Tournaments for Losers

Today I want to talk about why I started getting into tournaments.

At the time I only played Tomb Kings and Tau. Not exactly your tournament winners. I started with a Fantasy tournament for 2 reasons. At the time I wasn't getting many games, and most of those 40K. A tournament gave me the chance to play a "guaranteed" three games (its a long story). I got stomped. I didn't have the experience or the build (which I screwed up) to be able to do well. The second time around I had picked up my Chaos Space Marines (though it wasn't finished) and took those and my TK again. The 40K tournament was awesome. Won my first game, and got stomped (not tabled) my other two. I enjoyed all three games, my opponents were great, and it was an awesome time. My only complaint was that I played three Space Marines lists. It was what I played regularly anyway, and wanted variety. The Fantasy tournament was less fun. I ran into that guy my first round, only time I have ever played him. He wrecked my day. I got two rounds with an army that builds up. He beat me, but only because I didn't get to play. Put me in a bad mood. I then played two Chaos Warriors lists back to back. Both were great players, and were armies I don't usually see. I lost one, then won one. They helped to improve my day, and by the end I was in a better mood. I also was able to increase my rank from my first tourney and finished 10th.


This is where things go bad. I stopped going to tournies to play, and started to go to test myself against the larger field. My third outing, I again took TK and CSM. Both lists have been tweaked, and are much stronger than before. My CSM record was better going 2:2:1, while the TK went 0:3. Both fields were larger, but I placed no where near where I wanted. I also played Space Marines 4 out of 5 40K games. Afterward, I was disappointed, but as time went on, I began to realise that I had started to go for the wrong reasons. I don't tend to build ultra competitive(or even semi) lists. I play to play and have fun, winning doesn't hurt, but meh. My first 40K tourney I got near tabled twice, and had a blast. My second I did well, no where near tabling, but the fun wasn't there. I enjoyed it, but by game 4 and 5 I was kinda burned out. Fantasy was just ugly. I think two days had a bit to do with it, but I wasn't really having the fun I had had before.
So, now that the long winded introduction is over, on to the meat.

The point of all that is that perhaps tournaments don't have to be about bashing heads. Maybe going to play new people and different armies can be the goal. Maybe, we could play this game for fun. I suggest that if you haven't been to a tournament, go. Its an experience I think you will enjoy, especially if its one outside you local group. After the first round, you should be up against players who have armies and skills like yours. Go to meet people, socialise, and above all have fun. Being competitive and beating face can come later, right now, just enjoy it.

CW, rollin' dice.
My meat picture was longer than my articles meat.