These are being held on the 3rd and 4th June at Loughbourgh University. For MW we are doing a booster draft on the Saturday and the national event itself on the Sunday. The nationals document is avaliable at either the MW or heroclix yahoo groups. Please contact me if you are unable to find it.

If you are going please sign up on line to gives us some idea of numbers.

saturday is here
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/eventdet...eventid=600546

Sunday is here
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/eventdet...eventid=600547

Colin :)

Well folks the nationals are this weekend. To help us organise it we need those of you attending the event to sign up on the website. It makes our job a little less hectic if we aren't running around 10 minutes before the start of the event trying to find more tables.
So if you haven't already done so please sign up using the links below

Booster draft on the saturday
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/eventdet...eventid=600546

Nationals on the Sunday
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/eventdet...eventid=600547

or even the heroclix events
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/eventdet...eventid=600548
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/eventdet...eventid=600553

Saturday night we also have a MW quiz for those of you that don't want to hit the town.
Colin

Just wanted to say well done to Mark Ursell who became the UK MW Champ at around 1830hrs last night. Mark beat Wayne (last year's winner) in the final. I'll wait for the BMs to post the armies, but Mark won with the following:

2 x HD Kelswas
2 x HD Bishops
2 x HD TTLs
1 x HD Shamash
3 x HD Ravagers
2 x HD Angerona (I think)
HD FP

Once the TTLs were dropped, Mark had 2 flying tank drops and the FP re-roll to give one of them a 10IT attack. I nearly had him in round 3 but he creamed me in the Semi.

Last 8 had a Phelan Ward/BR Soli army, FP HD Loki+TGR drop, Black Rose+Sylphs, Jack Nightstalker+Merc Kelswa (mine), Shiro+WH Mjolnir, Kuro Ha/ROTS Ravager (Wayne's - 2nd place), RHD Kodiak+Unique Anubis.

Loughborough was a great venue and getting to do a VA Booster Draft on the Sat was a real bonus.

See yo all next year chaps!

Good to see a vary diverse collection of armies in the top 8.

I thought the HD Tokogawa only had an 8 attack?

I'm sort of amazed that an army with only the 3 Ravagers providing armor piercing; 3 damage max from the Tokogawa tanks, and two single target artillery would be so effective; especially given the availability of good infantry types in the game with at least reactive armor, such as some of the Sniper infantry. The army's range is also short. Goes to show why I'm not a championship player I suppose. Nice to see that the pieces used were nothing exotic or expensive.

Mike Guth

Yes but he didn't use a Tok. If Phil's summary is right (and I do not doubt that it is) he used the Kelswa with 5 ArP.

Yep, both tanks were Kelswas (tell me about it... :( ).

Kotch, we missed you mate. Plans are afoot for a big meet up in September to do some Wolf Strike stuff. We'd all like to see the Gower Peninsula Massive make an appearance!

I'm more suprised at the fact that he wasn't packing any sort of easy formation-help for the Kelswas. The IT Pride is nice, but I'd prefer at least a couple LRM Batteries or something in a transport to boost that attack.

Still, good job. Was faction purity enforced again, or did he go pure of his own volition?

It looks to me like the Towed Thunders and Angeronas could support the Kelswas. Not perfectly, but they would work . . .

WOW,
A 'Mechless army won a Nationals event. Congrads.
Not that this is a BIG suprise given a 450pt build.
Mike Donavon won last year's US Nat's and World's Unrestricted with a Mechless army.
I do wish this years US Nationals was a 600Pt bulid as advertised on Origins. I think that would lead to a more balanced 'Mech army bulids that can deal with the 'Mechless Armies.
Yes, I know that there will be the 3 Kelswa drop armies for people to prove they can do that, but 600 points will be the "legal" Army Build for Constructed Armies on 7-1-06 and this is "MechWarrior" after-all. ;)
More points, More Mech's, More Fun

I'm sorry, but this is such a tired, cliched sentiment, it ceased to have meaning a long time ago. I don't want to rain on your parade, but this is a COMBINED ARMS GAME. I get so irritated at reading this that it makes me want to rip my own hair out sometimes. If people choose to run 'Mechless, they do so because they feel it gives them their best chance at victory. Plenty of 'Mech armies have won Nationals and Worlds-level tournaments.

Okay, rant over.

Trevor,
I agree compleatly that the cliched sentiment of "this is Mechwarrior", not, Pog , Tankdrop, ect type of fill in the blank ..Warrior is WAY over used.
Thus the "wink". :)
Also, That was the 1st time "online" that I have used that particular cliche.
And I do know that truly compeditave Armies have a good mix of Mech, Armor/Arty, Inf/Arty, and a few "fast" basers. Thus Combined Arms.

But the tendancy of people is to run Compedative "Mechless" Armies is somewhat diminished as the increase in Army builds goes into effect. (and set retirement take away "cheep" command units).

The only point I was truly trying to make is that I would like for US Nationals to be 600 points as listed on the Origins pre-reg site, so players would have alot of flexibility in their builds to play some of the "bigger" units with support. Thus, Bigger Units, More Mechs (maybe), and ALOT More FUN.
Just my humble opinion.

Also, so it is not lost in the thread, BIG Congrads to the Winner of UK Nats.
Best of luck at Gencon.
Sincerely,
Takar
Wizkids ID:Viktor

@Takar...

Of course you're right. And my apologies on the rudeness of my reply. I guess I'm getting more gruff with each passing day.

All of us "Jaded Older Players" start to sound that way eventually. You see the same old stuff regurgitated so often sometimes it gets hard to tell the tongue-in-cheek from someone's "new" vision they spout as the revised gospel and that we've all heard before. :)

That's why a healthy break now and then is well and truly needed. ;)

Here are the results of the nationals weekend the booster draft first.
The top two were split by the number of points towards VC two after Phil won his last game 3-0 and Richard his 1-0.

Phil Clare
Richard Early
Stuart Bleythin
Mark Pitts
Shaun Wilkes
Wayne McManus
Nick Savage
Mark Ursell
Chris Swainston
Mark Horne
Edward Tully
Matt Dix
Patrick Dickson
Peter Ryan
Patrick Thomas
Paul Nippress
Peter Davids
Scott Handsacre
Gareth Probert
Ben Ellis
Alex Hickman
Tom Clare

The nationals 4 rounds of swiss are here.

Stuart Bleythin
Mark Ursell
Wayne McManus
Phil Clare
Peter David
Edward Tully
Patrick Thomas
Mark Horne
Tom Clare
Paul Nippress
Shaun Wilkes
Alex Hickman
Mark Pitts
Gareth Probert
Matt Dix
Nick Savage
Grant James
Patrick Dickinson
Peter Ryan
Anthony Chilton

The top 8 paired off with Mark Horne dropping out to play in the side event letting our only junior player Tom Clare into the top eight. He was drawn against the Stuart in the first round who he had also faced in the swiss, with much the same result. The top eight looked like this.

Quarter final Semi Final
1 Stuart Bleythin
8 Tom Clare
STUART
3 Wayne McManus WAYNE
6 Edward Tully WAYNE
MARK
4 Phil Clare
5 Peter David PHIL
MARK
2 Mark Ursell
7 Patrick Thomas

Winner Mark Ursell who voted for House Davion to be the winning faction.

Fellowship Grant James

BM Award Patrick Dickinson

A more detailed rundown will follow later in the week.

Colin