AdeptiCon stands as one of the premier wargaming conventions in the United States. Firelock Games participated as a vendor, and Blood & Pigment filled the role of gaming event organizer for Blood & Plunder. This year, we opted to step up tournament play by running a Land and Sea Tournament as well as an Oak & Iron tournament (partnering with Josh Shivak). We also hosted 3 narrative events and numerous demo events for both Blood & Plunder and Oak & Iron. In this article, we’re excited to recount some highlights from our experiences during the Blood & Plunder Land Tournament.

We Drew a 2 of diamonds on Our Initiative

Right out of the gate things didn’t quite go according to plan… This year we intended to have the full strength of the Blood & Pigment Crew attending AdeptiCon. It would have been the first year that all 5 members of the team would have been together in one place. Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances, Joseph and Guy were unable to attend. In addition, Dan’s arrival was delayed due to travel complications with his train. That left Garrett and Jason as the only Pigment reps in attendance, for the first day of the event.

We intentionally scheduled the land tournament as the first event because it has the heaviest lift and longest setup time for the events done and out of the way at the start of the weekend. We scheduled the Sea Tournament for the end because it’s the easiest to clean up and put away (roll up the mats and go!).

Arriving Wednesday we hoped to set up before the event started to minimize scrambling on game day. Our pre-event setup plans were thwarted as our gaming space overlapped with the Game Workshop reveal area. Initially told we were locked out until 10 pm, we didn’t gain access until around 10:30-10:45 pm when the crowds dispersed.

Once the teardown of the chairs and setup of tables began there were only 2-3 convention workers in the ballroom. They would have been there till 1 or 2 a.m. if left along. Instead, a drove of community members from the Firelock Games, Privateer Press, BattleTech, and other communities rallied and pitched in by setting up the ballroom in 40-45 minutes.

We made it back to the hotel around 1:15 a.m. and got up at 5:45 for a quick shower and breakfast to get back to the gaming hall by 7 am to set up the fort display table and lay out loaner forces for the “Assault on Panama” narrative event.

The Vibe of the Tournament

Fundamentally, Blood & Plunder isn’t solely centered around competitive gameplay. In my experience, players are incredibly welcoming and not overly competitive. Often, they derive as much, if not more, enjoyment from the historical and narrative aspects of their games as they do from the competitive aspect. However, tournaments offer an excellent opportunity to engage in focused gameplay, utilize a static force list repeatedly, and face various opponents consecutively, which contributes to honing one’s skills. While tournaments are undoubtedly enjoyable, the emphasis isn’t solely on winning (though the satisfaction of victory is undeniable).

2024 AdeptiCon Blood & Land Tournament Rules

This was a simple three-round, 150-point land tournament for Blood & Plunder players. All the boring details (which proved helpful before the tournament was done) were spelled out in the tournament packet but the basics were:

• 150 Points or less
• 3 Rounds of Swiss Pairings with random starting tables
• ~90-Minute Rounds
• All official Blood & Plunder content is legal
• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards of $100, $50, and $25 Firelock gift cards ]
• An award to the “best painted” force
• Scenarios were Encounter, Breakthrough, and Take and Hold
• Wins score 3 Tournament Points, Losses score 0, and Draws (very rare) score 1 Tournament Point with ties broken by Strike Point Differential.

2024 Adepticon Blood & Plunder Tournament Participation

We had 24 of the 40 slots for this tournament filled during preregistration. On game day we had two players drop, but 2 more sign-up.

The event boasted a diverse spectrum of experience levels among its attendees, encompassing seasoned “pro players,” casual enthusiasts, and a couple of individuals who had just grasped the game at the convention playing only a couple of events earlier that day. It created a lively and varied atmosphere!

I (Jason Klotz) managed the tournament and did not play, but Blood & Pigment member Garrett Swader was able to participate.

2024 Adepticon Blood & Plunder Tournament Force Lists

Several noticeable patterns emerged regarding the nationalities and factions represented in the forces in the tournament. Here’s a breakdown of the tournament lists categorized by nation and faction:

Tournament Force Nationalities

By Nation, the top two most popular are English & Spanish followed closely by the French. It was no surprise, there were zero Dutch lists as they excel at sea and are lackluster on land. There were multiple unaligned lists, including a force of Maroons and Swedish Militia.

• 7 English
• 7 Spanish
• 5 French
• 3 Unaligned
• 1 Natives
• 1 Pirates

Tournament Force Factions

• 3 English: British Militia
• 3 French: Canadian Militia
• 3 Spanish: Spanish Mission Garrison
• 1 English: British Army
• 1 English: Church’s Raiders
• 1 English: North American English Militia
• 1 English: North American English Militia
• 1 French: Buccaneers
• 1 French: French Raiders
• 1 Natives: South American Tribes
• 1 Pirates: Flying Gang
• 1 Spanish: Reformed Spanish Militia
• 1 Spanish: Spanish Army
• 1 Spanish: Spanish Militia
• 1 Spanish: Tercios
• 1 Unaligned: Maroons
• 1 Unaligned: Scottish Militia
• 1 Unaligned: Swedish Militia

Force Data for Tournament Forces

Here’s some data on Force composition:

• Number Models – 21-40 with an average of 29
• Pts spent on Commander – 0-32 with an average of 14.14
• Number of Units – 4-6 with an average of 4.66
• Number of Characters – 0-3 with an average of 1.38

2024 Adepticon Blood & Plunder Results

So…. Who were the winners? Which lists walked away with prizes? That’s what I always want to know! Here are the top 10 players with their respective factions:

1. Arteaga, Fernando – Spanish: Spanish Army
2. Wenner, Patrik – Unaligned: Swedish Militia
3. Vogl, Andrew – English: Church’s Raiders
4. Cwick, Matt – Natives: South American Tribes
5. Goebel, Erich – English: British Army
6. High, Jack – Pirates: Flying Gang
7. Crozier, Robert – Spanish: Spanish Mission Garrison
8. Brucher, Chris – English: North American English Militia
9. Tozer, Patrick – French: Canadian Militia
10. Craig, Dylan – Unaligned: Maroons

Spanish, English, and French had the most popular list, but proportionally it was the minority factions that did the best overall. Fernando & Patrik both went undefeated, but Fernando won by the Strike Point Differential. Fernando’s Spanish Army only took 3 while inflicted 10 Strike Points (-7), and Patrick’s Swedish Militia took 2 and inflicted 7 (-5)

Anecdotes and Interesting Game Moments from the Tournament

• There were 3 Spanish Mission Garrison lists on the tables and the yells of “¡SANTIAGO!” echoed through the ballroom repeatedly throughout the afternoon. Often drawing confused stares from passers-by.
• For the second year in a row, Garrett Swader got beat by his own list in a tournament. Garrett helped provide loaner forces this year and the Sea Tournament in 2023, only to lose the fight against both of them.
• Fernando Artega used his Spanish Army list, based on an article on DeadMansChest.org, to beat Tyler Stone, the author of the article. In the final round, Fernando fixed bayonets and led a glorious charge into the French ranks driving them from the battlefield.
• We encountered multiple issues related to cover and terrain that will hopefully be bringing new errata to the game Soon™.
• The Swedish Militia featuring rarely used pikemen supported by a tight formation of drilled muskets threw multiple players for a loop. The pikes intimidated people into not wanting to charge and kept opponents on their heels.

Gallery of Images from the Land Tournament

“The Meta” at the 2024 AdeptiCon Blood & Plunder Land Tournament

Looking at the top forces it is interesting that there is a much wider variety in the top 10 placing entries this year. The variety helps reinforce the excellence of the Blood & Plunder game’s tactics and uniqueness in force design. I would break them down as 2 army lists, 2 militia musket lists, a militia pike/musket list, 2 finesse builds, 2 melee lists, and 1 sneaky/terrain-focused list.

For this year at least, the “meta” is a distinct lack of a meta, which I love! That for me points to a successful game. It means it is a game where it’s up to the skill of the player and the luck of the dice to determine the winner not building a “perfect list”.

Top Forces Analysis

Breaking down the forces by the ruleset or expansion they were released in, Raise the Black is the favorite. The expansion is just over a year old and there is still a good deal of “new factor” to the supplement. It is also the main expansion referenced in the new 2 Player starter set. There are still lots of new toys to play with and explore in the expansion.

Forces by Expansion

• 15 Raise the Black
• 5 No Peace Beyond the Line
• 3 Fire on the Frontier
• 1 Core Rules

Looking Forward to Next Year in 2025

This year’s land tournament was a success, but we’re already looking forward to 2025 and how to make things even better. The biggest change we will likely make is increasing the Land Tournament point value from 150pts to 200pts. This increase allows players to field 2 support units instead of just one allowing for an even greater depth of strategic and tactical gameplay. While the forces are larger, the gameplay and rate of models lost increases as well so we don’t feel this will greatly affect the 90-minute timeslot per round.

Based on the lessons we’ve learned there are a few housekeeping items we’re adding to the list:

• Standardized table markers so everyone knows which table to report to when assigned.
• A “Terrain Cheat Sheet” on every table and in the tournament packet. This will help standardize how to interact with certain terrain features, clearly define Cover and Hard Cover, and help keep things equal between rounds.
• A force submission deadline of at least 2 weeks before the tournament to make check-in more efficient.
• Early check-in up to 1 hour before the event.
• Displaying the round timer on an overhead projector (if we can keep access to an outlet).

If you have other suggestions for how to improve be sure to comment below. We are always looking to improve our events to make sure everyone has a great experience.

Conclusion

It’s always enjoyable witnessing a tournament unfold. I love observing players delve into list building, adapting new tactics, and enhancing their gameplay skills. While the top three lists hailed from Raise the Black, it’s encouraging to note that four of the top ten stemmed from older releases, showcasing a balanced blend of old and new elements competing at a high level.

If you participated in the tournament or have past experiences with Blood & Plunder tournaments, please share your insights. What’s your preferred competitive list, or what do you believe would constitute a formidable Land List?

Additional Recommended Reading

• Fernando Aretaga breaks down his Royal Spanish Army 1st Place Tournament Force – AdeptiCon 2024
• Dylan Craig shares his Maroon Tournament Force