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Hi, Dakka.

My local FLGS runs a tournament every month. I recently made a proposal that seems to have been received fairly well to cycle through three "formats". I figured I would share it here for further feedback and to possibly spread the idea round for shops/clubs that have the luxury of frequent events (as opposed to a shop that runs one tournament every four months).

The player base can be generally described as "sort of competitive": lists vary in power level, and many players are playing "their army" rather than a flavor of the month. We allow Forgeworld units, but not Forgeworld army lists (except in Format 3 below). Points values generally range from 1250-1850 in order to be able to get in three games in a reasonable time.

The purpose of defining these formats serves a few purposes. First, it allows for better planning of future armies, especially when taking into account the large Escalation models. Second, it cycles through various power levels, letting players with different comfort levels (and different budgets!) play in different environments. Finally, it encourages our regulars to think a bit about what they will bring each month rather than simply fielding the same list adjusted for points. It also lets players occasionally use Superheavy models that they may have, without allowing them to dominate and skew the environment every month.

A comparison could be drawn to how Magic events cycle through formats; I believe this would be an apt way to describe it.

Format 1: 40K Restricted
This format currently is simply Frontline Gaming's Las Vegas Open ruleset: no dataslates, limited allies, nerfed 2++, etc. A number of our players are going to the LVO (and more will go to the Bay Area Open), so we're using their rules to get them ready. We'll continue to modify this format to match the LVO/BAO rules so that we keep prepared for the next event, as well as providing a baseline format for newer players without the complexity of factoring in a ton of digital-only supplements.

Format 2: 40K Classic
This is the standard 40K format that players have been used to for years. Army building rules are normal, and no non-FAQ changes to gameplay rules are implemented (so Frontline's 2++ nerf isn't kept). Full allies are allowed, as are all dataslates/formations. Stronghold Assault is used, though no Fortification Networks are allowed, nor are fortifications with D-weapons. Escalation is not allowed.

Format 3: 40K All-In
Everything is used! Escalation, Forts with D-weapons, Forgeworld Army Lists! Large point values to allow for superheavies, scenarios that present interesting challenges to the players.

The way that we would cycle through these will mean that:
Format 1: JAN/APR/JUL
Format 2: FEB/MAY/AUG
Format 3: MAR/JUN/SPT

With the OCT-DEC months likely set aside for something interesting and different (such as team tournaments or Apocalypse games)