The NOVA Open tabletop wargaming convention returned to DC this weekend after a two-year hiatus and we’re hype as hell to see it return. With events for every game system and type of play, there’s a ton of fun to be had at the event and you know we’ve got people there in the mix.

If you’re tragically stuck at home this year like me and want to follow along at home, here’s a quick rundown of who we have at the event, what’s going on with them, and who you can root for.

The 40k GT

The NOVA Open 40k GT is a 9-round, 3-day event that starts today using War Zone Nephilim GT rules for 40k. It uses a pod-based structure for matching, where players are sorted into similarly-ranked pods after their first few games – this is similar to what GW does at its official events. You can get the event details and follow along on Best Coast Pairings. And if you’re playing in the event, be sure to track your games using the Tabletop Battles App!

Who to Watch

• Shane Watts – After a quiet start to the year Shane’s been on the warpath, racking up kills with his Bloody Rose Adepta Sororitas. He’s out to repeat his success from past NOVA events and win the whole thing – and he’s got decent odds.
• Scott Horras “Heresy” – Scott’s repping the Astra Militarum and while he’s an excellent player, his goals are set much lower – he’d be happy to score a TiWP (Tournament in Winning Position) for Guard and just make the top pod cut. Scott’s first game is on stream – you can watch it here.
• Mike Pestilens – An occasional writer and reviewer for us, Mike Pestilens runs the Warphammer blog and is just an incredibly swell guy and devious player. Tragically the new Daemons book isn’t out yet so he’s running Black Legion at the event.
• Craig Valvano – A member of team Cuddle Bunnies and a wonderful patron of the site, Craig put up a good showing with his Chaos Knights at the Goonhammer Open two weeks ago and is looking to repeat the feat.

Where to Watch

You can watch the 40k games streaming on Wargames Live, a channel that offers regular events coverage and for my money the best camerawork in the biz. Reminder that Scott is playing on stream, right now. Go Watch and send him good vibes.

Age of Sigmar GT

We’ve also got peeps in the AoS event! This is an 8-round event with more than a hundred players. You can track this event in Best Coast Pairings as well.

• Andrew “Marchettus” Brennen – After a solid showing at Nashcon two weeks ago, Andrew is bringing his Ironjawz out to play at NOVA and looking for a solid finish.
• Joe Krier – Joe’s also on the scene in DC, running Beasts of Chaos and aiming to win the event.

Where to Watch

You can watch the streamed games for the Age of Sigmar GT on the Season of War Youtube channel.

The 40k Narrative

The massive NOVA 40k Narrative is back and we have a ton of people playing in the event, and while this one isn’t in BCP, many of them are using Administratum to track their armies and progress, so we’ll do an update with some of that over the weekend. Playing in the event are MasterSlowPoke, Contemptor Kevin, Campbell “SRM” McLaughlin”, whiteoutmouse, genola, NeonGoblin, and Crab-stuffed Mushrooms. Look for their coverage of the event in the coming weeks.

Specialist Games

Finally we’ve got the specialist games – specifically Titanicus and Blood Bowl. We’ve got people in each event – including Condit and Soggy – so look for our follow-up coverage on those events in the next two weeks.

Remember: The Real Prize is the Friends We Make Along the Way

If you’re going to NOVA this year and playing in an event, stop by and say hi to one of our authors, or just hang out and watch Condit’s horrible dice rolls in Titanicus. Or, if you have any questions or feedback, drop us a note in the comments below or email us at contact@goonhammer.com.