Grognardcon is a special Pre-con consisting of an amalgam of ten of the old classic hex-style wargames under the watchful eye of GM Bruno Sinigaglio: Afrika Korps, Anzio, Bulge '81, Gettysburg, Panzerblitz, Panzergruppe Guderian, The Russian Campaign , 1776, Wooden Ships & Iron Men and Waterloo. All ten use the Free Format scheduling device which allows players to schedule preliminary games at their convenience. Play as many or as few preliminary games as you like but only your best three results in each game will determine the four finalists to advance to Single Elimination play at the end of the week. Each event will be turned over it its own GM on Tuesday for resolution in the normal manner - the only difference is that participation in Grognardcon gives you three additional days to qualify with preliminary games in the events of your choice. Play at Grognardcon is free to all Tribune level members and subject to an additional fee for all others.

WBC FREE FORM FORMAT. This Tournament uses a Swiss Elimination format for the preliminary rounds followed by a Single Elimination format for the four players with the best performances during the Swiss segment. Entrants may play multiple games during the Swiss segment, which begins during the PRECON on Saturday 2 August 2008 and which concludes during the CON on Friday, 8 August 2008. Best performances will be determined as described below in paragraph 4.

SCHEDULE. The schedule consists of three segments, GROGNARD PRECON Swiss, CON Swiss and CON Playoffs (semi-finals and Final).
a. GROGNARD PRECON SWISS. The PRECON Swiss Segment consists of three daily heats: Saturday 1400, Sunday 0900, Monday 0900 and Tuesday 0900. The PRECON Swiss Segment continues through Tuesday, 1800 hours, 5 August, whereupon the CON Swiss Segment begins. Essentially, the PRECON Swiss Segment simply continues unabated into the CON.
b. CON SWISS. The CON Swiss Segment consists of four daily heats: Tuesday 1800, Wednesday 0900, Thursday 0900 and Friday 0900. The Swiss Segment ends on Friday at 2300 hours, at which time the four players with the best performances during the Swiss Segments will advance into the Playoffs.
c. CON Playoffs. All games played during the Swiss Segment, which includes the PRECON Swiss and the CON Swiss, will be used to determine the four best players. The two-round playoffs begin Saturday, 9 August 2008 with the semi-finals at 0900 hours.

The Gettysburg '88 format will again this year fall under the "Flexible Free Form" appellation.  It's actually a Swiss Elimination event, with the Swiss rounds being played on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday whenever entrants can arrange games.  The top four Swiss finishers will play semi-final and Final rounds on Saturday.

Swiss round preliminary games can be arranged in one of three ways:
1) play at any time during the Grognardcon pre-con, Saturday through Tuesday and/or
2) during the WBC proper, report to the GM kiosk at 6 PM Tuesday, 9 AM Wednesday, 9 AM Thursday, or 9 AM Friday, to be matched against an opponent who does the same (the game could be played at that time or a mutually agreeable time later that day), or
3) arrange your own opponent and game time.
The default scenario will be 6F, Scenario 5, the 3-day Battle of Gettysburg, using all optional rules except 10D, Extra Union Generals.  However, players are free to use any other scenario and/or omit any optional rules as long as both players agree to the changes.

Players simultaneously reveal which side they wish to play, by using Union and Confederate counters.  If opposite sides are chosen, play proceeds.  If both players want the same side, they bid for the right to play that side.  Players determine who has the first option via die rolls.  The player winning the roll may either accept the non-preferred side or bid a Victory Point incentive to play the preferred side.  Bids may begin at zero, and may be made in whole- or half-number increments.  If the first player bids to play the preferred side, the second player may either accept the VP-incentive to play the non-preferred side or bid a higher VP amount for the preferred side.  The option passes back and forth in this fashion until one player accepts the non-preferred side and the VP-incentive.  The incentive is applied to the Victory Point score at the end of each day. After the conclusion of Friday's games, the top four Swiss round finishers will be identified and matched in two semi-final games to begin at 9 AM Saturday.  The winners of the semi-finals will play immediately thereafter (or another mutually agreeable time).  Swiss round competitors will be ranked using each player's three best games.  (Counting only a player's top three games should generally serve as an incentive to play extra games, since a competitor has something to gain but nothing to lose by taking on extra opponents.)