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I'm headed to my first ever GT this weekend, and I'm bringing a camera - I've not taken pictures for a battle report before, and want to provide good blow-by-blows.

At what point should I take pictures? Do you take notes to keep it fresh for later? Picture at the end of every phase? Per turn?

Thoughts welcome.

The pictures help me remember, so I don't take notes (although I will take a copy of my opponent's list).

I take one picture at the end of every player turn. Since I play mostly at tournaments, and this is a timed event I try to do it just at the end. It might waste time to take close-up pictures of epic battles going on the table top, but one pic for the turn and I am done.

I was wondering this as well. I intend to start doing some tournament reports and I thought I would take pictures to go along with it.

I have attempted to write tounrament reports in the past, but what I have found is that I cannot for the life of me remember what happened in any games before my most recent one. I mean, I know the jist of it like who won and which objectives were held/contested in the end. However, I will have no recollection of what killed what on which turn, what moved where, etc. The funny part is I remember exactly what happened in my most recent game. I think pictures will help me remember what happened. Has anyone else had this "memory block" happen to them?

I try to take a pic at the end of each of my turns. So basically once per round. That's usually enough to stir the memory when writing after action reviews. My problem is usually somewhere in the middle of game 2 I forget to take them, and then it throws off the picture taking mojo for the rest of the tournament.

I am the same as warmaster, I have a pretty good memory and replaying the game in my head turn by turn works pretty well for me.

Also, a big part of the process for me is not worrying too much about it being 100% accurate - it usually doesn't matter if I did something on turn 3 or 4, just to overall flow and the big events.

As for the pics my ideal is to take one at the bottom of each players turn and I like to take pics of cool events (like Skulltaker vs. the Avatar or whatever) but I try not to slow down the game. Also, I have a tendency to forget to take pics during the heat of the game so those sexy b-reel pics make good filler ;-)

Buy a digital voice recorder and use like you would any note-taking activity - you should be carrying on a running commentary with your opponent about what is going on anyways (who's shooting at what, how many dice are being rolled, how many hit, etc - one reason I gave up on tournaments is that they're so hard on your throat so bring water!)

Good Luck at GT. Remember to win it. I'm counting on you for that free lunch.

it's a bit difficult -- you need their permission.

I generally take a stage-by-stage (i.e. players movement then shooting then assault then the nexts)

but make sure it's on;y the board and not the people.

Take a few photographs of the deployment at the start of the game. Then just take shorthand notes. If there is a key charge or something take a photograph. You want to be very careful, however. Watch your time and if you're under pressure then just forget about it and write up a summary after the battle.

I always take a camera, but always forget to use it. I usually get somebody else to do the pictures for me!

For years I've made notes for myself about every league and tournament game I play, and also important pick-up games where I learned something. At first my notes were vague, but the more I did it the more I can remember until now I can sit down days after a tournament and remember nearly everything that happened in 3 or 4 games.

Also early-on I used to try to go turn-by-turn, but I found I got bogged down in which turn was which and it was boring to write--and boring to read later on. I find it works better to focus on the deployment and the first couple of turns, then when the battle breaks into zones--as it usually does--describe what happened in each zone of the table from the midgame through to the end.

I usually ask friends of mine to take pics, but is because i was so focused in the game, trying to anticipate movements etc...and i really lack the concentration to do both things...hehehe...

i used once a portable recorder, but 2nd turn and beyond i could only listen the F###, Sh%%, OH MY GOD!, I hate this stupid lootas!!!!
Damn Trukk!!! even a Origami bolter can destroy it!!!

yeah, but this is because my expertise in 40k....i have played it for 3 months by now.

definately ask someone else to take pics for a competitive game. Also you should probably use a voice recorder like nurglitch suggested. I say this because I had a buddy of mine lose a more than 1 game cause he was more concerned with the batrep than he was with the game. Another idea would be to work together with your opponent to write a batrep, although its more difficult in competitive play. You better be bringing your DE!

I generally take a picture at the start of every turn, sometimes player turn.