Now that we know who all the players are, we can start talking about First Round Challenges.

For folks who haven’t been to Vanguard GT before, I like to add a little extra incentive for Challenges. First, the tables are all themed after armies and places in Pannithor. So, when you are challenged I like to put that game on the table that matches your army (if there is one and it’s available) for little bit of narrative home field advantage. Second, I print medals for challenge winners, proclaiming you either a Conqueror or Defender, depending on which side of the challenge you were on.

To issue a challenge, just post it some place that both I and the challenged player can see it. Our Facebook Event is a good option, as is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Facebook Group. The list of this year’s tables and current challenges can be found here.

Here are the results of the random drawing for the last 16 spots! The Participants page has been updated accordingly. I’ll email everyone later today to make sure they know their current status. If you weren’t drawn, you are still on the wait list in the order that you registered. If you’re one of the first 3 or 4 people on the wait list, I’d make sure to keep the weekend open. I think last year I went through about 5 folks on the wait list, so you’ve still got a good chance.

1. Mike Szedlmayer
2. Rob Kendzie
3. Jake Ciarapica
4. Jason Britt
5. Ryan Hoffman
6. Robert Brandon
7. Joe Borgese
8. Mark Zielinski
9. Joey Greek
10. Thomas Strother
11. Brad Park
12. Ray Shields
13. Maxwell Kenny
14. Mike Ireland
15. Ray Weiandt
16. Gabe Toth

So I think I have responded to everyone at this point. If you already sent in a registration but haven’t heard back from me, please ping me again.

I received 22 registrations right at noon, and by 12:05 I had 32. The first year I ran this event, I had to scrape to get a full 20 players. I’m blown away by the community’s growth and interest in this event. Now it’s on us to deliver the level of event that you have come to expect.

You can check out the current state of things on the Participants page. The wait list is currently at 21 people.

So what happens now? On Friday I’m going to do a random drawing from the wait list for the last 16 spots. Anyone who registers between now and then will be eligible. Anyone not drawn, or who registered after the drawing, will stay on the wait list in case more spots open up.