My First Tournament and why it's important to me

I love tournaments. I think they’re a really fun way to play Warhammer 40,000, and for a lot of people, playing in a tournament is a great way to become part of a community of players.

Tournaments are a lot of fun. Or at least they should be. They can also be intimidating and give people anxiety. Entering your first major tournament can feel like jumping into the deep end.

That’s why we came up with My First Tournament. It’s our way to help people get over that barrier of intimidation and anxiety and ease into the shallow end of the tournament pool, while still offering a genuine, multi-day tournament experience at a major event. I want to give people their first tournament experience in a stress-free and welcoming environment as a gateway to the exciting world that is the Warhammer 40,000 tournament scene.

We held our debut My First Tournament event at Las Vegas Open last year, welcoming 22 players to the tournament scene, and I’m so proud to say that it was a huge success. But don’t take my word for it. We asked our players after the event for their feedback, and 100% of the responders rated it with 5 Stars and said they would absolutely recommend it to another gamer and would participate in My First Tournament over again if given the opportunity.

It was such a success that we’re bringing My First Tournament to Adepticon on March 28-29 and debuting our first My First Tournament in the UK at the South Coast Super-Major on April 11 and 12!

So what exactly is My First Tournament? Well, it’s a lot more than just two days of competitive Warhammer games. The My First Tournament experience actually starts well before the tournament itself. First, you get access to an exclusive private Discord four weeks before the event to meet the other players, ask questions, and get prepared. You also get weekly group coaching calls covering list-building, understanding missions and objections, and sharing hobby progress. On top of that, you get an online seminar on army list writing to help you build and refine your list. Finally, you get access to the “How to Play” online course for your faction so you can learn it inside-out before the event. All this before the event even starts!

At the event itself, we start with a coaching workshop to teach you the missions, terrain layouts, and scoring systems. And we don’t just teach you what they are; we show you how to understand them. We also teach you strategies for deployment and in-game decision-making, mindset advice for confidence and sportsmanship, and hands-on exercises and a Q&A session with our team of expert VT coaches.

Then it’s time to game! Our tournament games are split over two days, so you have plenty of time to play each game at a relaxed pace. The whole tournament is supported by our coaching staff, who is on hand for rulings, help, and encouragement. And yes, you can even play with unpainted minis, just to make sure nothing stands in the way of your first tournament experience!

To commemorate your first major tournament experience, you’ll also get an exclusive swag pack, including a Vanguard Tactics t-shirt, custom dice, and more. And if you want to continue your journey after the event with Vanguard Tactics, you’ll also get an exclusive discount on the Vanguard Tactics Academy and course bundles.

I think tournaments are such a great way to become part of the Warhammer 40,000 community, but I know that tournaments can be scary, and that keeps so many people who want to play away from them. That’s why My First Tournament is so important to me and why I’m so proud that our debut event at LVO was so successful.

If you’ve always wanted to play in a Warhammer 40,000 tournament but have been afraid to take that first step, maybe My First Tournament is exactly what you need to kick the door down! Our next My First Tournament in the US is at Adepticon on March 28-29 is at the South Coast Super-Major on April 11-12, so register now to get the most out of the pre-event support we offer!