Grognardcon
Preliminaries or ...
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, Squad Leader,
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 Monday
for resolution in the normal manner - the only difference is
that participation in Grognardcon gives you two 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 PRE-CON on Saturday
and which concludes during the CON on Friday. Best performances
will be determined as described below in paragraph 4.
SCHEDULE. The schedule consists of three segments,
GROGNARD PRE-CON Swiss, CON Swiss and CON Playoffs (semi-finals
and Final).
a. GROGNARD PRE-CON SWISS. The PRE-CON Swiss Segment consists
of two daily heats: Saturday 1400, Sunday 0900. The PRE-CON Swiss
Segment continues through Monday, 0900 hours, whereupon the CON
Swiss Segment begins. Essentially, the PRE-CON Swiss Segment
simply continues unabated into the CON.
b. CON SWISS. The CON Swiss Segment consists of five daily
heats: Monday 0900, Tuesday 0900, 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 PRE-CON Swiss and the CON Swiss, will be used
to determine the four best players. The two-round playoffs begin
Saturday, with the semi-finals at 1000 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 Monday, 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 Sunday and/or
2) during the WBC proper, report to the GM kiosk at 9 AM Monday
through 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 three-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.) |