Westhammer League Rules

1. 🥇 Core Principles

Have Fun

This is a chill, friendly league built to encourage games, painted armies, and awesome moments.

Respect

Respect your opponent, their models, and the time they took to play.

Fair Play

Play clean, honest games. No tryharding — keep it enjoyable for everyone.

Community Over Competition

Winning is cool, but the real goal is to share the hobby, build stories, and make every game memorable for both players.

2. ⚙️ League Format

🏆 Pyramid League Format

Climb to the top of the pyramid by challenging and defeating players in higher positions. The league runs continuously, allowing players to join and play at their own pace.

🧱 Pyramid Structure

The league is organized in tiers, forming a pyramid.

Each tier can have a maximum number of players depending on its level:

• Tier 1 (Top): 1 player
• Tier 2: 2 players
• Tier 3: 3 players
• Tier 4: 4 players
• And so on...

New players join at the lowest available tier and position.

⚔️ Challenges & Matches

Players can challenge anyone in the tier above their own.

A win promotes the challenger up one tier (or swaps with the defeated player).

A loss results in no change in position.

⏳ Activity Requirements

Minimum: One game per month, either as a challenger or defender.

Failure to play results in decay (see below).

🔻 Decay Rules

If a player does not complete a game in a calendar month:

• They are demoted one tier, if space allows.
• Players in lower tiers move up to fill any vacancies caused by decay.
• Ranks are adjusted to maintain a continuous pyramid structure (no empty spots).

📤 Leaving or Joining

Players leaving the league are removed from the pyramid.

All players below shift up to fill the gap.

New players are added to the lowest open position in the bottom tier.

Game Timing

Each game has a maximum playtime of 4 hours, including setup.

If the 4-hour limit is reached before the game ends, the score at that time is final.

Players may continue past 4 hours only if both agree — this is optional.

This rule is designed around typical store hours and to ensure timely game completion.

Each month, a Saturday will be shared where 2 tables will be available for league games.

3. 🎮 How to Play a League Game

All league games must follow the structure outlined below to ensure fairness and consistency:

🗺️ Mission Rules

• All games must use the "Chapter Approved 2025-26" mission deck.
• Asymmetric missions are not allowed in league play — only symmetric missions may be used.
• The Twist card is optional, and may only be included if both players agree before the game begins.

🔢 Game Size

Players may play either a 1,000-point or 2,000-point game.

The Defender chooses the game size.

🎯 Additional Notes

Ensure you follow the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) rule.

Games Workshop map layouts are recommended for balanced terrain or use terrain guidelines when setting up the battlefield.

Missions and terrain setup must be agreed upon before the match starts.

🗺️ Terrain Guidelines

Not every game needs to be on a tournament-style battlefield — any terrain set is welcome! Got that awesome desert board? A jungle fortress? A ruined cityscape? Use it! The key is creating a fair, fun, and immersive experience for both players.

When setting up the battlefield, keep these things in mind:

• Ensure enough terrain is present to provide meaningful cover during deployment and throughout the game.
• Avoid one-sided layouts — try to balance terrain placement so neither player has an overwhelming advantage.
• Agree on terrain rules before the game starts — discuss what each piece counts as (e.g., Light Cover, Dense, Obscuring, etc.).
• Leave room for movement — especially for larger models or vehicles, make sure they aren't boxed in or denied meaningful movement due to terrain bottlenecks.

These guidelines are here to help maintain a fun and strategic game experience while celebrating the variety of terrain we all enjoy using. Creativity is encouraged — just keep it fair and clear!

4. 🎨 Hobby & Sportsmanship

Painting Requirements

• All armies must be battle ready (3-color minimum, fully assembled)
• This ensures fair visuals and encourages hobby progress
• Best Painted Army voting takes place at the end of each cycle

🎭 WYSIWYG Guidelines

• Models must reasonably represent their loadout (weapons, wargear, etc.).
• Proxies and conversions are allowed, as long as they follow the guidelines below.
• Clarity is key — do not confuse your opponent.
• Base size must match the official model's base.
• The model’s hull or body size must roughly match the original to avoid gameplay discrepancies.
• Twists, proxies, or conversions must be disclosed and discussed with your opponent before the game.

🔍 Proxy & Conversion Use

League games operate on mutual respect and sportsmanship. Since matchups are scheduled by players, the use of any proxy or converted models must be clearly discussed and agreed upon by both players during game setup.

Points to follow:

• No last-minute surprises — announce any proxies/conversions when agreeing to the game.
• Talk it through before deployment — verify with your opponent that everything is understood.
• If you or your opponent are unsure or uncomfortable with a model, try to resolve it together. If a compromise cannot be reached, you may escalate the issue to a league organiser for a ruling.

🤝Sportsmanship & Disagreements

Respect the Game and Your Opponent

This is a friendly, fun league, and the experience should be enjoyable for everyone. Treat your opponent, their army, and their time with respect.

Examples of good sportsmanship:

• Offering a friendly handshake before and after the game.
• Taking time to explain the rules if your opponent is unfamiliar with them or unsure.
• Acknowledging good plays from your opponent, regardless of the outcome.
• Staying positive and encouraging, even when things aren’t going your way.
• Being patient if your opponent needs extra time for decision-making or looking up rules.
• Maintaining good table manners and cleanliness throughout the game.

Examples of poor sportsmanship:

• Unsportsmanlike conduct such as mocking, belittling, or insulting an opponent.
• Rules lawyering: Focusing on every minor technicality to gain a competitive edge instead of playing for fun.
• Disrespecting or ignoring the opponent’s army or hobby effort.
• Showing frustration through aggressive body language, loud outbursts, or quitting prematurely.

Playing with Intent

Clear communication is key. Always talk through your intentions during your turn to ensure that both players are on the same page. This avoids misunderstandings and ensures a smoother, more enjoyable game.

• Example: If you’re moving a unit or declaring an action (like shooting or charging), clearly explain your plan before rolling dice.
• Why it matters: By stating your intentions, you give your opponent the opportunity to ask questions, request clarifications, and prevent accidental rules violations.
• Best practice: Think of it as creating a collaborative, interactive experience where both players are engaged in the game, rather than just one person moving pieces.

Disagreements

In case of a rules dispute or any disagreements: 1. Look it up calmly: Discuss the issue respectfully and try to resolve it between you. 2. If unresolved, contact the appointed judge (if available) for a decision. 3. If no judge is present, both players should agree to a fair call, continuing the game in the spirit of good sportsmanship. 4. No score changes after the game ends: Once the match is finished and scores are submitted, they are final.

Aggressive or abusive behavior will not be tolerated and can result in removal from the league. We want everyone to feel welcome, respected, and part of a positive community.

5. Extras & Flavor

These are all suggestions to add to the value of each game.

MVPs (Most Valuable Player)

After each game, players should nominate one unit from their army as their MVP. This is the unit that had the greatest impact, performed excellently, or simply had an amazing moment during the match.

How to submit MVP:

• Name the unit and explain why it was the MVP for your game.
• Feel free to include any notable moments that made this unit shine (e.g., surviving against all odds, delivering a game-changing charge, etc.).

Big Moments

Every game has those memorable, game-changing, or just plain hilarious moments. Players are encouraged to share "big moments" from their games.

How to submit Big Moments:

• After the match, jot down a few lines about any key event that stood out.
• For example: "My Baneblade took down two Land Raiders in one turn!" or "My opponent’s Terminators got wiped out by a single squad of Guardsmen!"
• Players can also include any epic photo from the game to capture the moment!

Epic Photos

We’re all here because we love the hobby, so let’s celebrate it! After each match, feel free to share epic photos from your games. These can be dramatic shots of key moments, your army on the battlefield, or even close-ups of your best-painted units.

How to share photos:

• Share your photos in the #epic-photos channel or in your game summary email.

Theme/Story Highlights

In addition to the standard match reporting, players are encouraged to share any story or theme they have been building into their games.

What’s this about?

• Do you have a personal story or background for your units or factions?
• Have you created an epic battle that links all your games together?

Players can include a brief narrative write-up with their game summaries, adding extra flavor to the league.

6. 🤝Feedback and Dispute Resolution

We value feedback from all participants as it helps us improve the league experience. If you have any questions about the league, or if you encounter any issues during a game that need clarification, we encourage you to reach out and discuss them.

Giving Feedback

1. General Questions or Issues:

   • If you need clarification on league rules, game procedures, or anything else related to the league, feel free to reach out to the Judge. They’re there to help ensure everything runs smoothly.

2. Problems During a Game:

   • If you encounter an issue or a rules dispute during a match, please follow these steps:
     1. Ask for clarification from your opponent and work together to resolve the issue.
     2. If the issue cannot be resolved, contact the Judge for a ruling. The Judge is there to help resolve conflicts and ensure fair play.

3. Feedback on the Judge:

   • If the issue is with the Judge themselves or their ruling (for any reason), please contact the store owner. The store owner will review the situation and help address any concerns.

🤝Final Authority and League Integrity

• Judge rulings are final. Once the Judge makes a call during a game, that decision stands for the remainder of the match.
• The Judge and league organizers reserve the right to remove a player from the league if their behavior or actions disrupt the enjoyment, fairness, or integrity of the league.
• If, for any reason, the store owner decides to ban or not allow a participant into the store, that participant is automatically removed from the league.

Damage and Responsibility

All players are responsible for the safety and care of their own miniatures, terrain, and personal belongings during league games and events.

Neither the league organizers nor the store owner will be held responsible for any damage, loss, or theft of miniatures, models, or personal items during the course of the league.

Please handle all models — yours and others' — with care and respect.