Ten Tips to Take down Tourneys

[Jexik]

I've been hassling Joe Knapper (AKA spider AKA the Michael Jordan of Heroscape) for the last couple years to write an article about what sort of preparation and skills are really important for going home with a trophy or 20 dollars worth of stuff you already have.

But he never does. Truth is, he probably doesn't enjoy writing as much as I do, and I finally won a tournament again, beating him along the way no less. I liken it to when MJ came back after baseball and tried to jump right into the playoffs and wasn't even able to wear his own jersey right away. He'll be back, just like the terminator he was.

All right, that's enough analogies. On to the advice, in semi-chronological order. The even shorter version of this is to be confident without being overconfident.

1. Don't stress about your army build.

Nine times out of ten, I may come up with thirty different builds, but the one I actually end up playing is one of the first two that I come up with for the point total. Just do it.

2. Sleep, but not too much.

4-8 hours is about right. You don't want to be up all night worrying about number 1. But you also don't want to be around that 10 hour mark of being halfway through your second sleep cycle.

3. Shower.

You'll be proximal to lots of other people, and don't want to watch them retch when you get close. I often shave too, but I don't think I did this weekend. Don't try too hard.

4. Eat something.

Don't get coffee or mountain dew without putting something else in your stomach first, even if it's just a slice or two of bread or a banana or something.

5. Don't show up early.

Joe is usually pretty punctual, getting to the tourney about 1-3 minutes before it starts. If you have to arrive late, notify the tourney director in a timely fashion.

6. Be firm.

Be a man and look in people's eyes. Don't hide from the human interaction that makes board gaming what it is. Give a firm handshake when the game begins. Sit up straight while playing, and stand up straight when not.

7. Talk

Again, Heroscape is a social experience. If you're just there to crush people, you're missing out. And even if you are very competitive, you might learn something about your opponent through banter.

8. Take charge.

Call out your attacks with verbal commands- i.e. "This arrow Grut with height* and 2 Swogs is attacking down to that Redcoat in Rae's aura. 4 on 4."

If you do this, you won't be surprised by anything in the game and you'll keep it going quickly and smoothly, without resorting to people fumbling with their dice as much. If you make a mistake in dice counting, accept it quickly and move on.

*not heighth.

9. Make observations, not excuses.

Yeah, we get it; there are dice in the game. Stuff happens. No one likes a whiner. Only point out good luck as a way to soften the blow of your own winning.

When you start talking in a defeatist way in the middle of the game, it also impedes your ability to think about the current board state in a rational way. Figure out what it takes to win and put that plan into action.

10. Relax.

Heroscape is a game after all. Not much is on the line.

If someone forgets to roll a die because of height advantage or whatever, let them do it. 50-67% of the time, it'll go your way anyway. But 100% of the time, they won't be thinking that you're an arrogant rooster-weasel.

Each time that I've actually won a tourney, I stopped worrying beforehand and just tried to do well with an army I enjoyed and knew how to play well.

By not desperately needing to win, it actually gets easier.

[I posted this as a blog too, but I figured it might actually get more traffic here in this forum].

[lefton4ya]

I do all those things and haven't won yet (although I have been in 2nd or close running). Somthing's missing, but I guess it is just SKILL! (and a little luck)

[Heroscape Elffy]

Wait....Heroscape's a game?

[Taeblewalker]

All good advice, Jexik.

[Codeman]

Originally Posted by Jexik

8. Take charge.

Call out your attacks with verbal commands- i.e. "This arrow Grut with height* and 2 Swogs is attacking down to that Redcoat in Rae's aura. 4 on 4."

If you do this, you won't be surprised by anything in the game and you'll keep it going quickly and smoothly, without resorting to people fumbling with their dice as much. If you make a mistake in dice counting, accept it quickly and move on.

*not heighth.

.

I don't think this makes anyone a champion, but it was my favorite tip. I try to do this, and it would be great if more folks also explained their attack.

I guess my favorite tip was #4 - can't argue with eating.

[Tornado]

I would consider this more as standard conduct rules more then tips for winning. Great thread. This would make an excellent pamphlet to hand out to 'scapers at tournaments.

['Scaper94]

#9 is where I crumble. Usually halfway through the game I lose my luck and it's all downhill.

[Master of Disaster]

I do all of the above listed, so i guess i'm doing something right.

Whenever my opponent forgets to add defense for Raelin or height, or adding attack for a glyph etc; if i notice i'll remind my opponent.

One thing that i don't like is when i play against someone that never flips over their order markers. Then, they start getting visibly irritated after you've reminded them for the umpteenth time to reveal their order marker.

Anyone else have this happen?

[Devo Hulk]

Great article! #8 and #9 are really good tips.
The dice rolls are outside of your control, and sometimes they roll bad. Strategic mistakes play a larger part of the game, and they are what you should be looking out for rather than how the dice rolls turn out.
If you make a bad move, wait until after the game to beat yourself up about it. :P

[Devil's Advocate]

Originally Posted by Jexik

3. Shower.

You'll be proximal to lots of other people, and don't want to watch them retch when you get close. I often shave too, but I don't think I did this weekend. Don't try too hard.


5. Don't show up early.

Joe is usually pretty punctual, getting to the tourney about 1-3 minutes before it starts. If you have to arrive late, notify the tourney director in a timely fashion.

6. Be firm.

Be a man and look in people's eyes. Don't hide from the human interaction that makes board gaming what it is. Give a firm handshake when the game begins. Sit up straight while playing, and stand up straight when not.

7. Talk

Again, Heroscape is a social experience. If you're just there to crush people, you're missing out. And even if you are very competitive, you might learn something about your opponent through banter.

#'s 3, 5, 6, and 7 really have nothing to do with with how to win and bring home prizes.

#3-Unless you smell so badly that it affects your thinking (very unlikely) it will have no impact on if you win. It is more likely to throw off your opponent if anything and make them want to forfeit or make poor moves.

#5-Odds are your odds are the same whether you show up 45 minutes, 20 minutes, or 2 minutes before the game starts. Showing up earlier can even be an advantage to scout out the opposing armies and the maps being played if you are unaware of them beforehand.

6-Looking somebody in the eyes is completely unrelated to good playing/decision making. Also, shaking their hand does not grant someone knowledge on how to play that game better.

#7-Talking to your opponent does not help you win, unless you plan to distract them into making poor choices. For example, Chess is much more complex yet the players do not seem to find playing in silence a detriment to their chances of winning.

[Dad_Scaper]

Thanks, Jexik, this is a great thread for people who actually go to tournaments.

They should know that our community is not what they might have encountered in competitive chess, or Yugioh, or M:tG. No cheaters or jerks or people who smell bad, at least in my experience. It's a different culture, and you nailed it. Our website has a couple trolls - only one now, really; one of them's apparently been banned - and he does not speak for anyone but himself and can be safely ignored when he's talking about tournament 'Scape.

One thing *you* wouldn't need to do, Jexik, but I'm sure you would agree is good advice for those newer to the hobby then yourself, is this:

Don't be shy about asking to read the other guy's cards. Even if they think they know what their units do, they may not be exactly right, and it's good to make sure you both have the same understanding of the rules. The other guy won't mind you looking at his cards, even if it's during the game. Make sure you both understand how everything works.

For myself, I like to be early. If I'm not early I'm nervous. But perhaps you'd agree that one might vary from person to person.

[wriggz]

I dinno

Playing by these guidelines would seem to make you a winner even if you lost every game.