Local mini tournaments: Great practice for the big time!

Almost all of my games are at the big time GT level. I build and paint armies designed to win both in painting and on the tables. But how do I know if my army works? I literally get to play next to zero pickup games. So how do I get to practice for a GT? Well I try to find as many small tournaments as I can in my area. Luckily for me, there are a LOT of places to go in the NY/NJ/CT area. What it comes down to is wife agro. Leaving the house to play 40k will consume most of a day, whether I am playing one or three games. So I try to maximize the return for the hate I get! Plus mini tournaments tend to offer a bit stiffer competition than I would find showing up at the mall and hoping for an opponent. I have two such tournaments coming up. One is this weekend, the 13th, at GamingETC in Stratford, CT.

GamingETC is a HUGE gaming store in Stratford who's specialization is card games like Magic. But their 40k scene is small, perhaps two or three guys gather there to play at their dedicated 40k nights. The potential is there, with space to hold 60+ 40k players in a tournament and a good proximity to both New York and Boston, this place could be a destination gaming mecca for 40k tournaments. But they are trying. Brendan Gallagher, a local GT attendee has taken the reigns on organizing tournaments for the store. His experienced perspective plus connections to some of the clubs in the area are bringing players to GamingETC's events. Last time there were 22 guys at a 3 game tournament and this weekend stands to be even bigger.< / e > The tables and terrain need some work, but all in good time. I for one will be there this Sunday, January 13 for a 2k point tournament. I think there is a 10 or 15 dollar entry fee. Last time I went I was eliminated from the win by Brendan's nasty GK list. (He was not organizing at that time.) And then coming up next weekend is yet another mini tournament. I will be grabbing some of the boys from Battle for Salvation and heading up to Catskill NY for Kirwin's Gaming Store! I have never been there, but the TO posts on the boards for Battle for Salvation, which I am also tuned into. I hear that the last tournament held up there was a blast! The 2k point, 3 game tournament is being held on January 19. Here is the address: Kirwan's Game Store 369 Main Street Catskill, NY 12414

The best part about going to these is the variety. You will encounter hardened vets and apprehensive noobies but all in a relaxed setting. I always enjoy chatting with the beginners who are anxious for advice from an experienced circuit player and painter. Ok, tomorrow I will be posting about my list! EDIT: Weird, I formatted paragraph breaks, but Blogger ignored them. I just tried to fix the block 0 texts but it didnt work! Any one got any feedback on why? Jawaballs