Escalation games, how do they work?

I agree with Naitsabes in that it is really up to you to play an escalation league or tournament however you want. There is no firm structure really. I have played in one league and one tournament. The league was geared toward starting, assembling and painting a new army. The first meeting was 750 points I think and was advertised several months prior to this first meeting. This gave players time to get this first chunk done. Then we got together once a month for I believe the next five months adding 250 points each time. The first several months we played two games a month and once we got to the larger values played just one game a month. The last meeting was 2,000 points I believe so over the course of roughly 9 months (6 monthly meeting plus 3 months before to get up to 750 points) you acquired, built and painted a 2,000 point army and played about ten games with it. There were no special army composition rules but since you were building the army from scratch typically the larger armies in latter meetings featured everything from before. This wasn't a requirement but as we were adding 250 points each month most people simply don't paint fast enough to do any extra.

The tournament I played in was 500, 1000, 2000 and 100 point skirmish. If I remember right the 1000 point army featured all characters and units from the 500 point army but any units could be increased in size as long as they followed their normal army book rules. So for example in your 500 point army you had 1 character and 2 units of 20 infantry. In your 1000 point army you needed to have the same character and the same 2 units of infantry but you could increase the model count in the infantry blocks. Plus you could add whatever else to get to the 1000 points. Then for the 2000 point game you needed to have the 1000 point army exactly as it was used (all units with identical model counts). The 100 point skirmish game represented survivors and needed to be models that were part of the 2000 point game.

In both of these events casualties were not tracked in any manner so any losses you took in earlier games did not decrease your army size latter.

In the ones I have played in yes, no provisions are made to account for the dead. You could of course do this in your own event if you wanted to. In our campaign casualties are accounted for. Units that are totally destroyed during a game (either lost to the man via close combat, shooting, magic or whatever else or run down from fleeing in combat) make a roll on a chart after the game. Results vary from full recovery back to the number of models from the start of the game to totally destroyed. There are some in between like 1 in 3 models survive or 1 in 2 models survive. Different unit types have different charts to roll on. Then we have gold which can be used at certain times to recover lost models or generate entire new units to replenish those that were destroyed.

Cool variations.

Okay that explains Grom but who keeps bringing back Thanquol?

I'm just thinking of the fluff. Perhaps we can use resurrection stones...or the Gods themselves are using this campain to see who's best. Or who dies the most times in funny circumstances.

You can always go for something a little different...

You start at say 2000 points - winner gets to chose up to, lets say 250 points worth of troops, to replenish their army. The looser gets 200 or 150 points to spend on replenishment, but they have to be units not already in the list.

The next game is then played at say 1500 points plus any replenishing units.

This way the fact that a general would be faced with reduced numbers and strength after each battle and then have to fight again after, with limited replenishments and supplies.

The victor has the advantage to some degree, as a victor more than likely would; they may have gained ground, opened up vital supply routes, or secured a base of operations for resuply and troop reinforcement. The looser however after loosing troops in battle, is faced with a more tougher reality; they may have had supply routes cut off, lost vital supplies and have fewer troops available for reinforcement or replenishment.

This would test a generals skills the more. Having been the victor do you become concieted and expect an easier win next time, thus under estimating your enemy? As the looser, does this drive your determination after your first encounter, yet develop a respect for your enemy, knowing their tactics and your true stength and chances, do you look to better and smarter ways, to keep your boys alive and maximize your impact before going for the kill?

Interesting don't you think?

Great stuff in here. I've always wanted to be a part of a series of battles like this.