Goatboy here to talk about the things you should do before you even decide to battle on the Warhammer 40K neoprene tabletops.
This past weekend I was at the Lone Star Open. I had a pretty good time even though losing round one to someone how has order art from me in the past. It was a great game and I felt bad that he went on to get some rough games after his Custodes went ham on some Eightbound. Instead of a breakdown of the event I want to talk about the things you should do before you even decide to battle on the 40K 10th Edition neoprene tabletops.
Lock Down Your List At LEAST One Week Ahead
I saw this because you should lock in your list, pull out all your models, and make sure everything fits for your army. If you’ve read some of the chatter online, at a recent event a player had an extra model on the tabletop and DQ’d himself from the event when it was found out later. If you make sure you lock in your list, make sure you have all the models, and everything fits within the 2000 point shell of a competitive game you can keep yourself from being caught with too many plastic dudesmen on the table. It also means you have a longer timeframe to just read your army, remember your army, and maybe even get some practice with it.
Pack Your Game Bag
- I always try to make sure my game bag is set up and packed a few days before I go. This means checking for all my dice, my cards (even though I use the Tabletop Battles App like everyone should), a chess clock, and anything else I think I might need. It lets me make sure everything is there and I am ready to play whatever games throw at me. I also make sure I got my stickers, cough drops, any allergy medicine, and extra tape measures to be sure. Heck I even bring in extra Objective markers I have made in the past so I can give some things out to players I enjoy battling on the tabletop. Here’s my go-to list:
- Dice
- Cards
- Chess Clock
- Objective Markers
- Counters
- Tape Measure
- Cough Drops
- Allergy Meds
- Painkillers
- Snacks
- Stickers (everyone loves stickers!)
Double Check the Missions
Thankfully in this digital age most events post all the missions before hand so players can set up their games. I always set up all the matches in Tabletop Battles but others can easily set up their notebook or whatever system they use to track their games. I also look at the missions to see if I really made the correct choices in my army or figure out if I need something extra. I know some events will throw in the new Twists which could put in weird wrinkles in your army.
Call Your Buddies Who Are Attending to Lock Down What They May Need You to Bring/Borrow
There are a few clients I paint for in Texas that will end up showing up to an event. I need to make sure there isn’t anything I should be bringing for them. I have said sorry to Greg multiple times as I forgot a random piece to help him play his games. I should plan this better but it is something I am bringing up to help me remember as well. Heck a lot of the time I have people asking if I am bringing some markers or other nonsense to live draw on things too.
Bring (Grimdark) Shorts!
Look I know some other areas of the world is cold right now but every time I think man it is cold enough to just wear jeans all day I know I am wrong. Make sure you bring some shorts, wear comfortable shoes, and bring your team shirt just in case. You will wear shorts even if it is cold and windy outside. Trust me on this one.
I know a lot of these are pretty basic things but if you think about this stuff before you spend your weekend throwing dice you can move an event from a “bad” time to something worthwhile. As we continue to see our weekends squeezed whether with kids, work, and other things in life we need to make sure we are coming to the table with the best foot forward. A few things to think about before you head out to the airport, jump in your car, and grab all your models will let the experience be a heck of a lot better.
Happy Gaming and may you always roll 6’s!
Thomas Reidy, aka Goatboy, the ever-evil member of BoLS. I do arts, play 40k, and even paint a lot of stuff. I have been playing Warhammer 40K since the 1990s, and have won multiple national events including Adepticon and GW GTs. I’ve been writing for BoLS for 15 years. Look at my Instagram to see what I am working on – or working on for someone. I am always doing something hobby related.