fix some of those quirks.

The entire system that you have planned out for the GT seems very unique. You're right an assuming it should help with the burnout that some people might get. I know I was getting some of that during the second day! I hope everything works out.

**MVBrandt**

Good to hear, Horst.

Hulk - definitely intense for those who Final 4 both the Invitational and GT, but at least no one will have to play in 5 games in a single day again

For those who don't feel like clicking flyers, one of the bigger deals is probably the dramatic cheapening of the weekend from the travel/hotel point of view - from $110/night and $25/day parking to $85/night and $12.50/day parking. GT and Weekend Badge rates will also NOT be increasing, so there's no secret upcharge hidden amidst anything.

**Unholy_Martyr**

All in all sounds like a guaranteed slot fir my time. I'll be sure to get a little more rest before the weekend starts.

**nkelsch**

Can you elaborate on the cinematic addition? Is it going to be like a apocalypse game or a bring and battle or just a diorama display table featuring cool stuff blowing up DC?

**MVBrandt**

It's actually going to be playable, and integrated with a variety of events.

Some of the tables will be terrained/designed to suit competitive play, some will be terrained/designed to suit the higher use of super-heavies, and at least one - the Washington Monument / National Mall centerpiece - will be more of a tactical map readout table, where the two overall faction commanders will work to assign teams/players to sections (tables), and "direct" the flow of the event.

These commanders, keep in mind, will mostly be part of the narrative/"cinematic" nature of it - perhaps even Black Library authors or the like if things work out ideally - and the event will be hard-wired, fine-tuned, and properly planned/run "behind the scenes" in terms of pairings, missions, formats, etc.

Think along the lines of the ability to register for team narrative, singles narrative, trios tournament, and perhaps some unique 40k mini-tournaments a la 6th Ed (if just out by then), mirror matching, fixed list, etc. ... all under the moniker of "Nighthammer" or similar, with most of them being primarily 3-4 round events occuring spread over the evenings Thurs - Sat, and Sunday during the day in more of a laid back fashion. These various events will be "Centered" on the DC tables, with events playing on table layouts appropriate to their design (i.e. the more competitive evening/side events being on more terrain-balanced tables, while the more narrative events happen on more cinematic tables with a higher concentration of DC memorials / accurate proportions / etc.). The net results of all events and individual games will have an impact on the day-to-day and overall final narrative.

There'll be a full line of blog posts, primers, etc., on this leading into the event.

**Sunoccard**

Sounds great, wasn't able to attend the last one, but am hoping to be able to come this time round.

**Grimwulfe**

Very Excited about this. Looking up to be a good time..

Plus we have a Trios Team title to defend!!

**MVBrandt**

I suspect the competition may be fiercer this time around!

**Blackmoor**

I do not know why a lot of people had a problem with the hotel.

The price was in line with most 4 star hotels.
Yes you had to walk a couple of blocks to get to food, or order pizza to your room. That is common for 95% of hotels.
You had to pay for internet. Big deal, so you had to use your smart phone or go without for a weekend. Really, no internet for 3 days is such a big deal?

The only problem I saw with the hotel was that parking was a bit high.

**Grimwulfe**

I hope so Mike we wouldnt have it any other way. More people more competition regardless we will be there to defend!

**MVBrandt**

Blackmoor wrote:I do not know why a lot of people had a problem with the hotel.

The price was in line with most 4 star hotels.
Yes you had to walk a couple of blocks to get to food, or order pizza to your room. That is common for 95% of hotels.
You had to pay for internet. Big deal, so you had to use your smart phone or go without for a weekend. Really, no internet for 3 days is such a big deal?

The only problem I saw with the hotel was that parking was a bit high.

The rad thing Blackmoor is for better or worse some people DID think it was expensive, or DID think we should have had a food line right outside the gaming hall. So, rather than fret too much ... we convinced the hotel to DRAMATICALLY reduce rates, and add a food line right outside the gaming hall. Win Win

**Clauss**

This years NOVA was an amazing experience and GT to attend, I was very pleased with the quality of the hotel though parking was a tad expensive like everyone said.

With all of these new perks there is no way I am missing it next year.
Maybe this time I will play in the GT too

**RiTides**

Tempting to attend for warmahordes!

**Hulksmash**

@Blackmoor

I feel it was to expensive for what was provided. Additional costs were also to much for what was provided. I travel a lot and this hotel was one of my worst hotel experiences but it feels like Mike is addressing 99% of those. Now if they just put doors on the shower it'll be pretty perfect

**nkelsch**

I have to say the steps taken seem to address most my issues with the hotel. I really like the idea of easy, quick and cheap food available.

**zedsdead**

the parking garage connected to the hotel (not run by the hotel) cost me $36 for thurs-sunday parking. I also had a full size pickup with a trailer attached.

If you want valet parking its going to cost you. The front desk offered other suggestions..thats how i found out about the other parking option.

**keithb**

Yeah, we found that place too, but that was after we used valet for the first day because the hotel staff strait up lied to us about the cost of other parking in the area.

**MVBrandt**

The flipside positive here is we shared all these things with the hotel - the feedback from the survey (some of which was brutal, some of which was complimentary), and the Hyatt bent over backward to get us to come back ... 12,000 more square feet of event space (brightly lit at that for paint competitions, etc), a conference theater for seminars and other sorts of things, $25 less per night, and parking down to area affordable at $12.50/day instead of $25/day (among all the other things).

It's funny how effective a large group's worth of feedback can be

**Hulksmash**

Yeah, I can imagine how brutal most of those reviews were. Like I said, I almost never complain about a hotel but that one had a lot of bad. But it looks like it's all being addressed which is all that really matters. Glad to see they were open to the changes.

The trip is already locked in with the wife and family that we visit after the event

**MVBrandt**

Can't wait ... though we're hanging out in Chicago this year ... not playing in the GT or Sunday personally, as despite sickness causing it I enjoyed the free time last year / focus on the team tournament.

Interestingly, most of the reviews of the hotel were actually positive, but that's the way with the "majority" of attendees of any event; rather than focus our energies on "75% of ya'll said you liked the hotel more or less, the rest of you can deal," it was important to us to keep our focus on expansion of those who can enjoy attending, not ... guarding an annually decreasing core while saying "deal" to our less happy attendees.

**MVBrandt**

Bump and reminder - registration opens tomorrow for Weekend Badges and the 40k GT, which is capped and facing high registration pressure already.

Registration for all other events will open January 1.

Infinity Announcement for NOVA 2012: http://whiskey40k.blogspot.com/2011/11/infinity-is-coming-to-nova-2012.html

**MVBrandt**

40k GT registration is now open and spots are already selling. Grab yours today!

**Unholy_Martyr**

Got my tickets! Not having another Black Friday type sell out again!

**MVBrandt**

They are indeed selling quite quickly already!

For those curious, we opened registration for 40k a little earlier due to the high number of overseas and long-range-travel attendees, to give them as much time as possible for securing affordable airline tickets and the like.

**Redbeard**

Blackmoor wrote:
You had to pay for internet. Big deal, so you had to use your smart phone or go without for a weekend. Really, no internet for 3 days is such a big deal?

The only problem I saw with the hotel was that parking was a bit high.

Both of these are indicative of an establishment that's trying to nickel & dime their customers. I've traveled across the country on my bike several times, and even the smallest mom&pop inns offer free wi-fi these days. Pay extra to park at a place you're staying? They're being deceptive about the actual cost to stay there, and that makes people angry. They get away with it because business travelers, who probably make up most of their clients, don't care as they're expensing it.

I also noticed the 'pay-for-wifi' at the adepticon hotel last year, but oddly, there was free wifi in the lobbies and lounges. That makes me believe they're losing revenue from pay-per-view porn if they offer free wifi in the rooms.