Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Who travels to a miniatures game tournament to break even or even profit?

You're spending money to go and spending money to play. People know that
going in. Expecting more is a bit silly.

malfred wrote:Who travels to a miniatures game tournament to break even or even profit?

You're spending money to go and spending money to play. People know that
going in. Expecting more is a bit silly.

Typically, the whole point of entering a tournament is to walk away with more than you came in with.

Poker, bowling, golf, swimming, paintball, hockey, spelling bees, the list goes on...

It's hardly "silly" to expect the same thing from a Warhammer tournament, especially considering that in rounds 1 and 2, people walked away with much, much more than they entered with.

You also need to consider that GW TOTALLY ruined 1st and 2nd year finals, atleast you had big prizes

Maybe GW are just clueless...I mean to them the first and second round prizes would be practically worthless, since the models don't cost them nearly as much as they cost us.

That could be the problem, GW just doesn't realize exactly how expensive their hobby has gotten, maybe to them $300 is still enough to start at least two or three armies with?

Bunker wrote:

malfred wrote:Who travels to a miniatures game tournament to break even or even profit?

You're spending money to go and spending money to play. People know that
going in. Expecting more is a bit silly.

Typically, the whole point of entering a tournament is to walk away with more than you came in with.

Poker, bowling, golf, swimming, paintball, hockey, spelling bees, the list goes on...

It's hardly "silly" to expect the same thing from a Warhammer tournament, especially considering that in rounds 1 and 2, people walked away with much, much more than they entered with.

I'm thinking we should have a separate discussion about whether or not 40k or
any of these types of games warrant prizes of that caliber.

What did the top 3 lists look like? I heard the Eldar list was mech.

A few Miniatures games where pretty profitable to play with good prizes including Heroclix, Dreamblade, WoW minis.

I play warhammer for the hobby aspect of it as well as the game though creating my own characters and army, writing stories about them etc. Tournaments is just one part of it.

what happened to all the chaos armies?

I found it annoying that GW decided to announce that they were giving buckets of prizes away, but in the end 1 semifinals winner got more then all 3 finalist together. I think it would have been better if GW would have declared upfront what the finals prizes would be. As it is, I can't see myself flying from Oregon to Chicago, pay for a hotel just to win a measly $300 in prize support. Hell my FLGS could support prizes like that. I will just try to take the semi's next year instead.

Everyone Will want to find something to complain about.

It was a fun event and a lot of people had a blast.

As someone already said it was about going up there and playing some of the best.


Prizes were second and be honest I don't know what I would do with a online voucher anyways or a 2500 point army to begin with...

I know what I would do with a 2500 point army.

'Ardboyz was a blast.

Those of you looking for the Drama....I think the most dramatic thing that happened was a table collapsing during the second round. I didn't get to see what happened, I was in another room, but EVERYONE in that place had his heart skip a beat when we heard the unmistakable sound of time, effort and money being shattered.

I am really glad I made the trip up there(13 hour drive) and would do so again, although I must say I was surprised at the prizes as they were announced. I had assumed that based on the escalation of prizes from first round to semi's, and the statement of "buckets" of prizes....not to mention talking to some of those that have been there before, that there was going to be something 'Ridiculous' for first. But, since I didn't win anything, (and knew I wasn't pretty much after the first turn of my first game) I wasn't effected, and can easily look at it from the point of view of..."Hey, it was a free tournament, and there were prizes....Awsome!!"

Anyway, it was great to be able to play and talk to dakka members from across the country, and hopefully see you guys in Nov. for the Fantasy fight!!

JediRaptor wrote:'Ardboyz was a blast.

Those of you looking for the Drama....I think the most dramatic thing that happened was a table collapsing during the second round. I didn't get to see what happened, I was in another room, but EVERYONE in that place had his heart skip a beat when we heard the unmistakable sound of time, effort and money being shattered.!

It was funny, for my final battle I had to play on that table. (fortunately my opponent and I were aware of it and really carefull.) I did enjoy myself at the game, but was just shocked at the prizes. Like a few other people, since I didn't win anything than it really didn't matter.

I glad to read there were no real issues at the finals. While it can make for some entertaining reading, it's not good for that style tourney.

I'm still up in the air about the prize support. After participating in round 2 this year and playing against so much shenanigans, I swore I'd never participate in the Ard Boyz again. I think some of the shenanigans was in part caused by the higher than normal level of prize support. I may be off, but less prize support may make for better games and less folks being tempted too, well, cheat.

I never thought of it like that before. But if that were the case then why wait until the final round to give out crap prizes, the last two rounds had great prize support. Just because the final round was when all the drama happened last year?

Aren't the big prizes normally supposed to be a warm fuzzy feeling because you played some great games with fun people from across the country / state and a funny trophy or plaque?

I wouldn't call the 'Ard Boyz tournament "fun", lol...the kind of people you're likely to run into there, I'd have to have some other incentive to even think of going.

But that's just me...

So the name honours the setting?

Darkwynn wrote:Everyone Will want to find something to complain about.

It was a fun event and a lot of people had a blast.

As someone already said it was about going up there and playing some of the best.


Prizes were second and be honest I don't know what I would do with a online voucher anyways or a 2500 point army to begin with...

Congratulations on the win Darkwynn! What was your list and how did your games go!!!

GO GUARD!!!

I second the call for a report. What was your list, what lists did you see, battlereports, athmosphere... Gieb info!

Grats Darkwynn on a great result.

Cilithan

If you need big prizes to get yourself to a tourney then don't come. You are most likely the type of person who would bend the rules to win or flip out when things don't go your way. The point of the tourney is to pit your skill against the best and see where you stack up. People who didn't come because they didn't feel the prize wouldn't be what they want are either cowards who are afraid to lose the big fish in the small pond feeling and are hiding behind the prize thing or someone who wold have created a stink when they lost because their sole reason for being there was to win swag and they failed at that.

Seriously if your only reason to play is to win prizes, then what happens when you don't? Do you consider your tourney experience a failure and regret going? Isn't the chance to see how good you are against a National field and not a local one the true calling of these tournaments? Besides everyone knows the 2nd round prize is the best. You can get a lot more attendees to the lower round if they know there are 30 prizes like that instead of only 1.

Ard Boyz was great fun, even if I did have my worst tournament performance in years.

Got to play 3 games against some challenging opponents and armies, and even got to cap off the day by playing Mannahnin in Round 3.

I do wish that the Finals were 4 rounds instead of 3, but aside from that, it was a great time and the drama was notably absent from previous years.

Sidstyler wrote:I wouldn't call the 'Ard Boyz tournament "fun", lol...the kind of people you're likely to run into there, I'd have to have some other incentive to even think of going.

But that's just me...

I was actually fairly surprised at how sporting people were. Everyone I ran into was there to have a good time and the whole thing had a really good vibe. Just because these people are good doesn't mean that they're jerks.

I am decently happy with my 19th place finish out of 64. Top third of the top ninety-something players isn't bad at all. I blame running into the one list that I am screwed against twice, which is meganobz in battlewagons. I had a bunch of nob bikers and lootas backed by shoota boyz and 30 meganobz + ghaz makes me a very sad panda, took a major loss there. Managed a minor win against 15 meganobz in wagons backed by 150 boyz tho. I think I could have taken many of the other top lists, including the ones that wiped the floor with the opponent who beat me. Just bad luck :/

Had a good time though, was glad I went. I knew there would be some luck involved in who I faced and that turned out to be no good for me. I was really not impressed with the prize support though. Having worse prizes than at semis was a letdown. The winner of the semis got about 800$ worth of stuff, 2nd got 100$, and 3rd got 70$, for a total of $970. Finals prizes totaled to only 600$. Lame.

Sidstyler wrote:I wouldn't call the 'Ard Boyz tournament "fun", lol...the kind of people you're likely to run into there, I'd have to have some other incentive to even think of going.

But that's just me...

How would you know you dont travel to tournies, you are just a dakka armchair drama general like BrookM.

It amazes me how people who have never even been to an RTT become so knowledgeable on how supposedly toolish the average tourney goer is.

I do tons of tournaments a year and I dont really consider the 'ard boyz fun either :p It can be a lot of stress depending on your venue (Bad judges can kill a high prize tourny) or bad opponents (they emerge like zombies for the 'ard boyz prizes.. usually ostracized from RTTs)

Granted I shouldnt complain having gotten 1st in semis two years in a row.. Im lazy and didnt wanna go to chicago I suppose, I rather travel only for Cons with more to do than play 3 tournament games

Main reason tho was GWs track record.. If they get their act together I would go to more of their events

Culler wrote:

I was actually fairly surprised at how sporting people were. Everyone I ran into was there to have a good time and the whole thing had a really good vibe. Just because these people are good doesn't mean that they're jerks.

What??? preposterous!!

If you play to win, you must be a jerk.



Also, I love all the people that don't go to tournaments because of the perceived crowd, yet have never been to one.
Preconceived perceptions are fun.

JediRaptor wrote:
Those of you looking for the Drama....I think the most dramatic thing that happened was a table collapsing during the second round. I didn't get to see what happened, I was in another room, but EVERYONE in that place had his heart skip a beat when we heard the unmistakable sound of time, effort and money being shattered.

My heart skipped more than a beat but mine was one of the armies on the floor after the table collapsed. I have to give the bunker and GW trade sales kudos they were great. They handled the situation great and even gave the two of us a little to help out in the rebuilding process.

Man that sucks.. I hope you were playing one of the plastic armies and not one of the mostly multipart metal ones

I want to read battle reports!

Despite my dice giving up after round 1, I had a great time! My 2nd round game was one of the closest ones in my warhammer career (what would expect on table 1 at the 'Ard Boyz finals?) Of course when that table fell I nearly wet myself, the sound of that many models hitting the floor just send shivers up my spine....

And if you really want some drama here you go:

DARTH DIGGLER totally cheated me in round 3!!! He was using the loaded Dicess!! How else was he blowing up my Raiders with lascannons?? Explain that, you CAN'T, can you?!?!?!?!

Did he use Chessex dice?

Woah wait, a table fell or tipped over? Damn shame, how did that happen? Did the poor victims go away with some reimbursement or the such?