This week, I'm dedicating an entire post to the gentlemen who have run the last few tournaments that I have attended. And they happen to be Alistair, Manager of the Brisbane City Warhammer Store, and Blake, Manager of the Capalaba Warhammer Store.
At the start of this year, these two fellows decided to join forces and run a series of tournaments throughout the year, varying in size and game system from one event to another. As of this evening, there has been a total of four events, and all four have been top notch!
The pair have made a point of running smooth events that are concise and effieciently run, promoting not only competitive play, but also a strong focus on themed forces, painting, and most importantly, sportsmanship.
One thing, that I originally saw as a negative, was that to attend one of their events, you MUST have a fully painted army. It doesn't need to be golden demon standard, but it has to be painted. At first, I saw this as a barrier of entry, and for some that is the case; until I realised that while there would be a significant time commitment required to prepare an army for the tournament, it also meant that every opponent you face will also be deploying a fully painted force, and on a cinematic level, that alone makes games so much more enjoyable (at least for me).
One thing that they have managed to do, which is probably the most difficult things to achieve as a Tournament Organiser, is to develop a healthy, positive culture around their events. I have played a lot of tournaments in my time, both great and not-so-great, and this series is the first I have been to with a distinct lack of "Win At All Costs" gamers; players who are not remotely interested if their opponent is enjoying themselves or not, regardless of result. That's not to say people don't want to win, or that they bring brutal forces to the table (just check the photo gallery!), but there is a culture of sportsmanship and chivalry developing that is sadly lacking in some (not all) events.
Needless to say, that's probably more than enough gushing from me today...
But basically, the purpose of this particular post is to put a challenge out to you, my esteemed reader.
#1: Be an upholder of sportsmanship in your local gaming group
#2: Encourage the same in those players around you
These two points can be a catalyst in your local community. It is so easy to slide into that mindset of "don't let your opponents up for air", but for me, that misses the whole point of the hobby; to be a hobby, to be something that you invest into, build, paint and throw dice for a bit of fun. And around this framework is built our community!
I am such a fan of these tournaments because they encourage just that.
Community.
I have met some of the greatest guys and girls across a gaming table, and I'm proud to say that some of those gamers are now amongst my closest friends.
Well, I'm going to wrap it up there. This week's post has rambled about, and got a bit more personal than I originally planned, but I'm gonna put it out there.
Shameless plug alert: go like both the Warhammer Brisbane and Capalaba pages, and if you have the chance to attend one of their events (harder than it sounds, there were 15 people on the waiting list for today's event, so you gotta be quick!), don't hesitate to get involved. You absolutely will not regret it.
Support events that support you.
As always, thanks for reading...
Gabe
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