While the details in a tournament event may differ from store to store and club to club, the underlying principle remains the same - organized fun for you! The goal of tournament events is to provide a playing field for you to use your army in, meet new opponents and friends, and be challenged both as a gamer and a hobbyist.

All tournament events will require you to bring painted models, because in addition to fun gaming, they are also a chance to show off all your hard work, get tips on how to improve what you have and also to impart what you’ve learned to others. It’s a great system of give and take that helps grow the gaming community around you.

Part of the responsibility of hosting an tournament event is adhering to what I affectionately call the Gamer’s Bill of Rights. This is a short listing of standards most gamers expect clubs and stores to meet. These standards are in place to help ensure that all attendees have a good time. They are as follows:

1. The point of the hobby being enjoyment, the right of the gamers to have lots of fun and meet new people shall not be abridged.
Tournament events are for fun, and their main purpose is to give everyone a chance to have even more fun by playing lots of games. Playing games is its own reward, and no cheating or unsportsmanlike behavior will be tolerated. When in doubt, refer to the gamer's rules of ettiquette

2. In so far as wargaming is a visual hobby, the gamers have a right to battle against other painted armies.
Each player spends lots of time painting and converting his models to make the army look good. Part of the fun of going to gaming events is checking out other player’s armies, picking up painting and converting tips, and, of course, showing off your army. Players who field a whole army of unpainted models are not only missing out on a large part of the hobby, but they are also taking some of the fun out of it for other players. Many gamers, myself included, will not field unpainted troops. Miniatures that are not fully painted are 'in training' and not ready for the battlefield. Most tournaments will not admit unpainted miniatures, so it is good to be aware of this. Generally speaking, in order to be 'tournament legal' a figure must be painted a minimum of three colors with a base painted some sort of 'ground' color.

3. The gamers have the right to have any disputes or questions settled by polite, impartial judges.
Impartiality is a must and should be expected at every gaming event. Judges are on hand to make correct rules calls to the best of their ability without skewing or bending the rules to benefit friends or local favorites. However, right or wrong, the judges’ calls are final and should be respected. Since players are there to play for fun, they should not feel as if the whole day is ruined because of one bad rule call or decision.

4. The gamers time is valuable, therefore the event shall be organized and run in a timely manner.
Regardless of how far anyone has traveled to an event, everyone appreciates when games are started and played in a timely manner. Players should be able to get a schedule from the event organizer so they can plan their trip to the event location and back home.

5. No manner of cruel or unusual punishment shall be inflicted, gaming shall be in a reasonably comfortable environment.
Try to avoid being an overzealous event organizer who crams too many players into too tight a space. Keep in mind that players will need room to maneuver, a place to put their miniature cases, and some storage space. Temperature may also be a factor – I'm talking about excessive heat or cold, as well as an inclement weather backup plan for any who are thinking about outdoor activities.

6. Gamers are a diverse lot, common courtesy and a respect for religious, cultural and ethnic differences shall prevail at all times
It is okay to incorporate ethnic templates into your army. My Lyubov 18th takes a lot from Chasidic iconography, Kelton Kilgore uses Hindu imagery, I am working up a Chaos force that uses Islamic imagery, and that's all well and good but be careful, especially when working with cultural imagery other than your own, to be respectful. Of course, even with your own culture you need to be careful. A friend of mine is very Irish, and very proud of it, he worked up a Space Wolf army based on Celtic rather than Nordic themes. He poked a little good-natured fun at himself (his wolf priests all wore Roman collars and carried bottles of whiskey as part of their wargear and the unit banners all carried IRA slogans on them) but one rather uptight fellow got his panties in a twist about it. Now, my friend was hardly anti-Irish but he still managed to anger this boy-o. Of course, some people just want to be offended, and there is nothing you can do. However, A little common courtesy will avoid most problems.

Additionally, though this should not have to be said, don't use ethnic or religious slurs in your trash talk around a games table. If you are playing against people you don't know, you can't be 100% sure what will or won't offend, so just be polite. Among my mates I am far more willing to accept good-natured ribbing about my race or religion (because I know they don't really mean it) than I would be willing to accept from someone I just met. Most people are like that, so govern your speech accordingly.