On Tournaments

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By Titus Villanueva

Most people don’t think about tournaments when they get into the hobby. You’ll meet people who have been doing this sort of thing since before you were born. You’ll be up against people in the community that you look up to, and worse, you will be reminded of how bad you are at something you enjoy doing so much. So why even bother?

Because it’s great fun! While the friendly game of Warhammer 40k is fun and exciting, tournaments are something different. There are stakes. The dice feel heavier and each blow feels like there is an impact. Think of the thrill you felt when Theoden rode in to save Minas Tirith. It’s that thrill.

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of participating at my local hobby store’s annual tourney. There was food, prizes and as they promise every year, specialized missions designed to really bring out the features of your army in a creative way. For instance, there was this one Avengers: Endgame themed mission where the six infinity stones were scattered across the map and capturing one would allow you to use it. Heroes are given priority for capturing which means it turns into a super hero showdown for the stones. After a fierce fight, I collected all six and threatened to snap my fingers. My opponent conceded because I told him that if he didn’t, I would snap him out of the tourney (All for drama of course! I was never going to do that!).

I took home 2^nd place as well as best painted army even if many people there were hands-down better than I was. You never know til you give it a try!