Operation Sting Bolt Action Event Recap

I had the great fortune to get talked into joining this year's Operation Sting at last year's Adepticon. Initially, I had planned on completing my Siege of Budapest Hungarians for play but, due to both family emergencies and a late shipment of AFVs, I wasn't able to make enough progress. Instead, I ended up taking my Italians @ Malta and I'm so glad I did. I have to say I was a little nervous going into this with comparatively little Bolt Action playtime under my belt, but this was an amazing learning experience. I came away, not only feeling like I had the ruleset down pat, but also that I know what works and what doesn't in an Italian army and I was able to develop a sensible, cost-effective plan for expanding my Italians beyond the initial 1000 points. 

This year's Operation Sting had 24 attendees playing on 12 different tables. Everyone I played was competitive without being power gamers and knowledgeable without being rules lawyers. It was well supported and well run (special thanks to event organizers Brent Sinclair and Chris Thomas).

The Armies

Group 1 (clockwise from upper left): Soviets ("The Fascist Hunters" - Dan Pollert), Germans ("Sperrverband Heussner" - Dan Molla Van Hese), Americans, French (FFL at Narvik - Duane Zoldak), Soviets, Soviets (Razvedki Scout Group - Aaron Schmidt), British

Group 2 (clockwise from upper left): Germans, Canadians, Soviets (Tyler Dumontelle), British LRDG, German (Early Fallschirmjager - Seamus Hamrin), Germans, Soviets (Ryan Miller)

Group 3 (clockwise from upper left): US, Germans, Germans, Germans (Dave Godwin), Germans (SS - Matt Beatty), US, Polish

There were some truly stunning tables to play on this year. The first picture is the first table I played on and the terrain/setup made for an excellent game.

Game 1 vs. Duane Zoldak's FFL @ Narvik
Mission: Hold Until Relieved

This game is tied for the zaniest, most closely-fought game of Bolt Action I've ever played. It saw a full squad of FFL charging my Semovente, losing and subsequently being wiped out by the CCNN squad in close assault; the Semovente charging a Boyes ATR team, the team rolling away and then completely missing their follow-up shot to its rear armor (they would destroy the assault gun completely next turn); my light mortar smoking the only window of a building an Ambushing FFL squad was sheltering in, that subsequently got roasted by my flamethrower; and direct fire from an FFL artillery piece decimating half a squad of Airborne sheltering in a building!

Duane, a reader of this blog, would go on to win Best Sportsman - an award he rightly deserved for being such a great opponent.

Game 2 vs. Dan Pollert's Soviets

Mission: Take The Field

This was an extremely tough game contending with a lot of urban terrain and (IMO) the toughest Soviet tank - the KV-2. Dan's "Fascist Hunters" travelled from the far reaches of American Siberia (North Dakota) to hunt down my Fascisti and didn't leave this game disappointed. I'm not at all used to such a terrain-heavy table and I made a LOT of tactical mistakes which Dan rightly took full advantage of. This was the first of two games that were key into understanding how my Italians function tactically over the weekend. PETA supporters won't appreciate that these dreaded Commies strapped bombs to poor innocent puppies - not even Fascists did that.

Game 3 vs. Matt Beatty's German SS
Mission: Demolition

Another tough game on an odd board with little cover on one side and lots of cover on the other. My strategy of using the dense cover on my left flank to outflank his emplaced gun teams quickly fell apart, but it was fun watching my Semovente come unto the board and immobilize his StuG on Turn 1...even if it was blown to scrap by the StuG's return fire. After a straightforward push up the center, Matt's Grenadier's took the objective.

Game 4 vs. Tyler Dumontelle's Soviets
Mission: Secret Intel

Okay, so I'd like to use this very public space to apologize to my gracious opponent, Tyler Dumontelle, for his probably worst game of the event.

This was not an easy mission and the board was very unbalanced, lacking any type of cover along the entire length of the table center. My Italians being a small veteran force, I simply can't take heavy casualties throwing men into a meat grinder across No Man's Land. By Turn 3, I admit I was not a pleasant opponent and it certainly showed. I tried to outflank along both flanks and walked into blistering fire that pinned and eliminated units en masse.

Not a good game but props to Tyler for being a good sport and putting up with my shitty attitude.

Game 5 vs. Ryan Miller's Soviets
Mission: Maximum Attrition

....And here's where my mouth comes back to haunt me. Ryan Miller is the man who built the table from Game 4. The table I very vocally hated. Sorry, Ryan. I still think it looks cool.

Well despite my prior disrespect of his creativity, this was an awesome "Go for broke" game. His IS-2 totally devastated nearly every unit on my right flank, but I will say that one Airborne squad took two full turns of fire and still managed to assault his Inexperienced squad before biting the dust and my AB41 skulked around and was able to survive the game. On my left flank, my brave little Semovente survived one Panzerfaust strike, a flamethrower hit, and an infantry assault - pretty good for a Vulnerable assault gun that found itself surrounded by enemy troops with no support.

Display Board Carrying Case

After a long delay in posting due to work around the new house and some health issues, I'm back with preparations for Operation Sting. Over the post several years and numerous multiple tournaments, I've come to realize that I need a better option for a display board. Board made from picture frames lack stability and storage. Storage bins converted to use of display boards lack the visual appeal of a proper display board. Enter the display board carrying case.

I started with a bin the came with some of my son's wooden train sets. This was a basic plywood box with a Plexiglas top that pulled out of one side. I removed the Plexiglas and sanded the plywood to remove the poly coating, I then stained the wood with two coats of a medium brown tone wood stain. I considered sealing it with poly but a like the aged wood look, as it will be useful for both historical and sci-fi miniatures.

I then picked up two aged brass drawer handles, drilled holes on the sides and secured the handles. I also used my dremel to make a small beveled insert under the opening side of the box - this will provide an easy way to grab the board and pull it out. I then used a small piece of plywood to divide the interior of the box into two sections - one to hold minis, and one to hold dice, rulers, and tokens. I took two sheets of magnetic paper and glued them to the bottom of the mini storage area. As I base with washers, this means that minis won't rattle around too much of handles carefully. I lined the interior with 1/4" foam for protection.

The display board is simply 3mm MDF built up and textured to match my Italians at Malta army. The nice part is the display board can be swapped out with another. I'm really pleased with the end result and hope it holds up to regular gaming!

Tutorial: Running A Successful Tournament

Planning

"In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable." 
-Dwight Eisenhower

I can't stress the overall importance of simply planning for your tournament. Think about what you want your tournament atmosphere to be - competitive and geared towards the power game, laid-back and focused on the enjoyment of attendees, or a middle ground somewhere between the two? A tournament focused on power gamers will have to be very structured, offering a level playing field to all attendees; whereas a "fun" tournament can be much more casual and off-the-cuff.

Will your tournament have an overall theme/storyline or willing it simply be a collection of competitive games? Both types of tournament are equally valid but, to be successful, you also need to take into consideration your game system's target audience. A tournament that encourages competitive play and with no storyline may not attract players if the system itself encourages casual play and/or has a rich backstory, and vice versa. Ask yourself - if I was a player, would I be interested in entering this tournament?

Pick a group of scenarios or battles and play them yourself (if possible using several different forces) - what works and what doesn't? If you're looking to have a tournament based on player enjoyment, did you have a good time playing? If you're looking to have a competitive tournament, were the scenarios well-balanced and challenging enough? What did your opponent think? Don't be afraid to test and re-test your scenario list.

Think about whether or not you may have to make (minor) changes to the rules to accommodate tournament play. I run a Necromunda tournie at Adepticon every year and it's not a system easy to translate into tournie play. This has required several rules changes on my part to make it viable and they seem to go over well with players because they make sense, don't bog down actual game play, and are applied equally between all the players. If you make rule changes, be sure that they are fair and balanced.


Space

Where will you host your tournament? A good FLGS should be more than willing to allow the use of its gaming space for a good tournament - especially if the store sells the game system being played - and a good store owner will realize it as a chance to build goodwill, increase publicity, and (hopefully) sell more product. However, in an FLGS setting, the onus falls on you, the tournament organizer (TO), to be prepared, spread the word, and be a fair and friendly judge. Cultivate a positive working relationship with an FLGS owner who allows you use of his store. Be professional, keep him/her updated regularly, and make it clear you appreciate the use of their business.

If your FLGS is unable or unwilling to host your tournament, try not to hold it against the owner. This is after all their job and their business and they are making a business decision in accordance with what they see as their own best interests.

If an FLGS space is not an option, speak with representatives of your local school, library, or other non-profit organization which has large meeting areas (Moose Lodge, VFW, church, etc.). Be ready to explain what you'd like to do and when you'd like to do it. Give them a general overview of the system, if they're interested. Be professional and courteous in your approach. If you procure the space, the onus will be on you to provide pretty much everything (though they may assist with preparation and table setup/takedown) but you will have some independence from the regular updating that a FLGS or convention would require.

A convention setting is also an option and may be easier for first-time TOs, since the convention organizers will have a very structured schedule to work under and can also provide help if you're unsure of how to proceed. Convention organizers may also help keep down your personal expenses in running a tournament by arranging paperwork and scenario lists, helping with setup and takedown, and possibly liaising with retailers to provide prize support. Note that you will generally be under strict deadlines to get any rules changes, scenario lists, tournament primers, and other material to the convention organizers - especially if they are helping with producing and distributing tournament paperwork. As with your FLGS - Be professional, keep them regularly updated, and make it clear you appreciate their assistance.

How much space do you have? Personally, a good tournament should offer at least 5-6 full tables to accommodate a minimum of 10 players. It's okay if you can't get 10 players to sign up, but you should at least have the option to host that many. If there's more room to expand to allow the entry of more players, that's good too though be cognizant of how many players you can personally assist without the help of someone else (which I'll discuss further below).

Don't forget table size in relation to your system's required playing area! In most popular games right now, a 4'x6' area is very common and a "fold-up" table will normally have to be set side-to-side to accommodate that area. Be sure to take measurements and calculate the specific amount of table space you can provide for players.


Terrain

Do you have enough terrain to cover your tables adequately? Depending on the game system, you may require a large amount of terrain per table or a very small amount of terrain. If you don't personally own enough terrain to cover your tables, try borrowing from friends or other members of your regular gaming group. If you are using an FLGS space, be sure to ask the owner if you can use the store's terrain for your tournament. Never assume.

If you're in a convention space, speak with the convention organizers well ahead of time regarding your  fore-casted terrain needs. They may be able to provide convention terrain or help in asking other TOs for the use of their terrain in your tournament.

Don't forget gaming mats, which can be easily overlooked. If you don't have enough and you can't borrow enough, you can buy 72" wide craft felt in nearly any basic color by the yard at a local craft store.

On a related note - make sure the terrain you have looks nice. It doesn't have to be studio quality terrain by any means, but it shouldn't be as basic as throwing down a shoebox building and stacking textbooks under your gaming mats to represent "hills".


Charge! (...For Registration)

Unfortunately, tournaments cost money. You may not be picking up the tab but someone is. Printing tournie paperwork/flyers, getting necessary materials, and procuring prizes will be your main expenditures. This doesn't even take into account the cost of your own personal time and work.

The best way to defer these costs is to charge a reasonable entry fee to your players; a good rule of thumb being to divide the total cost of everything equally between each potential player. For example, you buy a total of 3 items to award as prizes costing $50. If you have enough room to accommodate at least 10 players, you'll want each player contributing at least $5 as an entry fee ($50 / 10 = $5). If you can accommodate more players, you can either lower the entry fee (hoping to get enough entrants to recoup your costs), spend anything extra on further prize support, or even donate the remainder to charity.

Remember to keep costs down so you don't have to charge an arm and a leg to your players for entry. There is a point by which, regardless of how great the prize support is or how well-organized a tournament may be, players will not spend the money for entry.

What you want every potential player to think

Be sure to have a system that keeps track of player registration and collected fees. You should have a deadline by which refunds won't be issued for players who pull out.

The Terror That Is...Rules Knowledge

What's most daunting for first-time TOs is their own rules knowledge and the inevitable judging that any tournament will require. The good news is that it's usually nothing to worry about, as long as you do the following:

1. Know the core rules. You don't have to have an encyclopedic knowledge of every esoteric rule in the book but, you should be able to grasp the basic game sequence, mechanics, and play structure. In other words, be able to play a game without having to open the rulebook for basic rules questions.
2. Familiarize yourself with most major force lists. Again, encyclopedic knowledge isn't necessary but you should know the basics of your game system - the difference between a Tactical Space Marine and a Devastator in 40K, how a US Rifle Company is organized in FOW, etc.
3. As mentioned above, play your scenario list to look for common rules questions.
4. Be proactive. If possible, release a brief rules overview prior to the tournie outlining any changes, exclusions, or FAQs. 
5. Encourage your players to settle minor rules questions between themselves. Make them aware that any Judge's decision is final.

When confronted with rules questions during the tournament:

1. Listen to your players' question. Give them your full attention.
2. If it isn't a simple question or you need clarification of the problem, ask your players to explain.
3. Always have a copy of the rulebook and FAQ around. Do not be afraid to cite chapter-and-verse if already fully explained by the rules.
4. If the rule is open to interpretation, use your best judgement and remain impartial. Be concise. If possible, make a note for future reference.
5. If a player disagrees, don't be afraid to let them briefly argue their point and let you consider it. Conversely, don't allow yourself to be swayed if you believe their argument is flawed or to defuse a poor sportsman.
6. Remember - a Judge's decision is final.

Before the tournament, consider how many rules questions an average game involves and the time it takes to settle that. Now, consider that roughly 25% of your total players may ask the same questions; with the percentage drastically rising if there have been any recent rules changes. Can you alone accommodate rules questions, whilst managing tournament scoring and ranking?  If you don't think you can, ask a friend or two who are also familiar with the rules to help out.

The Big Day

Be sure to get to the venue early. You want to have enough time to speak with the venue organizer(s) if necessary, setup the tables and terrain, get your tournament paperwork arranged, and check-in any early birds (there will inevitably be at least one). 

Give each player who checks in their tournament packet, review their force list (if necessary you may want to set a deadline for lists to be emailed to you, so you don't have to spend time the day of checking them), and assign them a table. You will probably have at least one or two no-shows. It happens, even when players spend a good amount of money paying an entry fee. You may want to have a "ringer" force ready to play, in case there are an odd number of players.

If the majority of your players arrive on time, do not hold up play for latecomers. Before starting, thank everyone for coming, give them a brief overview, and tell them the schedule (if not included in the tournament pack). 

Keep an accurate track of time with a stopwatch for timed games. Give out verbal warnings when specific amounts of time have elapsed/are left to play (i.e. "Players! You have 30 minutes left to play!"). At a set time, before the end of each game, let the players know there are X minutes left to play and not to start another turn if both players cannot finish their turns.

Give time for meal and bathroom breaks. Do any paint judging at these times. When assigning players to new games, try to give each player a chance to play every table.

At the end of the tournament, thank everyone for playing again. Reward prizes as follows - by rank (1st, 2nd, 3rd), sportsmanship, painting/modeling, any other soft scores. Solicit player opinion on what they'd change/improve.

Battlefront Issues A Retraction...Sort Of

After 3 entire days of non-stop criticism from FOW players, the Battlefront staff issued a retraction to their earlier "all-BF model policy" at official tournaments...sort of. The ruling is now that 50% of the entire force most be composed of BF models. What's really galling about this is the following however:

Although we were not clear enough about this last week we did not consider die cast planes, scratch built models or objectives (assuming they are the right size), terrain or models we do not currently make to be covered by this.

How would anyone in a position of authority at a gaming company implement a blanket ban on non-brand models and then claim that they are "surprised" that players didn't magically know that "certain kinds" of non-brand models would be allowed? The mind boggles, since their precise wording was:

The final change we are making is that from the new season all the events we run with will be only allowing Battlefront miniatures to be used... although it seems childish to draw a line in the sand and say, “If you want to play at our events and support the FOW hobby, you should not be bringing other people’s models along,” it is absolutely that simple.

Now, unless one is psychic, the casual reader of that quote shouldn't be faulted in their belief that only BF models are allowed at BF-sponsored events - since that is precisely what the above quote implies.

*Sigh*

In any case, personally I'm OK with this policy and I think it's reasonable. However, this entire situation could have been avoided, so long as BF was straightforward and clear in their prior ruling. None of this had to happen and it's created a minor PR disaster for a company and brand that were in good standing amongst the gaming community.

Battlefront Makes An Incredibly Stupid Decision

Rumors have been swirling around since last year that FOW tounaments run by BF or received BF prize support, must enforce a BF model only environment. The latter rumor was quickly struck down by John-Paul at BF several months ago....

However, the hammer has dropped on the former - for the 2012-2013 official BF tournament season only BF models will be allowed!

The final change we are making is that from the new season all the events we run with will be only allowing Battlefront miniatures to be used. This is bound to cause some debate, so let me be clear as to why we have chosen to go down this path. Joe, Gareth and our events cost a great deal of money to run: a little over a quarter of a million American dollars this year alone. And, although it seems childish to draw a line in the sand and say, “If you want to play at our events and support the FOW hobby, you should not be bringing other people’s models along,” it is absolutely that simple. Our business is a business and we want Flames Of War to grow; we intend to give it the best support we can, but this support has a cost.


Even though its apparent to anyone familiar with the industry that BF's sales are hurting from stiff competition from PSC et al., this is an incredibly bad business decision and is engendering a storm of ill will against BF. It's also rather insulting to the historical gaming genre that, in the press release article, Chris uses the term "the FOW hobby" - another hare-brained "marketing strategy" that goes against the very notion of historical games being resistant to IP branding.

If you are opposed to this decision (and really, why wouldn't you be?), be sure to make your voice heard on the FOW forum thread.

Until BF reverses this decision, I'll be boycotting their products.

Necromunda Tournament Rules Update and FAQs

I received an interesting question via email today in regards to Redemptionist gangs in the tournament. Specifically:

"I know that you cannot recruit new fighters as per the tournament rules. But Redemptionists have this special rule:

The death of the faithful only serves to fuel the belief of the

devout and may attract new Devotees to join a gang. So as

redemptionists fall others take their place. After a game in which

a Redemptionist of any type dies (11-16 on the serious injury

chart) roll a D6 for each member of the gang who died. On a 4+

the gang gains a Devotee armed with a knife for free. Additional

equipment may be given to the new Devotee using the gangs

stash or income.

Does that rule still apply or not?"

That's a really great question and one I haven't been faced with before. So now I'm faced with a difficult ruling to make in regards to this issue.

On the one hand, I can see how this fits with both the established Redemptionist fluff and the prevailing "horde strategy" of many players. The title of the rule in question is "A Gathering of the Redeemed", which assumes the mob holds some form of macabre revival in an effort to recruit more followers after one of their previous fighters dies. It's an interesting rule even outside the tournament setting, as it allows the Redemptionist player the ability to utilize their biggest strength - keeping a large contingent of fighters on the board in the late stages of campaigns, when most other gang's manpower is depleted through injuries, capture and deaths.

On the other hand, I can easily see how this could be viewed as unfair in a tournament that limits recruitment. First, it can be seen as a backdoor recruitment process, circumventing the overall rules set. Second, an unscrupulous player can exploit this rule to their decided advantage.

Redemptionist players running a Mob benefit greatly from this rule, as their Leadership score is based on the highest Ld model + the number of friendly fighters on the table. In this way, it's easy for the Redemptionist player to keep both a high model count and a high Ld, when most gangs would have a smaller model count and, occasionally, less Ld (if their Leader is killed).

It's a tough call...

In the spirit of fairness, I'm willing to make a compromise. The "A Gathering of the Redeemed" rule is amended for the tournament, as follows:

The death of the faithful only serves to fuel the belief of the

devout and may attract new Devotees to join a gang. So as

redemptionists fall others take their place. After a game in which

a Redemptionist of any type dies (11-16 on the serious injury

chart), roll a D6 for each member of the gang who died. On a 5+

the gang gains a Devotee armed with a knife for free. Additional

equipment may be given to the new Devotee using the gangs'

stash, so long as it conforms to the Devotee's weapons limitations.

The maximum number of Devotees who may be recruited in this

fashion is limited to (2) two for the entire tournament.

I hope all players are satisfied by this ruling. If not, feel free to write me a sternly-worded email peppered with aspersions to my general character and ancestry!

Also, here are some FAQs:

-The rules state that bonus credits may be spent on two (2) Rare and/or four (4) Common items. Is this a choice between 2 Rare and 4 Common or a combination of both?

Players may purchase any combination of add'l items, so long as they do not exceed the total of either Rare or Common items.

-Does purchasing items "at full cost" mean that an item with a variable price costs its base price PLUS the maximum variable cost?

Yes.

-Can items be left in the Gang Stash for later use?

Yes, but be aware that equipping a model with something from your Stash later in the tournament must conform to the WYSIWYG rule.

-My gang is allowed to purchase items from either the normal Trading Post or the Outlaw Trading post. Can I by add'l items from just one or both?

You can buy any combination from either Trading Post, so long as you do not exceed the 2 Rare/4 Common item limitation.

Adepticon 2011 Coverage Part 2

SUNDAY

Sunday tends to be a full day for me. For the past 3 years, I've run the Necromunda tournament on Sunday, usually between 10-4. This year we got a late start, going from 11:30 to 4:30pm. By Sunday, most of the events are winding down and it's been rather difficult to get attendees.

To drum up attendance and be more accomodating to 40K players (who are generally playing in the Gladiator or Team tournaments during the day), next year I'm going to run 'Necromunda by Night', an evening tournament that includes special conditions as the night wears on.

Necromunda Tournament

This year I expanded the rules a bit to include elements from Inquisimunda. The 2011 scenario pack is a good way for newcomers to Inquisimunda to get into the added complexity beyond the rules for Necromunda itself.

Anton Zaleski's Spyrers (with Ogryn buddy) try to hide from incoming fire.

Jason Lewis' Van Saars surround The Stranger (the only surviving member of Matt Sears' Escher gang)!

Tyler Brummit's Orlocks fire from cover, as Mike Donaker's Sniper stealthily deploys atop the watertower...

Shawn's Redemptionists rush forward to burn the heretics!

I was answering so many questions (you know who you are!), I figured I'd try and make some money!....

Can't blame a guy for trying...

Mike Donaker's Orlock Heavy and Sniper hired gun search for targets...

As always, prize support is awesome, even for a tiny tournament with 6 players!

First place this year went to Mike Donaker, who's Arbites-inspired Orlocks took the field with 34 total points. Second place went to Anton Zaleski and his Spyrers with 31 total points. Third place went to Shawn G., the first Redemptionist player we've ever had, with 29 total points.

Thanks again to all the players and staff who helped make this tournament what it is!

That's all, folks! So long...and thanks for all the fish.