I've just attended and qualified for the UKGT finals.

What I wondered is how many other LO members frequently attend this competition?

Not necessarily in the UK, any GT around the world I guess.

I have attended qualifiers for the fantasy GT for the last 2 years, haven't made it through yet but will carry on plugging away 8Y I enjoy the events and have been to the final before just to watch games and see some of the awesome armies that are painted there.

hmm, wel I spose I count going to Sydney GT, for fantasy. but in Australia it's a bit different because each state has there own GT's (6 or so in all) and theres no qualifiers or anything, in fact there is actually not huge amounts of intrerest in them (numbers are fairly low ~30 for fantasy and ~50 for 40K) and they pull fom the full range of gamers, both the good and not so good.

Gt's aren't really seen as the big tournament that they seem to be in the UK, you don't get a mention from GW in any publication or anything, the prizes / trophies aren't amazing and GW outsoruces the location and tables / terrain to gaming groups. The big tourneys are like fantasy only Dogs or war (because of the 100 + participants), MOAB / Cancon becuse it is included in a greater wargaming event or the Masters, which is a invite only RTT open to tourney winners, which carries the prestige of having the best of the best gamers.

whats it like for the UK GT / qualifiers? is it very game-on, hard armies or is it more relaxed affair, and are there other tourneys that carry more prestige?

whats it like for the UK GT / qualifiers? is it very game-on, hard armies or is it more relaxed affair, and are there other tourneys that carry more prestige?

Don't quote me on this, but I think that the GT finals here in the UK are the highest tournament to which one can aspire. There are others, but this one is the one that is most talked about, in any case. I assume that's what you mean by prestige anyway, if you win, people will talk about you a lot. The competition itself is fierce with loads of hard armies being taken and it's typically used as the benchmark to gauge army popularity as well as the most abusable armies, relatively speaking. People play harsh armies, but that's just the law of competition really and I don't begrudge them that. If you don't like it, don't go. And I don't.

I attended the GT at Las Vegas in the USA but that was my first one.

The UK GT is a big deal, there are 3 qualifying heats which attract about 150 players to each of which 50 qualify for the final. At the heats you find everything from the ultra hardcore have to win players to some that are just there for the experience. I played some of the most entertaining games I have ever played at the heat I went to this year. Saying that though 2 of my friends played opposition who were willing to cheat/abuse/be downright unpleasant in order to win. That woud take the gloss off the weekend for me.

I have been for the last two or three years, but not for this season. Didn't have the money.

And won't have for the next few years if I become a student :(

I attended the Australian QLD GT this year and came 4th and got the Players Choice Favourite Army. Pretty pleased with that.

What was extremely disappointing was the amount of armies that were not painted or based! It was shocking. And before people say that I am being silly, I paid $50 to play against other players that have gone the whole way, painting, basing and everything. Then you go up against guys that only put their army together the night before. Not even base coated. I can pay $5 and go in a tournament that has no painting requirements at home.

Oh well, I did really enjoy the rest of it. Such is life...

I've never been in a tourney or anything of the sort but I've seen it a lot -- guys in the hobby store cramming 100 Space Marines together intime for the big tourney or something the next weekend.. it seems everyone's busy cramming models, and nobody actually has anything finished. The only finished armies I've seen were store armies.

I attended the Australian QLD GT this year and came 4th and got the Players Choice Favourite Army. Pretty pleased with that.

What was extremely disappointing was the amount of armies that were not painted or based! It was shocking. And before people say that I am being silly, I paid $50 to play against other players that have gone the whole way, painting, basing and everything. Then you go up against guys that only put their army together the night before. Not even base coated. I can pay $5 and go in a tournament that has no painting requirements at home.

Oh well, I did really enjoy the rest of it. Such is life...

At UK Gt's you have to have a fully painted army with at least 3 colours on each model and the bases have to be flocked or you get a yellow card for it.

Quite a good mix then.

I slipped up on table two of the heat 2 qualifiers and ended up 17th. Played to damn cautiously wiht my libby :(

Yeah, in the Australian GT's its the same (3 colours and based). But no body enforces it. And it makes bugger all difference to points or anything like that.

The rules stated that you couldn't even play, but they don't enforce it at all.

Yeah, in the Australian GT's its the same (3 colours and based). But no body enforces it. And it makes bugger all difference to points or anything like that.

The rules stated that you couldn't even play, but they don't enforce it at all.

In the UK you don't score points for having painted models, but the yellow/red cards you can get for not having them painted can result in points being docked. Its only an issue if someone quibbles about it. I for the most part found that people were there for the social side of things rather than playing balls out to win.