Tabletop wargaming tournament runs second iteration in Strathmore

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wargamers are returning to the tables in Strathmore this weekend with a new tournament set to kick off at Hob’s Gaming Café.

For Mitchell Ton, it’s the second time he has organized such an event for the local community, and he’s hoping to build on the success of his previous go, creating an even better experience for local players. 

“A new edition was (recently) released, a set of new rules, so this tournament is a way for people to learn the rules together, and try a bunch of different armies,” he said. “It is a way for everyone to come together in one place all at once, share in the hobby, play this tactical war game together, and show off their armies as well because we’ve got some people who are very creative with their paint jobs and constructions.”

The game is Warhammer 40,000 – a tabletop skirmish war game set in the far reaches of a grimdark future. Players choose their army from a wide host of different factions, assemble and paint their game pieces themselves, and bring them to field against their opponents. 

The size of the game is variable and predetermined by a point system, with each model being worth a certain amount. 

Ton’s previous tournament encouraged teams of two to pair up for their matches and command their armies together. This time around, participants will be playing alone throughout the course of the day. 

“Rather than just three matches that takes the entire day, we are going to be doing four rapid-fire matches,” he explained. 

Hosting the event at Hob’s Gaming Café, it has been limited to 12 players who will compete for prizes and bragging rights, but the eventual aim is to grow enough to migrate the event to the Strathmore Civic Centre. 

Ton added competitions such as these present opportunities for veteran players to get even more ingrained in the hobby, to encourage new players to sink deeper than just getting their feet wet, and to maintain a sense of community.

“We do have multiple awards for the event, of course. We have the best overall player, so the one who would take first place points and wins wise; we have the best painted … then we also have some secondary prizes that are still very important to promote certain things like sportsmanship,” he said. “Then the last award is the one that has been dubbed, ‘The Wooden Spoon,’ which is a staple for all tournaments and that is the player who comes dead last but stuck it out every single round … for the love of the game.”

Ton aims to be hosting tournaments seasonally or once a quarter. Information about scheduling and participation can be found in person at Hob’s Gaming Café, or online via their Facebook page and Discord server.