Results: Waaghmbat Patrol Tournament Final!

Five consecutive weeks. Fifteen rounds. Three dozen participants. Over a hundred individual games. One Champion.

The four preliminary heat qualifiers in the North Texas Combat Patrol series, The Waaghmbat Patrol, met at Games Workshop Grapevine Mills Sunday in a round-robin, winner-take-all final to determine the Warhammer 40,000 'Combat Waaghmbat' of North Texas. All four participants put forth amazing efforts: representatives from Games Workshop US Headquarters in Baltimore were on hand on the day, and took home copies of the graphically-beautiful, content-intensive army lists completed by the finalists (as well as some choice creative examples from previous rounds!) to show off around the home office; all four finalist armies were not only completely painted, but to uniformly masterful degrees (the tables looked stunning--expect to see photos uploaded providing coverage imminently); all four finalists had attractive framing display bases for showing off (and safely transporting) their armies (the Ork players in particular outdid themselves in this Presentation category); and virtually every battle was closely-contested, as these generals faced scenarios more complex and tactically challenging than any in earlier heats.

Competition was ferocious; at the end of the day, the three runners-up were separated by exactly one point...and the Overall Winner had truly earned his victory.

As befit a tournament series saluting the green scourge of the forty-first millennium, two of the four finalists--Aaron Wheatcraft representing HobbyAnnex and Steve Triolet representing Lone Star Comics--fielded new Ork armies (though--perhaps portentously--The Waaghmbat himself was absent from both patrols); their opponents--Bob Westbrook representing GW Grapevine Mills and Juan Diaz representing HobbytownUSA Dallas--both fielded examples of the 40K army which has become the dominant tabletop force in North Texas, the Tau. Tau pre-eminence continued, with Bob and Juan facing each other undefeated in the final round, in a tense combat which tipped either way more than once: though dice exerted their tyranny, as they will, the question of victory on the top table ultimately hinged on decisions each general made, and the consequences of same...and Juan's unsung Kroot--appropriately, as by consensus they were the very best looking unit amongst four wholly-gorgeously-finished armies, and actually developed a cheering section of their own during the course of the event!--shot Bob's Crisis Suit off the high ground and seized it themselves, to deliver the day to HobbytownUSA Dallas' Juan Diaz!

BEST OVERALL/ WAAGHMBAT PATROL TOURNAMENT CHAMPION: Juan Diaz/Tau

Though the greater good could claim to have been served, even in defeat the Orks prevailed--as Juan used his Winner's Gift Card to acquire a selection of brand new 40K Ork models to begin his new greenskin army. Waaagh!!!

Thanks to the four sponsoring retailers and their staffs, and to Games Workshop US for its generous and unfailing support. Congratulations to winner, finalists and all of the prizewinners and participants in this month-long event! Keep abreast of all things related to the Games Workshop hobby--including future contests such as these!--here, on Adeptus North Texas!