ComicReaders Downtown - Warhammer 40k Escalation League - Season 9

LEAGUE STRUCTURE

Welcome to ComicReaders' Warhammer 40k Escalation League Season 9. The league works by slowly increasing the required points to play over a predetermined period of time. Please read through the whole document due to changes from previous seasons.

All months build upon the previous month. You are allowed to change your roster month to month but not game to game. Wargear cannot be changed game to game, only month to month. Psychic powers can be changed game to game.

We require a minimum of 8 players for the League.  There is no maximum to the league, but only the Top 8 players will be able to participate in the tournament, with other players being able to participate if someone from the Top 8 cannot participate.

Games will start January 15th, but feel free to play games before that to figure out rules, meet new players, or otherwise.

Please sign up here

ESCALATION DETAILS
All armies must be Battle-Forged (see page 240), the number of detachments a player is allowed is determined by the number of points (page 214). Dataslates and Forge World units are allowed. There are no unit restrictions during any months other than the point limitation.

First month (January 15th to February 14th): 750 points (Max 1 detachments)
Second month (February 15th to March 14th): 1250 points (Max 2 detachments)
Third month (March 15th to April 30th): 1500 points (Max 3 detachments)
Fourth Month (PGX May 16th): 1500 point tournament* (Max 3 detachments)
*Note: Top 8 players in the overall Escalation months are granted a place into the tournament. If they do not wish to participate or are unable to participate, the spot(s) will go to the next ranked player.

BATTLE & BONUS POINTS
A win earns you 3 battle points, a draw 2 and a loss 1

There are a number of ways to earn and lose bonus points over the course of the league.

• Artisan - Any game played with a fully painted army without improper substitutes +1 point
• Neutral Ground  - Played a game at ComicReaders +1 point per game
• Specter of Death – Undefeated, counting only wins within the month + 2 points (minimum 2 games played)
• Kingslayer  - Defeat a ‘Specter of Death’ from previous month + 1 Point per
• Challenge Accepted – Played a game with your rival for the month + 2 points
• Fools Rush In - Games played with un-finished miniatures, or improper substitutes  – 1 point per game
• Idle Hands- A player that does not play a game in a month – Player’s points are reset
• Herald of Chaos - Players with complaints regarding his or her conduct within the month: Suspension*

*Multiple occurrences of this infraction will result in expulsion from the league and may affect eligibility from future ComicReaders Downtown events.

PRIZES
Prizes are provided by ComicReaders Downtown, details of the prize will be given to the winners of each month. Amount of prizes will be determined by number of entrants each month. All the prizes will be randomly drawn. Number of entries will be determined by a player's number of games divided by 2 rounded down. If a player participates at a ComicReaders' sanctioned event (eg Prairie Game Expo) then they will receive an additional draw per game played either in a tournament, or league game played. A player may only win one prize each month.

Overall standings only affect entry into the tournament.

GAME SCHEDULE
Thursday all day is guaranteed for space to be free in the store. Players do not have to only play on Thursdays at the store, but the space is made available. Saturday all day should be available, if a Saturday is not available, Lareina will try to post if there has been a booking for other tournaments. Players are to schedule games between other players.

The store is generally not available: Friday nights due to other events in the store. Please call ComicReaders to see if there is any room in the store. Please use the Sask Games Forums (http://forums.saskgames.com/index.php?board=4.0) to find out if there are major events happening in order to help you schedule matches against other players in the League. Go to the Leagues section (http://forums.saskgames.com/index.php?board=85.0) to help contact other players in the League.

When wanting to play games at the store, be mindful of store hours. Keep in mind how long it takes to set up and clean up a game, an hour or two may not be enough time to play a full game. Staff may ask players to leave when it is time to close the store without a time warning.

GAME PLAY/REPORTING
All games should be chosen randomly as depicted on page 215, or as agreed upon by each player.

750 point games are to be played on 4'x4' tables, while any games above 1000 points are played on 4’x6’ tables.

Games are no longer required to be played exclusively at ComicReaders. A player must play at least one game in a month to keep their points from being reset, this game does not have to be played at the store.

There is no maximum number of games, but you may only play a league player once per month to count for points.

Report wins and losses along with any bonuses to ComicReaders Downtown via email, or sending a message to Lareina (this will yield faster results). Games reported only through the forum thread will not be counted due to message clutter.

We no longer require players to fill out the Sportsmanship Criteria cards, but this does not mean we will not be monitoring conduct. Depending on severity of the issue, a suspension may be given out without a warning. Please refer to the general Code of Conduct expected of players: http://forums.saskgames.com/index.php?topic=794.0

If you are spectating games, please refrain from helping players with strategy or influencing players’ decisions. If there is a rule error or clarity of a rule is under dispute, if you know the answer, refrain from simply telling the players what the rule is, but instead find evidence in the rulebook or FAQ.

WANT TO PLAY IN THE LEAGUE?
Contact ComicReaders Downtown via phone (779-0900), in-person at the store, send Lareina a PM, or sign up here. We will need your first and last name, how you want to be contacted, and what army you will be playing.

THANKS
This League would not be possible without the dedication of ComicReaders' staff.

Rules are subject to change, but I'll try not to change anything after the league starts

Frequently asked questions as of December 6th, 2017
New changes are highlighted in red.

League Questions:
Q. Why am I not allowed to play the same army I played with last season?
A. You were in the Top 2 of the tournament, which means you generally know what you are doing with your army. In order to promote healthy competition, you are being asked to rest that army for at a season.

Q. Why are prizes now given out as random draws?
A. This way players do not feel stressed about trying to get good results but rather play games without the weight of trying to get top spot in the month.

Q. What's the point of standings now?
A. Overall standings determine Top 8 for tournament.

Q. Why is the tournament only for the Top 8 players in the League?
A. 8 is a much nicer number to work with than say, 6 or 10 for a one day tournament. It’s easier to find one day that works for 8 people rather than if there were more people.

Q. Why the rush to wrap up a three month league in one day?
A. It’s what everyone in theory is working towards, the countless games, learning new strategies against armies, and it hopefully all comes to fruition for that one important day.

Q. Why can I not change my roster game to game?
A. To promote balanced roster making rather than creating hard counters to a specific army.

Q. Help, I’m new and don’t know how to play the game very well but I want to play in the league. Is there someone willing to teach me?
A. While everyone in the league is generally willing to help out the new person learn, private message Lareina to help you find someone to show you the ropes. If multiple requests come in, a day will be scheduled to accommodate as many newcomers as possible.

Q. What are "rivals"?
A. A player that you have not played against in the previous month will be randomly selected as your rival, both players will receive 2 points for participating in a game against each other. This is to help meet other players that you would normally not choose to play.

Q. Am I allowed to use Codex Supplements, Datasheets, and Forge World units?
A. Yes you are, you must have your rules present with you since your opponent can't be expected to just believe you, or know the rules of those units/book, etc. Codex supplements can be used either as your primary detachment or ally detachment. Forge World units must adhere to the roster restrictions.

Q. Do I need Chapter Approved?
A. Yes

Army Roster Questions:
Q. How many detachments are allowed?
A. 1000 points: up to 2 detachments, 1001-2000 points: up to 3 detachments, page 214

Q. Are unbound armies allowed?
A. No

Q. Can I change wargear between games?
A. No

Q. Will I be allowed to change detachments?
A. Yes but only between months and not between games.

Q. Do I need to keep the same roster for the tournament as I used in the escalation months?
A. No, but you are required to keep the same primary army, but you are allowed to change allies and fortifications.

Q. I don't like my army! Can I change to a different one? Or That army just got an update (book or model wise), can I try that one instead?
A. Yes you may, but at a price, your league points will be reset, which may hurt your chances to play in the tournament.

Q. My army just got updated! What do I do?
A. Your points will not be affected if you keep the same army. You will need to purchase the new book since your codex is now outdated, but you are allowed to play the first month with your old codex the month that the new codex has been released. You are not allowed to switch to the new codex if you have played games that month with the old codex. After the first month of its release you must use the new codex or switch armies, the latter being subject to a point reset. The exception to this rule is if it is tournament month, you must use the new codex for the tournament.

Game Reporting Questions:
Q. Why didn't I get a prize for month x? I was the top player!
A. All prizes will now be distributed as a random draw. Everyone who has played at least 2 games gets 1 entry, and if at least one game is played at ComicReaders Downtown, then another entry will be granted. Any ComicReaders sanctioned events' like Prairie Game Expo will also grant another entry. Please ensure you report your games, and check the game results for errors, Lareina is only human and is prone to mistakes!

Q. Why is a game result not listed for me?
A. You must email: readers2@sasktel.net, or send Lareina a private message with your results, the latter usually is faster than the former. Please note that results posted only on the forums will not be counted due to it possibly being lost in the flood of messages.

Q. Why am I missing some bonuses?
A. Did you report your results along with any bonuses? Please be honest when reporting since Lareina will be posting the results in one of first posts to keep track.

Technical Questions:
Q. What does 'unfinished miniatures' mean?
A. It is only in regards to missing parts (ie arms, weapons, etc), you are allowed to play with unpainted miniatures without penalty. Improper substitutes will count as unfinished.

Q. What do you considered as "painted"?
A. At it's core, being considered painted is 3 distinct colours on each model. As long as each model is painted and not purchased as a pre-painted figure. If proxy models are painted, your army is still not considered painted.

Q. How strict is WYSIWYG?
A. While models are supposed to be WYSIWYG, appropriate substitutes can be made, please make sure your opponent is aware of what the model has if it is not properly modelled (ie a plasma cannon vs a flamer).

Q. Are proxy models allowed?
A. As long as they are proper substitutes, and your opponent can identify what the unit is. If your proxy models are improper substitutes, ask your opponent if they are ok with it before playing. Please check with tournament organizers to see if your proxy models are allowed to be played with in the tournament.

Q. What are considered ‘proper substitutes’?
A. Models from different companies but still look like the model it is supposed to represent.

Conduct Questions:
Q. Since we don't have to fill out the Sportsmanship Criteria cards, how can I indicate I have a problem with so and so's conduct?
A. This shouldn't be a problem because we're all mature adults, right? We will monitor closely to what is posted publicly on the forums for any disorderly behaviour. We do not recommend sending a PM to Lareina or Chad because it is sometimes hard to iterate a point clearly through text. We recommend you talk to either one of them in person. Please note: depending on the severity of the behaviour, a warning may or may not be issued before giving out a suspension.

Q. Am I allowed to watch other players' games?
A. Yes, but please ask the players if it is ok to watch, some people may not like the added pressure of spectators. Most importantly, if you are spectating, please refrain from helping players with strategy or influencing players’ decisions. If there is a rule error or clarity of a rule is under dispute, if you know the answer, refrain from simply telling the players what the rule is, but instead find evidence in the rulebook or FAQ.

Q. May I come play in the store Friday night or Saturday (or whenever there is a special event going on)?
A. Please phone (306-779-0900) ahead and ask if there will be any room available on that particular day. We will try our best to post when there are special events running at the store, so you are aware that availability may be extremely limited.

Q. May I come in and play a couple hours before the store closes?
A. Most likely yes depending on the day, please keep in mind the time it takes to set up and clean up a game. Players are responsible to watch the time, staff may or may not give a time warning of when the store will be closing.