Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

Hello,

After a few years lurking, my kids and I have had a resurgence of interest in HeroScape, and I'm planning to host an informal tournament in the coming weeks. Some of the attendees have played a few times before, but many have not, so I wanted to provide a relatively concise rules summary for reference. (Many great player aids already exist thanks to this community, and I borrowed ideas from a bunch of them to create the attached draft.)

My self-imposed limit was one double-sided page, so I prioritized the core rules of moving and attacking, engagement and LOS concepts, terrain effects, and commonly missed/confused rules from various FAQ's. Some of the details are specific to decisions I've made about how this particular tournament will be structured, but most of it should be broadly applicable.

I do *not* expect that folks will learn the game by reading the attached summary. We'll demo and teach the game in person, and also provide an example Army Card with the key information explained. I'm hoping that having a summary will help, however, when I'm running between tables trying to assist folks with questions.

In any case, I would love to get some feedback to highlight anything I may have gotten wrong, or something critical I may have omitted.

Thank you!

• PDF version
• Editable version (zipped MS Word file)

[Edited to add the above links to files in the Downloads section, as opposed to post attachments. The Word version (zipped) is for anyone that wants to modify the document for their own use.]

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

One bit of text I keep struggling with relates to the maximum height one can climb. I never liked the default language:

"A figure cannot move up a number of levels equal to or higher than its Height number (height) all at once."

It just seems awkward to me to state it in the negative like that, especially for new players.

Any thoughts on the following alternatives?

1. The largest amount a figure may climb all at once (including the landing space) is equal to its own Height number.
2. The most a figure may climb in a single step (counting the landing space) is equal to its own Height number.

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

That's really nice looking! Glanced through it, nothing sticks out to me, but there are almost certainly a few spots that could be better worded. I won't criticize past that, as even now I have no idea how to make them any better.

As long as you don't mind, I might D/L this, make slight edits, and use it at our tournaments in NY, this could be really handy!

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

Thanks! Feel free to adapt and use as desired. If you do come up with specific wording suggestions, let me know!

There are many spots where the specific word choice was driven in part by the need to limit a sentence or paragraph to a specific size. ("If I can make this two words shorter, it gets me a whole line to use somewhere else!")

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

Looks quite good! A couple minor notes:

Rolling for start zone selection and army placement is used only in certain groups; for example, GenCon, New England, Long Island, and MARS events generally do not bother with this step (outside of weirder formats like multiplayer).

Also, I would just make it very clear that the additional road bonus 3 spaces must also be fully on road.

Otherwise, looks good!

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

Thanks for the feedback. For start zone selection where the map uses a large ruin on one side and a small one on the other, in places that don't roll for selection, how do you decide who goes where? I can see some armies/players preferring more cover with the large ruin, or slightly easier deployment with the smaller ruin. Do most folks not care?

Alternatively, do tournaments build symmetrical maps using two ruins of the same size instead (both large or both small)? Just curious.

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

From New England and running events I can contest to this rule. Typically how you worded it, something like players place if there is a discrepancy players can roll. Sometimes it comes down to "i'm sitting on this side of the table i'll place here" or like you mentioned one player wants more cover from the larger ruin. I think the rule how you have worded it works, it makes it sound optional which generally it is and in your case for simplicity it can be.

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

No one really cares; your army should perform fine regardless if you have a larger or smaller ruin. Generally, you just walk to a map and sit down on a side of the table and start getting your area set up; especially if the tourney uses long banquet hall-style tables, it's a pain to try to move around it.

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

That makes sense. I can see how it would save time as well. I've never actually attended a tournament, so I'm diving in host this "friends and family" one based on the advice and ideas posted on this site. If goes well, then hopefully I can work with our FLGS to host a public tourney.

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

Yeah, it's kinda just a situation of do what you want; it really doesn't make a big difference one way or another. If you want to roll for placement, go for it. If you don't, don't bother. Assuming the map is mostly symmetric to where one side doesn't have a substantial advantage over the other, the side doesn't really matter.

Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

I just dont see that it matters much. You can generally tell what the topic of a thread is by the title, so just...stop clicking ones you dont like/arent interested in? I really dont feel its anything that needs fixing.

Re: Feedback on rules summary for novice tournament
 

Thanks Bot for bringing this thread to the forefront - least you were useful for that.

@Admins ;)

Sometimes with rotational symmetry, moving a certain way out of a SZ can be more beneficial than the other, and if a glyph that is more beneficial than the other glyph is on that side, you typically prefer to place your units in the SZ that gives you the best path to that glyph.

I haven't found a good solution to this issue. I guess if you flip glyphs only after the game starts but I hate doing that is it disables Kelda.