How to Prepare for the Warlord’s Gauntlet League

How to Prepare for the Warlord’s Gauntlet League

With the Warlord’s Gauntlet League fast approaching at Wandering Adventures, now is the time to get organized. Whether you’re a veteran of the tabletop or newer to competitive play, preparation is key to getting the most out of each event day. This guide walks you through the essentials to help you arrive ready and focused.

1. Build and Prepare Your Army List

One of the most important steps is preparing a legal, streamlined, and adaptable 2000-point Strike Force army list. Since pairings for Round 1 are random, your army should be ready to face anything—from durable gunlines to hyper-mobile melee threats.

Tips for success:

• Use the latest points and rules from Games Workshop (especially from the latest Balance Dataslate).

• Don’t overly skew your list for a single matchup type; you’ll likely face a range of armies.

• Bring redundancy in key roles—don’t hinge your game plan on a single unit doing all the work.

Double check your list format and validation using Best Coast Pairings (BCP). Lists must be submitted by 11:59 PM the Thursday before each event, or you risk a penalty.

2. Get Rested and Arrive On Time

It’s easy to underestimate how mentally demanding two games of Warhammer 40K can be in a single day. Make sure to:

• Get a solid night’s sleep before the event.

• Eat beforehand or bring snacks.

• Show up early to register, unpack, and settle in. Rushing into Game 1 can set the tone for an unsteady day.

3. Make a Game-Day Checklist

Every Warhammer event veteran has made the mistake of forgetting something. Avoid stress with a simple checklist:

Essentials:

• Printed or digital copy of your list

• Your fully assembled army

• Dice, measuring tools, objective markers

• Rulebook, Codex, FAQs

• Any stratagem or reference cards you use frequently

• Glue and super glue (for emergency repairs)

• Pen and paper or score tracking app

• Your phone charger (especially if using digital rules)

Optional but useful:

• Dice tray

• Chess clock (if you want to use one)

• Snacks and water bottle

• Transport case for your army

4. Paint What You Can

While fully painted armies are not required during qualifiers, painted models do earn you bonus points and contribute to a better table presence. It’s worth putting in the effort to paint what you can before each event. Focus on units that will be on the table every game: warlords, linchpin units, or vehicles.

The Final Showdown does require fully painted armies, so starting early gives you time to build toward that standard.

5. Review the Missions and Terrain Layouts

The league uses preset terrain and assigned missions each event day. Reviewing those ahead of time will help with deployment planning, secondary selection, and first-turn strategies. If you know what to expect, you’ll start Game 1 with confidence instead of scrambling to react.

Final Thoughts

The Warlord’s Gauntlet League is meant to challenge your strategic skill—but also to build a fun, competitive community. Preparing ahead of time helps you focus on the game instead of the logistics. Take the time to get your list locked in, pack your materials, and hit the tables ready to lead your forces to victory.

You can find the full player pack here:
Warlord’s Gauntlet Player Pack (PDF)