(The main article with pictures is in Critical Hit Issue 8)

LET THE WOOKIEE WIN:
A LOOK AT COMPETITIVE GAMING IN STAR WARS MINIATURES
By Angie Nothdorf

Generally thought of as a casual game, Star Wars Miniatures (SWM) does have a competitive side. There are tournaments available and worldwide rankings to be earned.

First and foremost, there are local options. A game shop may run monthly tournaments or weekly league events, awarding prizes to top players. Local gaming usually conforms to whatever the local players want. Want to play a 500-point theme tournament where Rebels and Ewoks take on Stormtroopers? It’s perfectly fine.

The Internet has the option of Vassal. Vassal is a downloadable program that allows for real-time SWM play against opponents anywhere in the world. Players sometimes run their own tournaments via Vassal, with a single tournament spanning days or weeks, in order to give individuals enough time to participate. To download the SWM module for Vassal, visit: http://www.vassalengine.org/community/index.php

However, for official competitive gaming and tournaments, SWM (like all Wizards of the Coast games) uses the DCI system. DCI provides for everything from floor rules to tournament reporting software. An official DCI tournament is set up by a Tournament Organizer and is listed on the Wizards website. http://webapp.wizards.com/tournaments.aspx?brandid=32

SEALED AND CONSTRUCTED

There are two basic options for DCI tournaments: Sealed and Constructed.

A Sealed tournament means new boosters will be purchased and opened for the event. Generally, each tournament player will buy two boosters and construct a 100- or 150-point squad from the figures inside. Faction rules don’t apply in Sealed tournaments, so Luke Skywalker could very easily be in the same squad as a Stormtrooper.

Sealed tournaments are often “luck of the draw” situations. A fortunate player may pull one or two powerful Rares and have the potential to sweep the tournament. However, Sealed also allows players to show their true skill. Handed a couple lousy Rares, a truly excellent player can still hold his own, if his squad building and play techniques are superior.

A Constructed tournament means players bring a pre-constructed squad to the tournament. Depending on the type of game being played, squads usually are 100-, 150- or 200-points. Faction rules do apply to Constructed tournaments, so Han Solo can’t be in the same squad as Darth Maul.


Constructed tournaments are the most competitive, as people have plenty of time to prepare in advance. Players can fine-tune their squads based on what they think their opponents will be playing. Constructed favors preparation over luck.


SOME DIFFERENCES

As mentioned before, DCI provides some specific floor rules that don’t appear in the general SWM rulebook. Squad totals, map options and Gambit are three such things that often catch new DCI player’s off-guard. The DCI Floor Rules for SWM can be found here: http://www.wizards.com/dci/downloads...April07_EN.pdf


SQUAD SIZE

While casual players may run 300-point squads or local game shops may run 175-point tournaments, there are only three point totals that are currently legal in DCI. Those are: 100-, 150- and 200-point builds.


MAPS

There are numerous maps produced by Wizards of the Coast for SWM, and even more fan-produced maps, but only some of the Wizards maps are legal for DCI play. And even their legality depends on the points being played.


In a 100- or 150-point tournament, the current legal maps are:

- Rebel Storm starter Tractor Beam Reactor Coupling

- Clone Strike starter Grand Plaza

- Revenge of the Seth starter Power Regulation Chamber

- Rebel Storm Ultimate Missions Cloud City (updated Organized Play version only)

- Rebel Storm Ultimate Missions Mos Eisley (updated Organized Play version only)

- Clone Strike Ultimate Missions Nightclub

- Clone Strike Ultimate Missions Arena Pit

- Revenge of the Sith Ultimate Missions Throne Room

- Revenge of the Sith Ultimate Missions Plateau

- Attack on Endor Commander's Office

- Attack on Endor Hall of Judgment

- Attack on Endor Rancor Pen

There are currently only three maps legal for 200-point games. They are:

- Revenge of the Sith starter Power Regulation Chamber

- Attack on Endor Rancor Pen

- Revenge of the Sith Ultimate Missions Throne Room

GAMBIT

The most significant DCI floor rule is Gambit. Rule 622 in the DCI Floor Rules for SWM awards points for when a character is sitting in designated spaces on the center of the map at the end of a round. (It’s important to note that players have named Rule 622 Gambit, but that name is not official.)

Originally conceived to counter “turtling” -- a situation where a player would kill one of his opponent’s low-point figures, then lock a door and not come out for 10 rounds, thus ending the game -- Gambit allows players to gain points without making kills.

Sometimes lauded and sometimes abused by experienced DCI players, Gambit is almost always a shock to new DCI players. Thus, reading and understanding not only the basic SWM rules, but also the DCI Floor Rules prior to an event is critical to all players.

THE TOP DOG

At GenCon 2007, the first official SWM Championship was played. A Boba Fett /R2 /Jedi Weapon Masters squad took the top spot. Squads with San Hill/Aurra Sing /Boba Fett and Han/Leia/Obi-Wan were also very competitive.

As with any collectible game where new sets are constantly introduced, the winning combination for a tournament is always in flux. Will the Vong finally be tournament-worthy? Will “Super Stealth” be king? Will the Rebels win? The only way to find out is to build a squad and play.

Even with this year’s SWM events at GenCon currently in question due to GenCon’s recent bankruptcy and Wizards of the Coast’s reluctance to commit to the convention, plenty of players are still getting ready in hope of taking that top spot in the 2008 Star Wars Miniatures Championship.
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