I sat down with Ben Wiley, a prominent member of the Denver Age of Sigmar community and the tournament organizer responsible for putting together all of our biggest and best Age of Sigmar tournaments at the store.
We talked about running miniatures events, recap the results of the Fall Brawl tournament, and explore his upcoming plans for the Winter Slaughter, which will be his greatest undertaking yet!
What goes into putting everything together for a big Age of Sigmar tournament like the Fall Brawl?
When running a single-day event (referred to as an RTT, or Rogue Trader Tournament) There’s a lot to consider. How many players can I fit reasonably? Do I have enough mats? Enough terrain? How long should each round be to ensure enough time to play, but also make sure we aren’t here until midnight? The logistics can stack together, but taking it once piece at a time makes it easy enough–I enjoy putting these events on, so I’m up to the challenge!
For someone new to Age of Sigmar tournaments, could you walk us through how the tournament plays out? What are the rounds/matches like, and how does scoring work?
Absolutely! Each round is played over the course of 2 hours and forty-five minutes. We start early, so we can finish reasonably early, and there’s always a break for lunch.
Pairings are random at first; round two you’ll play against someone with the same record as you; round three, you’ll play against someone with the same record, and usually someone close in score with you.
We use the current handbook, and I’ll predetermine 3 scenarios–you’ll know those in advance, in case you want to read up or practice!
Each scenario has it’s own scoring mechanics based on objective control, and a twist to make the game a bit more interesting if you’re playing from behind–pay close attention to these while playing!
*Special note here: Attending your first tournament can be daunting, but I promise it shouldn’t be. Personally, I like to think of it less as a tournament, and more as an opportunity to play 3 full games, against armies you may not have seen before, in a welcoming and new-player friendly environment. Folks are there to compete, make no mistake, but not in a mean or rude way. We’re all here to have fun, and we want to make sure you do too!
What were the highlights of the tournament?
Cliché of course, but my number one highlight is always seeing new faces. We had a few players who were playing their first event, and they said they had a blast, which is always exactly what I’m hoping for.
Secondarily, hearing “Ride of the Valkyries” play while a player charged in with 6 undead dragons was just an absolute delight!
Who won the event, and what prizes did you give away to the top players?
Our winner was Thomas Burgett, playing a Seraphon army featuring a wave of Raptadon Chargers (lizards riding lizards! Cats and dogs living together! Mass hysteria!).
Prizes given away were a large-scale model to each player, along with a healthy amount of store credit to bolster their forces, all to the top 3 players.
*Special Note: We gave away door prizes after every round, and a large door prize after the final round!
How did the painting competition go? Who won, and how was the competition scored?
The painting competition this year was very close in both categories.
Events that I run are scored one of two ways–either I have each player cast a vote and the most votes win, or by panel. This year, I had a panel of 3 judges that viewed best painted army and best painted single model (players could only enter one or the other).
- Best painted army was won by Jacob Williams, with Kruelboyz
- Honorable mention to Steaphen Isaac, with Idoneth Deepkin
- Best painted model was won by Rowan Harper’s Droggz Da Sunchompa
- Honorable mention to Wyatt Moran’s Terrorgheist
Both players received paint supplies for their victorious armies!
*Special note: I do not require painting for my RTT events. Just come on out and play!
It sounds like you’re planning to make this a yearly event. What do you have in mind for next year?
Ideally, I’ll run three of these events each year: a Spring, Summer, and Fall Brawl! We want to keep the community engaged, and these events are a great opportunity to come out, meet new people, and play some great Age of Sigmar.
What’s the most fulfilling part of running an event like this for you?
The community really makes these events special. Walking around through the tables, I get to see all kinds of cool moments:
- Critical die rolls
- Unexpected and Uncanny events
- New players grasping their army elements
- Seasoned players making strategic decisions that shape the tide of the game
In some ways, I get to be part of every match, every round. It feels great.
Tell me about the Winter Slaughter tournament you’ll be running this winter!
If Fall Brawl sounded like fun, boy oh boy are we in for it with Winter Slaughter!
Winter Slaughter is a GT (Grand Tournament), held offsite to support a much larger crowd.
- More matches (5 rounds over 2 days)
- More prizes
- Swag-Bag door prizes for every entrant
- Best score? How about Best Overall General as well?
- Best in Grand Alliance
- An additional Painting Category (Splitting Single model into best infantry and best monster)
More, More, More! We’ve got some awesome sponsors, a beautiful venue, and a fantastic community chomping to play, both competitive and casual. Come on out!
*Special Note: As this is a larger event, we would like to see as many fully painted armies as possible- But if you can’t get painted, or need help, please please PLEASE reach out to me before you abandon all hope! All is not lost! We want to see you there!
Painting Competition Entries
I’ve included all the remaining miniatures and armies submitted to the competition because they’re all too darn cool not to share!
The remaining two armies submitted for best-painted army
The remaining entries for best-painted miniature
