Why I Like 40k Tournaments: Highlander Tournament Recap

    Tournaments get a bad rap much  of the time. It is human nature that people post the most on what negative things happened at a tournament.

     Concurrently anything bad that ever does happen at a tournament will generate a plethora of comments like, "See, that is why I don't like tournaments!"

     For me at least, way more good stuff happens at tournaments than bad. I don't like to post bad things that happened...unless they were my fault, then I will talk about them as a means to self improve...I like to talk about the good stuff.

I attended a Highland Style tournament last weekend (Nov 22) at Flat Land Games in Wixom and had a great time.

I played three great opponents with three vastly different armies for my first three games of 7th edition.

All of them were easy going and out to have a good time. Each were fine representatives of their local game stores and 40k in general.

     There were some armies that sought to break the Highlander composition guidelines, but that is life not tournaments or 40k exclusively. What I mean by this is when I used to compete nationally in Archery and later in Karate and now in power lifting you have the same mix of people...those that just want to participate and beat their own personal goals, those that just like being there, those that are highly competitive, and those that will do almost anything to win...it is not a 40k thing...it is a human nature thing.

     For me when I get a chance to get out and and think about nothing else but moving around my newly painted models from from my imaginary universe of science fiction escapism, I get to stop thinking about all the grown up stuff that dominates my mind most of time. Work, family, finances, death, taxes, health concerns, physical pain, etc. It is a release. A good time. A mental refreshment.

     I did not always feel this way, for years I was a "highly competitive" type. I cam to play, play fair, but play hard. I am now into just having fun, though I like to think I am no easy win. I have enough serious stuff to contend with, without making 40k serious.

That being said this last tournament met all of my expectations.

     Game 1 vs Tyranids in an Objective game. The game came down to time being called with one of my objective secured units 4" from an unclaimed objective. Could have been a win, had I been more attentive to the time. But I was proud I did not forget the psychic phase even once! Loss for me.

     Game 2 vs Grey Knights in a KP game. This game was neck and neck. With me trying to keep an Imperial Knight at bay, while getting used to facing these monstrosities for the first time and picking off the other, few and limited, elements of a compact GK list. Rolls came down to the wire with us both scoring some last minute KP's for a very tight tie!

     Game 3 vs Blood Angles in Relic. Infiltrate gave me a large early advantage and my Culexes running across field to rush into hand to hand with Mephiston and eventually taking him down was the first win for me in 7th edition with my Iron Hawks and Soul Drinkers..

     I snapped a few pictures here and there...then forgot as I got into the games. I am ashamed I did not get all my stuff painted. But for me I got quite a bit done the last month and I am pretty geeked to keep that momentum going.

All in all a good day of 40k!

Thanks for the read,

BDS