Conventions

Convention Season!

The start of spring and the warmth that it brings also signals the commencement of my convention season. Admittedly, its a small season, with only three conventions on the list, but it’s something I look forward to every year as I get to see friends I only see a few times a year while traveling across the country.

The Convention season has always started, for me, with the ECR.

The ECR is an awesome, local, competitive convention, and I don’t only say that because I’ve been PGing and Judging it for the last 5 years. Its partly true, but it also comes from the fact that the players who come to it genuinely seem to enjoy themselves. I often get told that its a big time tournament feel, with a local, genuine feel. The players are from around the northeast, sometimes beyond, and while some are extreme veterans from the days of MK I, there are plenty of new players who come and play as well, often leaving their mark.

This years schedule is packed to the gills, and Its possible that we tried to cram to much awesome into one three day weekend, but we are trying as best as possible to provide everyone options as to what to play.

The schedule is aggressive, and starts off with an Iron Gauntlet Lite, the Rusty Glove. It follows all the rules but will be condensed into three rounds, including fully painted and three lists required.

Rusty Glove
Registration: Friday, May 13th @ 5pm

Max Players: 32
Format: Iron Gauntlet 2015-2016
Lists: 3, 50 point Lists
Painted: Armies must be fully painted
Timing: Deathclock, 60 minutes
Final Standings: Strength of Schedule

An hour later starts Drinkmachine, an ECR favorite and one of the highlights of the weekend. Shots for rerolls? who doesn’t want to do that! Paired with Cheap pitchers of beer from the bar in the basement, it really makes for a fun, relaxing time. But don’t worry, the PG’s and Judges will be heavily monitoring for any overindulgence and making sure that everyone remains an adult while being an adult

 

Drinkmachine
Registration: Friday, May 13th @ 6pm

Max Players: Unlimited, 8 players per cluster (ie, max three rounds per person)
Format: Drinkmachine
Lists: Second list optional
Painted: Painted armies not required
Timing: Deathclock
Final Standings: SO

Final Standings: Strength of Schedule.

Make sure your ready to rumble the next morning, though, as it starts strong with hardcore at 9:00am. This is The last Hardcore tournament that I know of on the east coast, and possibly one of the last to be run. With the Introduction of Champions, the format is being phased out, so get that one last chance at that missing medal before you never can again!

Hardcore
Registration: Saturday, May 14th @ 9am
Max Players: 32
Format: Hardcore
Lists: 1, 50 pt list
Painted: Armies must be painted to Hardcore Standard
Timing: Timed Turns, 7 minutes. 100 minute round time +/- 15 minutes
Final Standings: Hardcore Scoring

Then, we have the Open Masters. This year we have switched from a qualifier system to an open masters. with over 100 slots, its bound to be a long, crushing grind. The first battery will be played on saturday, with the final three rounds being played Sunday morning, with the winner being crowned and gifted a seat at Warmachine Weekend in 2016.

Masters
Registration: Saturday, May 14th @ 10am
Expected Duration: 8 to 10 hours on Saturday, with final 3 rounds on Sunday

Max Players: 128
Format: Masters
Lists: 2, 50 pt lists, Each list must be played at least once
Painted: Painted armies not required
Timing: Deathclock, 60 minutes per player
Final Standings: Strength of Schedule

Many players love tier tournaments, and who are we to deny them! People also love Control Point Scoring, and who are we to deny THEM! we combined the two up, and made a mid-morning tournament of it. Note that we’ve also set the bar a little higher for the second list – This is about themes, so lets see them!

Teiranny
Registration: Saturday, May 14th @ 11am
Max Players: 32
Format: Steamroller 2015
Lists: 1, 50 pt list Theme Force Tier 1 required. 2nd list optional, but must be a Theme Force Tier 3 or 4
Painted: Painted armies not required
Timing: Deathclock, 60 minutes per player
Final Standings: Control Scoring

The last event of saturday, in case you’re not already dead in the water, is speedmachine! a swift and brutal 25 point format with 30 minute rounds and destruction scoring! Don’t just stand there! Kill something!

Speedmachine
Registration: Saturday, May 14th @ 7pm

Max Players: 32
Format: Steamroller 2015
Lists: 1, 25 pt list. 2nd list optional
Painted: Painted armies not required
Timing: Timed Turns, 3 minutes. 30 minute round time +/- 15 minutes
Final Standings: Destruction Scoring

Finally, on Sunday while the Masters rounds are playing out to their bloody conclusion, pass the time with Token Aggression, a favorite of some of the staff. Its fast, brutal, and allows you to cheat. Cryx players need not apply!

Token Aggression
Registration: Sunday, May 15th @ 9am

Max Players: Unlimited, 16 players per cluster
Format: Steamroller 2015 with Token Aggression add-on (Rules will be available on site)
Lists: 1, 35 pt list.
Painted: Painted armies not required
Timing: Timed Turns, 7 minutes with 1, 5 minute extension per game. 70 minute round time +/- 15 minutes
Final Standings: Strength of Schedule

 

Every year, I look forward to making the trip up to NJ, hanging out with a great bunch of Warmachine players (and Jake) and getting some relaxed gaming in between 20 hour stints of judging.

If your interested, go to Eastcoastrumble.com to register, and say hi when your there, maybe we can even get in a game!