The answer is obviously yes you should.

With the onset of regionals, I feel like I've see a few posts here and there about people wanting to get into the competitive scene, and all I can say is DO IT!!!!! @Kunitzu San most recently.

From personal experience, competitive gaming had a stigma of cutthroat gamers that broker no nonsense attitudes. Don't ask why I thought that, but that didn't sound fun. However, a buddy and I decided to play in a local store tourney and that has now flourished into a fantastic experience. Between my local area, extended area, and this forum, the community is generally great. I've played in several tourney's and a sizable regional last year, and have yet to play against an opponent that made the game un-fun.

In fact, if you don't have all the expansions, who cares. Put together a list, play it thoroughly so you know the nuances of it, and chances are you will be competitive in most of your games. I learned an exceptional amount about the game after getting worked over in my first tourney. Discovered that figures I wrote off as crap, actually were great.

At the end of the day, there is attendance swag, and now-a-days top 8 get a pretty sweet new set of die (impress all your friends).

All you need....List with figures and deployment cards, in game tokens (damage, focus, etc.) and tiles for building the tourney maps. Many players have the mats, but bring the tiles just in case.

Check out this thread:

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/253553-imperial-assault-printable-skirmish-map-project/

Play on Vassal for practice (online skirmishes). Ultimately, just jump in like you said. I was very hesitant at first (I was worried it was going to be totally cut-throat), but couldn't be happier now that I did.

Lastly get all your friends to play!

Thanks for the shout out! I have been considering jumping into it to have fun, and I must say, it's thanks to friendly and open community members like you that has strengthened my resolve to get in on the action! Incidentally, thanks for the additional information regarding the essential items needed to jump in and have fun!

This community is fantastic, and I'm incredibly excited to join it in a larger form!

Doooo it! I had similar misgivings back when I jumped in (I was solely a campaign player at first). But @Brigadierblu and I took the two-hour drive to Tulsa for our first tournament, which happened to be a Regional (I think this was around when the Bantha wave dropped). Had a blast and haven't looked back!

-ryanjamal

On 12/18/2017 at 10:41 AM, ryanjamal said:

Doooo it! I had similar misgivings back when I jumped in (I was solely a campaign player at first). But @Brigadierblu and I took the two-hour drive to Tulsa for our first tournament, which happened to be a Regional (I think this was around when the Bantha wave dropped). Had a blast and haven't looked back!

-ryanjamal

I didn't realize that was your first tournament! That was a fun one

Just to give an update, I'll be heading to the tournament hosed at Eternal Games in Warren, MI later this month! I've been going over some lists that I think will be engaging and fun to play with. Ultimately, I am just looking forward to having a great time, and I'm super excited to attend!

9 hours ago, Kunitzu San said:

Just to give an update, I'll be heading to the tournament hosed at Eternal Games in Warren, MI later this month! I've been going over some lists that I think we'll be engaging and fun to play with. Ultimately, I am just looking forward to having a great time, and I'm super excited to attend!

I'll see you there with some boys from Canada. I went last year and the TO is a cool guy. You should fit right in as this is the home store of the "Michigan Meta Busters". Super nice guys and they bring nasty, but original lists. I'm looking forward to seeing what new ideas they're experimenting with. Should be a fun, casual atmosphere.

On 12/15/2017 at 5:19 PM, wannabepudge said:

From personal experience, competitive gaming had a stigma of cutthroat gamers that broker no nonsense attitudes. Don't ask why I thought that, but that didn't sound fun. However, a buddy and I decided to play in a local store tourney and that has now flourished into a fantastic experience. Between my local area, extended area, and this forum, the community is generally great. I've played in several tourney's and a sizable regional last year, and have yet to play against an opponent that made the game un-fun.

I think I get why people bring non-original internets lists to premier level tournaments, but I wish more people would bring more fun, experimental lists to non-premier tournaments. I find it makes them more fun for everyone. However, for some people this is a big part of their life and winning the fancy plastic IS fun. In saying that, I find this game way more honourable than another "star wars" game I've played at premier levels. There are way less ways to cheat and you get to sit down! More civilized.

1 minute ago, NeverBetTheFett said:

In saying that, I find this game way more honourable than another star wars game I've played at premier levels. There's way less ways to cheat and you get to sit down! More civilized.

It's an elegant game, for a more civilized age.

I've found the IA community to be fantastic and "tournaments" are really just excuses to get together with some like-minded people and play some games.

I highly recommend anyone try them!

Ditto. We all have that little conflict, should we go through the hassle of going to a tournament or not. NEVER once have I gone and thought, that was a waste, I shouldn't have gone.

Went to worlds for the first time expecting to run into highly competitive, serious like players. You know who I mean, Mr. Suitcase. But everyone was so chill, and I played some tough guys and did surprisingly well.

Whatever list you have or come up with, just practice it and you'll do fine.

1 hour ago, NeverBetTheFett said:

I think I get why people bring non-original internets lists to premier level tournaments, but I wish more people would bring more fun, experimental lists to non-premier tournaments. I find it makes them more fun for everyone. However, for some people this is a big part of their life and winning the fancy plastic IS fun. In saying that, I find this game way more honourable than another "star wars" game I've played at premier levels. There are way less ways to cheat and you get to sit down! More civilized.

3

Just to challenge this slightly, I think the "internet lists" are defined at these tournaments, and when players think them up they often are original. There's only so much good stuff to go around however and when one guy sees Han and thinks awesome, I'll run the new Han and stick him in a list, those lists are going to end up looking very similar.

I took Sorin and Droids to nationals, Jabba, Shyla, Double eGamorreans to regionals, Echo Base and Wookies to a Store champs, and recently ran a Vader/ATDP/Palp list at our regionals that I thought was pretty original and did well (4-0 through Swiss) however someone online said that this is actually fairly common in their meta over in Aus.

I always shy away from running lists that are seen as "netlists" online, and look to make the most of what I believe to be underrated units, but often you come back to the same solid units.

I'm running a Wookie list at my next regionals on Saturday that I have never seen anyone post online, and may well be rubbish. So people do take "fun" lists sometimes, even to Premier level events, however, if that "fun" list does well it'll soon be all over the internet and people will be seeing it as just another netlist regardless of its origins.

2 hours ago, theChony said:

Ditto. We all have that little conflict, should we go through the hassle of going to a tournament or not. NEVER once have I gone and thought, that was a waste, I shouldn't have gone.

Went to worlds for the first time expecting to run into highly competitive, serious like players. You know who I mean, Mr. Suitcase. But everyone was so chill, and I played some tough guys and did surprisingly well.

Whatever list you have or come up with, just practice it and you'll do fine.

This is totally accurate. Come out to tourneys! I’ve met some awesome people at different events, big and small (including @theChony , who was awesome to play against at Worlds). This community really has the best tourney environments.

-ryanjamal

On 1/31/2018 at 11:33 PM, Kunitzu San said:

Just to give an update, I'll be heading to the tournament hosed at Eternal Games in Warren, MI later this month! I've been going over some lists that I think we'll be engaging and fun to play with. Ultimately, I am just looking forward to having a great time, and I'm super excited to attend!

Good luck, and may the dice gods be with you!