following a question about this subject:

http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/93154-over-powered-decks/page-3

Here a description of the last French tournament : Each player must come with mono-sphere deck (to prevent that the players come with the same sphere the players must say on which sphere they want to play on the french forum).

We played with three scenario of GNK2. We change teams between each scenario. We made a pairing so that the players does not meet twice (only two players meet twice).

Each game was limited to 1:45. If the players win, they scored 5 points. The first winner team had 2 points bonus. Second team 1 point and third 0.5 points.
The losers must note the number of rounds and the stage if players have lost all their games.

The players were satisfied with the format. The photos of the meeting :
http://sdajce.forumactif.org/t2324p20-jeu-organise-gnk-session-n2

For more strategy, I would like that we make team of two or three players, but if there are no FAQ for Over powered decks, we do not plan to pass to this format as long as FAQ will not correct the problem.

Sorry for my bad english.

Very interesting idea about mono decks but is limited a bit deck building. I suppose better have some restricted list for the tournament to be sure no one use the same decks since without special cards they not so powerful.

Sideboard is a heroes you can change game to game but cards cannot change.

Idea to change partner every game is also interesting why not but there is yes limit in deck building other wise some to decks can really sucks against certain quest.

I really love to have NM pack 2. you lucky boys!

Very interesting idea about mono decks but is limited a bit deck building. I suppose better have some restricted list for the tournament to be sure no one use the same decks since without special cards they not so powerful.

Sideboard is a heroes you can change game to game but cards cannot change.

Idea to change partner every game is also interesting why not but there is yes limit in deck building other wise some to decks can really sucks against certain quest.

I really love to have NM pack 2. you lucky boys!

It's too hard to make multi-sphere deck without have the same heroes (who said Glorfindel ?).

Players have a side of 10 cards.

All players have won something (A mat or a scenario)

Since I now play like 80% mono-sphere decks, this wouldn't bother me...

Cool, thanks for posting Lilian - Looks like fun.

I can see how mono would help with some of the deck issues, that organised play throws up and imagine there would have been both great deck synergies and some stink ones (as the players teamed up with different players, decks & quests!)

Was Hirluin the Fair & his band of Outlanders fielded?

I did not see that Lilian had started to answer Glaurung so I started to write this :

After a year or so of experiments, so far, in Paris, we decided to put a focus on the following points :
1- There's a limited interest in making a team play diffrent stories during the tournament if they dont get the chance to meet diffrent people in the process.
Since The Race Againts the Shadow did not convince most players, we decided that every player had subscribe separately.

2- Since the decks strategies are mostly based on the heroes, and the heroes are unique, in order to avoid any paring tragedy, we've decided that the decks had to be of a unique sphere. Depending on the importance of the events :
a) the sphere can be chosen by a player and annouced to the TO and the other players prior the event. This way, it is possible to ensure that every sphere will be equally played.
or
b) After the deadline for subscription is over, The TO picks every player's sphere at random and inform the other players by email a few days before the event.

3- a side deck of 10 cards is allowed to adapt one's strategy to the other players at the table (may include any player card).

4- On the day of the event, every player are sat by tables of 4 players as far as it is possible, according to THE FOLLOWING PICTURE .
This way, we make sure that every player meets as many different players as possible.

5- First game, everybody plays scenario 1.
Second game, everybody changes tables and plays scnerio 2.
Third game, everybody changes tables and plays scenario 3.

6- Time is limited to 1 hour 30 minutes for a game.
Let's make it 2 hours if your local store does not mind.

7- Each table scores :

5 points for a victory
0 for a defeat (includes time limit loss)

+ 2 points if the players won their game and finished first.
+1 point if the players won their game and finished second.

+0.5 point if the players won their game and finished third.

+0 point if they won their games and finished last .

The players individually score the same points as their tables.

The official FFG way to count a team score is used to break ties at the end of the event.

8- At the end of the three games, it is possible to give people prizes according to their rank, like any other tournament. Though I like it better when everybody can get home with a maximum of goodies.

It is also possible to reward side challenges like :
The first players whose threat dial shows 0 wins : something

The first players who kills the watcher in the water wins : something

and so on...

For the French National Event, Lilian had designed a puzzle which was
the object of a side event with a prize for the winners.
There also was a quizz around Tolkien's Middle Earth and Mythology.

Here is what a TO SCORE SHEET may look like.
Here is what a PLAYER SCORE SHEET may look like.

If you'd like to see pictures of the events we organized in 2013, here is :

French National LOTR Event 2013 (16 players)
GNK1 in Paris (13 players)
GNK2 in Paris (13 players)

Race Against The Shadow in Lyon( 6 players)

I did not see that Lilian had started to answer Glaurung so I started to write this :

After a year or so of experiments, so far, in Paris, we decided to put a focus on the following points :

1- There's a limited interest in making a team play diffrent stories during the tournament if they dont get the chance to meet diffrent people in the process.

Since The Race Againts the Shadow did not convince most players, we decided that every player had subscribe separately.

2- Since the decks strategies are mostly based on the heroes, and the heroes are unique, in order to avoid any paring tragedy, we've decided that the decks had to be of a unique sphere. Depending on the importance of the events :

a) the sphere can be chosen by a player and annouced to the TO and the other players prior the event. This way, it is possible to ensure that every sphere will be equally played.

or

b) After the deadline for subscription is over, The TO picks every player's sphere at random and inform the other players by email a few days before the event.

3- a side deck of 10 cards is allowed to adapt one's strategy to the other players at the table (may include any player card).

4- On the day of the event, every player are sat by tables of 4 players as far as it is possible, according to THE FOLLOWING PICTURE .

This way, we make sure that every player meets as many different players as possible.

5- First game, everybody plays scenario 1.

Second game, everybody changes tables and plays scnerio 2.

Third game, everybody changes tables and plays scenario 3.

6- Time is limited to 1 hour 30 minutes for a game.

Let's make it 2 hours if your local store does not mind.

7- Each table scores :

5 points for a victory

0 for a defeat (includes time limit loss)

+ 2 points if the players won their game and finished first.

+1 point if the players won their game and finished second.

+0.5 point if the players won their game and finished third.

+0 point if they won their games and finished last .

The players individually score the same points as their tables.

The official FFG way to count a team score is used to break ties at the end of the event.

8- At the end of the three games, it is possible to give people prizes according to their rank, like any other tournament. Though I like it better when everybody can get home with a maximum of goodies.

It is also possible to reward side challenges like :

The first players whose threat dial shows 0 wins : something

The first players who kills the watcher in the water wins : something

and so on...

For the French National Event, Lilian had designed a puzzle which was

the object of a side event with a prize for the winners.

There also was a quizz around Tolkien's Middle Earth and Mythology.

Here is what a TO SCORE SHEET may look like.

Here is what a PLAYER SCORE SHEET may look like.

If you'd like to see pictures of the events we organized in 2013, here is :

French National LOTR Event 2013 (16 players)

GNK1 in Paris (13 players)

GNK2 in Paris (13 players)

Race Against The Shadow in Lyon( 6 players)

Very interesting thank you

Please can you tell us about your conclusion about NM for 3 first Mirkwood AP?

They are better then Core set NM?

And how this Against the shadow tournament system works when you make you steps and after look and judge your opponents steps in the round? For me i think is quite cool to play 2 games in one but the game js quite complicated (special NMode) so is not to much info in your head for 1 round?

Thank you for info

I was pleased with NM CS, and I was pleased by theese ones too.

As for NM CS, they keep the good cards and discarded some that would broke everything (Massing at night).

For Hunt for Gollum, you have cards that make trace of Gollum come back from the discard pile.

Conflict at the Carrock introduce a more "long and tiring" combat with the troll and more "wich troll to kill first" debating. They added victory point (they did not before) to the unique trolls.

Rosghobel put a better pressure on the players. Before, wichever cards you draw was an athelas, or something that was not an athelas...

It was fun because : we did know the overall mechanisms of the core deck so we included cards for this and even with the new card pool available, it was a tough fight.

The limits are : your chance to win is mostly proportional to the number of test of will, a burning brand and unexpected courage you have in your deck. Heroes diversity was crap. 4 different Spirit heroes, 4 lore, 4 tactics and 3 leaderships... (guess who...)

Overall : theme > game balance, NM balance > CS balance (with > read as superior than)

This tournament system looks good and prevents the most powerfull decks to dominate the game.

A question just to make sure what you mean by "finished first": do you mean less rounds or less time?

less time