5 TIPS TO HAVE A GREAT WEEK AT THE WTC 2023
Team Netherlands ‘22 with Team England ‘22
Unless you have been living under a tactical rock you should know by now that the WTC2023 is almost upon us. This is one of the longest running 40k events which contains 2 tournaments, The Warmaster GT (single play) and the World Team Championships. I personally have really been looking forward to this week of Warhammer after attending last year for the first time as a member of Team Netherlands. I think this is one of the best and most important event on the yearcalendar and I always encourage everyone to head on out and spend the week at the WTC. I know there are quite a few of my fellow countrymen heading out to Mechelen for the Warmaster GT and I wanted to compile a list of tips and tricks that could make your stay as easy as possible so you can heads into your games well prepared! So without further ado, let’s jump straight into it!
1: READ THE RULESPACK!
While this may seem obvious, it is even more important at the WTC and Warmaster GT. There will be players from all over the world which means there will be cultural/regional differences and interpretations of rules. Therefore the WTC referee team is very strict on following their rulespack and guidelines. While this may seem cumbersome at first it’s actually a much better playing experience as everyone is one the same page! The WTC team have several documents which should help you with any questions and if you can’t find the answer to your questions you can contact them via discord. To make things easier for you I have compiled a list of all important documents and links below here:
2: STICK TO THE PLANNING
The WTC organization has made a very clear schedule on what actions to take as a player. These can all be found in the mails that have been sent out and in the rules pack. For your comfort, here is a list with deadlines ;)
List submission: Friday, July 28th 23:59 CET
Model approval deadline: Tuesday august 1st, 23:59 CET
List checking: July 28th till August 1st 23:59 CET
List revisions: August 1st till August 6th, 23:00 CET
Public release of lists: Sunday august 6th, 23:59 CET
first round draw: Monday, August 7th 09:00 CET
Warmaster event: August 8th till August 10th
3: COMFORT IS KEY
The venue is a giant concrete hall, don’t count on airconditioning and prepare for extreme temperatures! There’s a good chance it’s going to be 25 degrees and higher and you need you to prepare for it. Light, comfortable clothes and shoes will make your your experience better but bringing a yoga mat to stand on is a pure pro-player move! I do advise you to bring a sweater as well, European weather can change on a dime and I can imagine the hall being very cold if the weather changes around.
While drinks will be readily available at the venue I can not stress enough that having your own refillable water bottle is a must-have! The human body needs 2 liters water per day and as the athletes we are we’ll be looking at a 3 Liters at least! Stay hydrated to prevent headaches and fatigue! Don’t forget to bring (non fat/sugar) snacks with you as well, fruits, nuts, raisins will keep your energy levels at a decent level so you can stay sharp and focussed in your games.
The venue and a tiny Tom and Isik
4: THE WTC IS MORE THAN JUST GAMING
This may sound cliche but in this instance it’s more true than ever. For an entire week you have more than 300 likeminded people all together in a very nice city with good weather. We’re all there to have a great week so relax and enjoy the ride! There is an entire army of referees who are to help you and make everything run smoothly! After the games I highly advise you to go the citycentre and meet up with the other players for dinner or a few drinks. There is nothing better than grabbing a beer together after a nailbiter of a game and have a laugh afterwards! Mechelen is a great city with plenty bars, restaurants, terrasses to have a greet week together!
protip: Skip the car and grab a rental step!
In Mechelen there is the Hoppy Steps, all you need to do is download the Hoppy app, upload some credits and you can swerve to the city on your steps with your army bag looking like an incredible hipster. More information can be found on the website of the City Mechelen here.
5: BRING DICE AS SOUVENIRS
I have no idea where it all started (probably from the WTC itself) but trading dice is one of the most nerdy and coolest things you get to do at the WTC! Everyone brings a big bunch of their own dice, wether these are from their national team, local club or favorite store doesn’t matter, ss long as you have enough to trade with your opponents from all over the world! I’m proud to say that I have a collection of 40 different dice, and I can’t wait to add more this year!
Players collection at the table
There you have it, 5 tips and tricks to help you along with your first week at the WTC 2023! I hope this article was of any use, don’t shy to give me some feedback ;) For the oncoming days i’ll be extremely busy with the last preparations for team Netherlands but do give me a tap when you see me in Mechelen so we can grab a beer together ;)
Kind regards,
Dino Kho