Warhammer store escalation league format for review

[Guest]

Seems kinda unbalanced, but here's the upcoming escalation league for the hillsboro warhammer store:

Round 1 - 7/27 to 8/9 - 1 HQ unit of 8 Power or less, 1 Troops unit of no more than 10 Power.

Round 2 - 8/10 to 8/23 - Adding 1 Vehicle or Monster unit of no 11 Power.

Round 3 - 8/24 to 9/6 - Adding 1 unit with any battlefield role, no more than 10 Power.

Round 4 - 9/7 to 9/20 - Adding 1 unit with any battlefield role, no more than 10 Power.

 

Talked to the manager/owner, idea is to promote the purchasing of Start Collecting boxes, or rather to enable players to play with just start collecting boxes and maybe a few smaller purchases. But, yeah, seems like by round 4, you could end up with a really mismatched army that can't win. Plus certain armies just can't be fielded at all, like this.

Still, interesting format I haven't seen before. Thoughts?

Further event details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/936987136483300/

 

[happycamper]

Agreed that you have play certain army’s.  What’s guard suppose to do? One squad and a HQ will die pretty damn fast.

i like just capping power limit and let people get creative on how to fill it

[Guest]

1 hour ago, happycamper said:

Agreed that you have play certain army’s.  What’s guard suppose to do? One squad and a HQ will die pretty damn fast.

i like just capping power limit and let people get creative on how to fill it

Talked the manager again. In addition to the above, part of the intention of doing it like this is to deny the option to take knights and other really potent units. He doesn't hate those models, but doesn't feel belong in an escalation league which is targeted at new players (one of the local guys brought a 40 PL knight to last escalation league he ran).

I will note, after looking at power levels, there's not whole lot of brokeness that you can bring within these restrictions. The best I've found is a Daemon Prince without wings for or a Broodlord for tyranids. I have even found a few instances where lower power level units actually cost points more than slightly higher power level units.

And he said that the idea is that each week, you are adding a new unit to the existing list, not creating a new list at a higher power level. So my round 2 list is my round 1 list + a vehcile/monster. Means that if I want a support unit later, I have to consider taking it in the first week. 

But, yeah, no clue how guard should function here. Grey knights are similarly screwed because their units are too elite. My starting list is limited to a 5-man Strike Squad and either Crowe, Stern, a techmarine, or a chaplain, or a brotherhood champion. GK can't make a legal list with more than 11 wounds...And their already limited AT options are even worse for round 1. 

Meanwhile SM Intercessors are exactly 10 PL at the 10-man level for troops. Sure feeling like those are underpriced for this league.

[Guest]

More conversations with the Ian, the staff-guy at the GW store. So we are counted as Battleforged for rules that require it, but we are not using detachments. We'll be using Warlord traits, Relics and stratagems, but only the 3 starting command points (plus any acquired via unit special rules).

He said that the rules have wiggle room, like if a Daemon player wanted a CHARIOT instead of a MONSTER or VEHICLE.

He also said we can mix and match armies, if we really want, but he also reserves the right to restrict overly unbalanced combinations, should they become a problem. I'm thinking he's looking for an OFCC-like escalation league in that it's low key, very casual, but with great people and well painted armies.

I think it will be fun.

PS: this Escalation league is totally free and there are no prizes other than being declared the winner if you win...