Tournament Play is an excellent way to improve your skills as an X-Wing player. You’ll have a chance to play against new people and some of the more challenging lists in the field, which will give you an opportunity to expand your horizons as well as pinpoint your list’s strengths and weaknesses.
Hi, I'm redthirst. You may remember me from such threads as Redthirst's Guide to Competitive Play. Today, I'd like to talk to you about the next step in improving your competitive play: participating in tournaments. Tournament play is one of my favorite aspects of competitive gaming: you can bring your A game without feeling like a **** for stomping some guy's "I just bought the starter and some expansions last week and this is all I've got" list, you get to play people/lists you normally wouldn't, and, if you do well, you'll be rewarded with some sweet sweet swag. What's not to love?
That being said, going to your first tournament can be a daunting prospect. Here are some tips that you might find helpful:
1. If possible, have a tournament buddy.
Not only will having a regular playtesting partner help you polish your list and skills, but going to your first tournament with someone you know will help aleviate some of the discomfort most people feel when putting themselves in an unfamiliar situation surrounded by unfamiliar people.
2. Pick a list, practice with it, and stick with it.
At least a week in advance of the tournament, you should have your list ready to go. Practice with this list until you feel comfortable with it and then don't make any drastic changes once you lock it in. I absolutely believe that you will do better with a "worse" list that you know how to fly inside and out than with a "better" list that you're unfamiliar with.
3. Know every rule relevant to your list.
You can not assume that the TO will be familiar with certain rules or FAQs that are likely to come up. I've found this to be especially true with games like X-Wing - games where the TO doesn't have to prove that they have any particularly advanced grasp of the rules before they're allowed to run a tournament. In fact, I'd suggest having the latest FAQ printed up so you can reference it in game if a question arises.
In addition, most of us get accustomed to a certain amout of flexability concerning the rules when we play friendly games. You should not expect this attitude at a tournament. Opponents are not required to let you "rewind" and fix a play mistake or stop you from making a stupid move based on a misunderstanding of the rules. Keep that in mind when practicing for and playing in a tournament.
4. Make sure you have all the accessories you'll need.
No such thing as too much of a good thing.
As a rule, proxies are not allowed in a tournament so make sure you have or will have all pilot cards, base tabs, upgrade cards, etc that you could possibly need in the course of a game. The first round is not the time to find out that you don't have all your dials, maneuver templates, or a legal damage deck and the finals is not when you want to be called out for a printed upgrade card that you didn't know you couldn't have.
Something that deserves special mention is the tournament tray. A tournament tray is simply a tray that you can use to store all your gaming accessories on so that you can more easily stay organized during the tournament and move everything between tables without the hassle of packing/unpacking it all between rounds. I use the top of my carrying case for this purpose, but I've seen specially made trays with indentions in the top for all your templates and ship bases and drawers for cards/dials/dice.
5. Sleep.
I know you're excited about going to your first tournament, and why sleep the night before when you could spend that time putting the last bit of polish on your list through testing (or drinking way too much)? Because sleep isn't optional if you want to function at 100%. It should be a given that starting the day exhausted and going downhill from there is a bad idea, but you'd be surprised how often I find a first round opponent already going on fumes... it doesn't tend to end well for them.
6. Eat. Drink.
The morning of the tournament, eat a good, light breakfast, pack a few snacks for between rounds, and bring a water bottle. I've never known someone to play better dehydrated or hungry - your mind should always be on your game, not on your stomach.
7. Take your time.
First, you should understand that there is a fine line between taking your time and playing glacially slow. If you find that you're always frustrating your opponents with how slow you play and going to time every single game, then you should really work on speeding up a bit. That being said, most newer players have more trouble with rushing than with playing too slow. Rushing leads to stupid mistakes, so take a second or two when you make a decision to make sure you're not missing something obvious.
8. Go into the tournament with realistic expectations.
If this is your first tournament, chances are that nearly everyone there has more experience than you. You are most likely going to lose - hard and a lot. Try to think of this as a learning experience and don't get discouraged if you find that you're not quite as good as you thought you'd be.
9. Have fun.
Despite the fact that I pretty much always play to win, I understand the need to have fun. The goal of any game is to win, but the point is to have fun. If you find yourself not having fun then, win or lose, you're missing the point.
Hope you've found this helpful. If you follow these rules, your tournament success is 100% guaranteed!*
"Oh yeahhhhhhh!"
*Tournament success not guaranteed.
Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
Edited by redthirst