Policies and Procedures
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES - SET OUT BY THE TEAM AT WT UKTC. Visit https://www.warhammer-tournaments.com/ for the original document.
The following document is neither the creation of or property of Carnage Competitive and was created and compiled by https://www.warhammer-tournaments.com/ (WT UKTC).
Our use of this document is purely to ensure adherence to the WT UKTC policies and procedures.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL ENQUIRIES AND FEEDBACK 3
CONVERSIONS, PROXIES/PRINTED MODELS AND VINTAGE MODELS 5
TIME KEEPING, SLOW PLAY, CHESS CLOCKS 8
INTRODUCTION
This document provides all the information you need regarding our policies and procedures for officiating Warhammer 40,000 Tournaments
This pack covers the information on our policies and procedures only; for all the practical information on the venue, local hotels, travel, and socials, please see the Location Pack for the event. For the Missions and Terrain, please see the Mission and Terrain Pack. For the information on format, round times and other tournament specific information, see the Tournament Pack.
Please note that this is a live document. It will be continually updated and reference should always be made to the most recent edition. The latest changes are in red, the previous changes are in blue.
Change Log:
V1.0 Document established
V1.1 Post LGT Updates
GENERAL ENQUIRIES AND FEEDBACK
If you have any questions, please get in touch at warhammertournaments@gmail.com
NEW RULES & FAQS
For the purposes of this clarification 'new rules' are defined as rules that have not otherwise been published elsewhere i.e. in another physical or digital product henceforth known as a 'source'. The most common examples of this are: 1) rules that have an old name but new copy describing their operation 2) novel rules with new names and new operations, 3) rules with new names but identical copy describing it's operation as a previous ruling and 4) new points or official missions published in GWs Chapter Approved and GT booklet. All of these are considered new rules.
For the purposes of this ruling 'published' is defined as the date at which the public is assumed to have had the potential to access the source, this access date is the date at which stores may have had copies and shipped them early, review copies may be with content creators etc. This is taken to be the date pre-orders commence via that GW web-store. This includes rules contained WarCom Dataslates from the FAQs and Download section only (i.e. not from WarCom articles), data slates accompanying models and hard copy codices /supplements etc.
New rules must have been available for pre-order 14 days before the list submission deadline for the event. If a new rule does not have a pre-order date, and instead goes straight to general sale; it must be on general sale 8 days prior to the event i.e. Saturday. This does not include quarterly balance updates which will always be in use so long as they are released 24 hours prior to the list submission deadline. FAQs for existing rules that are published after this date may be used where they represent a clarification of how a rule should be played, in which case a communication shall be sent to registered attendees.
The exceptions to the above include limited edition box sets continuing new rules which are not available for general sales. Due to the potential for some players having access to these rules and other players not being able to access them, due to their limited edition status, these will not be legal for use until they are on general sale. This reflects GWs official stance for organized play and prevents balance issues arising from rules being released early which may combine in unintended ways with balance dataslates etc.
The other exception is in relation to a new ‘GT Mission Pack’ being released by GW. In any instance where this is released 7 or more days prior to the event, it shall be in use. If it is released after registration for an event has commenced, this may result in a need for missions, maps and lists to be updated. Should this occur any impacted attendees shall be emailed advising them of the changes to the normal registration process.
If you would like clarity on ambiguous technical rules interactions prior to the event, please fill in this form. This is for rules queries, not for logistical questions about the event. You can find a link to the Judges’ Questions and Answers document clarifying such rulings here. Responses given by any other channel will not be considered as having any official status. Please note that we will not FAQ any unreleased rules and do not respond directly to submissions. All responses are given via the Q&A Document.
PAINTING REQUIREMENTS
All models must be painted to a Battle Ready standard. This means your models are fully painted with a detailed or textured base. Please use common sense in determining if a model is painted to Battle Ready standard. Where a valid complaint is made unpainted models will be removed from play and a hard warning will be given, a referee will then adjust your army list to ensure legality sans the removed models if necessary. If you are able to paint the models in a break or overnight you may revert to your submitted list upon referee inspection and approval of your models.
If you are using models painted in an easily recognisable iconic color scheme, then they must use the rules for that scheme. I.e. If your Space Marines are painted as Ultramarines, they should not be using the rules for Blood Angels.
Please note that we do not approve paint schemes on a case by case basis. It is your responsibility to make sure your models are compliant with the above policies. If your opponent makes a complaint and our judges decide your army does not adhere to this standard, then it will be treated as a sportsmanship foul and you may receive a penalty.
CONVERSIONS, PROXIES/PRINTED MODELS AND VINTAGE MODELS
All conversions and proxies should bear a logical resemblance to the original model and should be of comparable dimensions to the latest Games Workshop model. For example, a power sword does not bear logical resemblance to a power fist and would not be an acceptable proxy. This is true for weapons generally. Printed models are treated just like any other proxy.
If a model has not been released by the list submission deadline, you may not use a conversion or proxy to represent it.
It is your responsibility to make sure your opponent is able to clearly identify what is what with no ambiguity. If your opponent makes a complaint and our judges decide your army does not adhere to this standard, then it will be treated as a sportsmanship foul and you may receive a penalty.
Vintage models are allowed and are treated as proxies. However, you must use the current model’s dimensions for game play decisions and it must be on the correct base size (this is determined by which models and bases come in the box if bought directly from GW at the time list submission closes). The same applies to base sizes more generally.
Please note that we do not approve proxies/conversions/etc. on a case by case basis. It is your responsibility to make sure your models are compliant.
BASE SIZES
All models must be on the correct base size. Where there is ambiguity regarding which is the current base size due to GW repackaging some kits (as is the case with Tyranid Warriors), please submit a ruling request and our team of referees will review this for you. Players should use base extenders if they are using vintage miniatures they do not wish to rebase.
PARTIALLY ASSEMBLED MODELS
Models should be fully assembled, failure to fully assemble a model fully, or assembling it in a manner that is significantly different from the intended shape of the model when assembled correctly will result in it being treated as a conversion/proxy as outlined above.
Common sense should be relied upon when making this distinction. For example, a model without a head, gun or arm will be considered partially assembled. However, failure to stick tiny and purely aesthetic accouterments to a model, such as a bolt pistol holder or brace of grenades will not. Please note that some models specifically note that parts of the kit are optional as they are meant to represent wargear options that may or may not be taken. E.g. spikes / trophy racks on Venoms etc.
Any large spikes / banners that materially impact on line of sight should be included if these have a game changing impact on the models functionality. If a model can hide behind one of our small ruins (see terrain pack) in a partially assembled state, but the tips of the model can be seen in a fully assembled state, then the model should be fully assembled or it will be treated as a conversion which is not compliant with our conversion policy (ref. ‘Comparable dimensions’).
Unassembled or obviously partially assembled models may be removed from play at a judges discretion. This does not impact on deliberate conversions which are dealt with earlier in this section and are welcome where modeled appropriately.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
The official language of the event is English. Players must be conversationally fluent in English and play using English copies of their rules. If at any point you are struggling to converse with your opponent, please call a judge immediately.
REGISTRATION
We will be pre-registering all players before the event using the Best Coast Pairings Player App. If you are unfamiliar with BCP, please check out their website in advance of the event. If you have a smartphone, please download the BCP Player app in advance of the event.
Here’s how registration will work:
- 10 days before the start of the event, all ticket purchasers will be sent a link to the event on BCP, please note that the event will be visible on BCP before but the registration button will not be live.
- If you do not receive this email please contact us 9 days before the event by email to warhammertournaments@gmail.com.
- Please complete registration via the link and set your faction correctly. Please ensure you set your faction correctly. If this does not match the faction of your army list this will be marked as having a list error. Then, upload your list and set your team name via the app. Please email us to let us know if you are unable to make it.
- Army Lists should be submitted and factions set by 23:59, 6 days before the event.
- If you have bought a ticket second-hand, please make sure you have the order number from the person you bought it from.
LIST SUBMISSION
As part of the registration process, you will be asked to submit your army list.
- Please mark your sub faction, warlord, warlord traits, relics, psychic powers, and any pre-game stratagems on your list.
- You can find instructions on how to format your army list here: http://bit.ly/Army-list-format
- An easy way to submit your list is to use the Battlescribe ‘chat text’ export. However, please note that Battlescribe contains a lot of errors; always manually check your list before submitting.
- Army Lists should be submitted by 23:59 via BCP, 6 days before the event.
LIST CHECKING
- After list submissions have closed, list checking will begin. You will be required to check 2 other lists of the same faction as your own. We will email you to let you know which lists to check.
- If an error has been identified, it is the players responsibility to correct this error by updating their list with the fewest possible changes to make it legal. The head judge will have final say in approving all changes.
FIRST ROUND DRAW
- The first round draw will take place 2 days before the event at 14:00. Please check the BCP Player app to find your table number and opponent.
- When you turn up on Saturday, walk straight to your table and start playing.
PAIRINGS
The first round will be paired randomly. The rest of the rounds will have Swiss-style pairings, where you will be paired against someone with a similar score.
- For round 2 onwards, players will be paired by the following metrics: Wins > Random
- If your opponent has not arrived when the round starts, please wait at your table for 10 minutes. If your opponent has still not arrived after 10 minutes, please report to the judges desk where you will be manually repaired against another player who is as close as possible to you in tournament points.
- In the case of there being an odd number of players in the event, the lowest ranked player without an opponent will be given a bye which is a win of 100VP.
- If at any point you need to drop out of the tournament, please let a judge know or email us.
TERRAIN AND MISSIONS
The terrain for your games will be on each table for you to arrange. Please see our Terrain and Mission pack for how to arrange terrain and which missions to play. If you are missing or cannot locate a piece of terrain, please alert a judge.
SCORE KEEPING
It is both players' responsibility to keep accurate scores throughout the game. This should be done on a tangible score sheet that both players can see and access throughout the game.
At the end of each player turn and battle round both players should verbally agree and note the score. This must be done at the point in the game dictated by the mission wording, i.e. at end of battle round, turn or end of the game etc.
If at any point these do not match and the players cannot identify the reason for the error a judge should be called immediately who will actively adjudicate what the current score is, before the game recommences or concludes.
Players who keep score on a private score sheet, either physically or on a third party app should note that these will hold no weight in adjudication of the game score and only mutually accessible score sheets will be taken into account.
SCORE SUBMISSION
Please submit your scores on the BCP Player App. If you do not have a smartphone, you can submit your results at the judges desk, or your opponent can do it for the both of you.
It is both players' responsibility to ensure that the scores are correct before they are submitted. The organizer shall not correct them if they are submitted incorrectly.
If a score is not submitted by 15 minutes after the round is over, both players will receive a 0-0 loss and will receive a warning.
TIME KEEPING, SLOW PLAY, CHESS CLOCKS
Each round in the tournament consists of a game in which 5 battle rounds should be played. If a game is not played to completion, i.e. both players finish their turn 5 naturally, it shall be considered a ‘slow play’ game. Please note that “talking out” a game is not allowed and all games should be played to completion naturally. Time keeping warnings will be announced with 60 minutes, 30 minutes, and 15 minutes remaining. You should practice finishing games in the allotted time frame if you are not otherwise able to.
SLOW PLAY
The term slow play can be applied to a) a game which does not reach completion as defined above and/or b) a behavior in which one player slows down the natural progression of the game. Neither of these are acceptable.
A slow play game is logged and any player who consistently does not finish their games in multiple rounds of the event may receive a penalty.
If a player is found to be slow playing, this is a sportsmanship foul and a penalty may be applied.
Please note that these issues can only be policed if they are reported at the time please do so via our sportsmanship form, see below.
CHESS CLOCKS
Chess clocks are mandatory for any player who may make the final rounds of the event. This means that if you think you will make the top cut after the rounds in which everyone plays, then you must play all your games on a chess clock. If you do not, and otherwise qualify for the finals, then at a judges discretion you will forfeit your place in the finals.
In all other instances, chess clocks should be in use unless both players agree not to use one. Guidance on how to correctly use a chess clock for 40k can be found here and it should be noted that the clock should be passed to the alternate player when they have the priority to roll dice or are in any way delaying progress of the game while making decisions. Free Chess Clock apps may be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
- Please note the time on the clock does not take precedence over the official end time of a round, so we recommend that players start the game with 1:25 on the clock. This will allow you to pick secondaries and arrange the terrain and still finish on time.
- Once started, only a referee may pause the chess clock. Players found doing so will receive a warning. The exception to this is where a player has fewer than 5 mins remaining on their clock and need to call a ref. In this instance, they may pause the clock while the referee is brought to the table.
- If your chess clock runs out of time and there is still time remaining in the round i.e. you started your game early and your clocks read 00:00 with 10min remaining until the official end of the round, you should split the remaining round time evenly between the players. Please note that starting a game early is entirely optional and players should not feel obliged to.
- At a judge’s discretion, players may be required to use a chess clock.
- A judge may add or remove time where appropriate, e.g. deliberate time wasting.
- Time keeping warnings will be announced with 60 minutes, 30 minutes, and 15 minutes remaining. If the sum of your clock is in excess of this when 60 minutes are announced remaining in the round, players should split the excess time and deduct it from both players' clocks.
SPORTSMANSHIP
At the end of each round all players must complete the digital sportsmanship form and rate their previous opponents behavior out of 10. A 1 being a sports complaint and a 10 being a nomination for the best sport award.
All games should be played in a friendly, albeit competitive, manner. Any player not acting accordingly may be penalized. Please note that we can only adjudicate issues that we are aware of, so please do call a judge when necessary. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Slow play or non-completion of a game
- Issue with another player’s army, e.g. they have unpainted models or unfair proxies.
- Grievance with another player’s behavior
- Intentional/unintentional mis-playing of the rules
- Inappropriate behavior
- Spectators giving a player advice
If you wish to report an issue after the fact, please submit it through our digital sportsmanship form.
For more details on proper conduct, please see the ITC code of conduct. Where contradictions occur between the ITC CoC and this pack, this pack takes precedence.
PENALTY SYSTEM
The penalty system consists of two parts: 1) on the spot penalty, typically taking the form of a VP points deduction from the current or most recent round. 2) A warning/carding system as outlined below.
Any form of arguing with a referee will result in an immediate escalation of the penalty or card being awarded.
We will be operating a soft warning<hard warning<yellow card<double yellow<red card system for sportsmanship infractions. Minor issues will receive a warning, and more serious issues will receive a card. Multiple warnings may escalate into a yellow card, and two yellow cards will escalate into a red card.
Yellow cards will be accompanied by the player being docked any awards. Double yellows will be accompanied by their last win being docked. Yellow cards may, at a judge’s discretion, be accompanied by an additional suspension of 1–6 months from UKTC run events. Red cards will be accompanied by disqualification and a ban of at least one year. Players who are returning to a UKTC run event after receiving a carding will be notified prior to the event via email of their responsibility to improve their behavior at future events or face escalating penalties / permanent suspensions.
In order to encourage reform, yellow cards will carry over to the player’s next event. If there are no issues, the card will be removed from their record. If a player is returning from a ban after receiving a red card, they will start the event on a yellow card as above.
RULES DISPUTES
Players are encouraged to solve rules disputes themselves by checking the relevant rulebooks, FAQs and our responses to the questions we have received. If a resolution cannot be found, please call a judge and have the relevant rules ready for them to review and provide a ruling on.
A player who does not have the relevant rules ready when the judge arrives may be penalized, so please have these ready for the judge to review.
A Judge’s decision is final, and their discretion takes precedence over all other rulings.
DICE ROLLING APPS
Please note that dice rolling apps are not allowed. These are easy to hack, and the official Games Workshop app is no longer available.