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Please check all that apply. Based on a 35 point tournament.

Never played deathclock, what's it like?

I don't thing Hardcore time is 3 minutes for 35 points, that would be rather insane

Kurgash wrote:Never played deathclock, what's it like?

Deathclock is when you both have timers, in this case both would be set to 37 minutes, and as you play you start your timer on your turn and pause it during your opponents.

The advantage of this is that it allows you to play your turn however you like. Some Warcaster's just have hard feats to play out regardless of how practiced you are with them.

The biggest downside is that when time runs out you lose, the end. If you clearly have the advantage of a battle but your opponent keeps sneaking away while still contesting objectives and forces you out of time they can pull out a victory from an otherwise defeat.

Kurgash wrote:Never played deathclock, what's it like?

Awesome. Each player gets a set amount of time that is theirs to use as each player pleases. No slow playing manipulation of the tournement schedual.

Never played deathclock but that seems interesting to try.

We played deathclock without chess clocks by using two timers.

It doesn't have the speed of chess clocks, but it's still cool.

You've marked up the names slightly wrong malfred.

Hardcore Time Limits – Use the baseline round, turn, and extension length of the event with the next lower
point size.

Frenzy Time Limits – Use the baseline round, turn, and extension length of an event two sizes lower.

That said, I'll happily play in 10min and 7min turns. I can't see myself often going to 5mins but having tried out a hardcore game at 50 points and having fun I could be persuaded. 3mins is insane and highly unlikely for me to join in.

As for the other two options. Timed turns are pretty good in my opinion. They keep both players to a fairly similar schedule. I would play in a non timed tournament but I would be unhappy if I met a very slow player and lost because of that. Unhappy in a mumbly kind of way and mention to the TO that next time he really should have timers.

But deathclock. It is a good system. The fairest timing system currently proposed, that I know of. Both players have the same amount of time and the same number of points to try to win and the person who fails loses. It does have a downside in that towards the end the player who has lost the most stuff could try and win by quickly moving everything, camping focus/fury and forcing the other player to actually do stuff and thus run out of time. But with scenarios I can't see this happening that often and personally I wouldn't do it.

deathclock

The timing thing is interesting... Deathclock hasn't come around my area, and since we're mostly a relaxed atmosphere, we do casual rounds in our tournaments.

Though our local Pressganger and I went to a tournament a few weeks ago and they played 7 minute rounds. It was a total change of pace... I generally manage my time well, usually only needing my extension on my feat turn, but I heard our pressganger's timer hit 7 minutes a lot during that tournament.

So our PG and I have started to time turns in our casual games when we want to practice for tournaments.

at 35 i force myself to 5 minute turns, 7 at 50. its just me, i like playing fast. Served me well with Khador, not so much with Merc-Nar for 2012.

Not voting (since I haven't played in a tourney), but at my FLGS, we are starting to practice timed turns, though we are all still at the 10 minute mark.

Not everyone is going to be subject to it, however - I have too many new players, so making the transition even to casual will be a long stretch for some of them.

I think the first "real" event for most is going to be a 25pt Mangled Metal/Tooth-n-Claw, with 10 minute turns. Most should be able to do that - although I have a couple that would run out deathclock halfway through turn #2. . . . if not sooner.

Accelerated limits are the standard for tournaments around here, and most of us work at Hardcore times to get ready for the big tourneys. I don't think I've even ever been in a tournament that didn't at least use accelerated times.

10 minute turns for 25pt mangled metal?! Whenever I see that format it's always Hardcore and you get 3 minute turns...

Aduro wrote:10 minute turns for 25pt mangled metal?! Whenever I see that format it's always Hardcore and you get 3 minute turns...

That is a little odd... I mean I know on Sunday when I played a Mangled Metal game I took a little long time on the turn I popped my feat, because I was trying to figure out focus allocation, and whether or not I should save 3 focus for butcher to cast Full Throttle (the answer was yes)

Aduro wrote:10 minute turns for 25pt mangled metal?! Whenever I see that format it's always Hardcore and you get 3 minute turns...

Yes, but I have enough players where, with 3 minute turns, I would see a lot of this:

Allocate focus
Think.
Move toward one jack, pull hand back.
Think.
Activate one jack, move it, maybe make one attack

and turn is now up.

By being generous with the time, I am attempting to ensure that my novice players are being stomped because they are being outplayed, not because they simply aren't used to running fast turns. I might take it down to 7, but really, with the experience of my current player base, I need something on the lenient side. Some are more ready than others, but I know a couple who want to (and need to) start practicing for GenCon now, not in June. But you can't go from taking 15-20 minutes per turn to 3-5 in a few weeks, so baby steps, baby steps.

I prefer as fast as possible.

It adds another skill to the play. I also think it makes players more confident when they play this way, they have to know exactly what their models can do and they need to be very very knowledgeable of the rules.

Shorter turns also allows you to play more events at a tournament or leave for the bar earlier.

Deathclock-I have my time, you have yours, and it helps deal with the reminding that "time's almost up" or other nagging from both parties. In addition, I feel it works better because my first turn or two (move up, allocate, buff) is shorter, and I can have more time for the longer turns.