How to AdeptiCon: A Padawan’s Guide

16th March 2025

Rosco

10 mins

It’s almost time…

Mate - In less than two weeks, AdeptiCon will be kicking off in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA from 26-30 March 2025!! That’s REAL soon.

Before I start rattling on…First, what is AdeptiCon? From the website: AdeptiCon has grown consistently over the past twenty years, from the humble 110 person event in 2003, to the amazing 8,000 attendees AdeptiCon hosted in 2024. Over these twenty-two years, AdeptiCon has been held at five different venues. We have expanded from a handful of events to well over 1250 tournaments, event games, and hobby seminars covering all aspects of the miniature war gaming hobby.

Summary: It’s a bloody good time for tabletop wargamers like us. Hell yeah! 🤘

There’s so many things I want to see and do this year, but the main reason I’m going is to have a crack at the Armada World Championship Tournament! So, while I’m still struggling with decisions like what fleet I’ll be taking or what nerdy t-shirts to wear, I thought it’d be worth sharing a few useful insights - particularly for those that haven’t been before.

Hot tips for young players…

Last year was my first time at AdeptiCon (held in Chicago) and, while I'm far from being a veteran, I kind of have a better idea now on how I can tackle the long days and the whole event in general. As we’re now just around the corner, here's a few of my own lessons from last year, which are probably also applicable to all other tabletop games and game conventions:

Pre-Con Prep

Know the event format and location: Read up on the event rules pack, the Con location and where you need to go. This includes registration desks, food/vendors, bathrooms, etc. Recon the day before and/or arrive extra early on the day.

Know your list/army/fleet: Practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. There's a reason us military types conduct drills and exercises non-stop - it builds muscle memory and allows you to do things like second nature, even when tired (4 rounds of Armada in a day is epic). Play against a wide variety of other lists too, not just meta lists.

Organise your gear: Find a box/bag that easily fits your list, cards and components, plus some snacks and a water bottle. Set it all up and play a game with it before leaving home to make sure you have everything. Bring spare bits like tokens, bases and pegs, plus some stuff like super glue or blu-tack to fix broken things. Make a checklist if you have to. Think about taking a mat for pickup games as well.

Optimise your gear: Find a flat tray or shallow box that allows you to carry all of your ships, cards, rulers and components easily from table to table to minimise setup time during the short breaks between tourney rounds. The quicker you get set up, the more time you have to observe your opponent's list and make a plan. Practice carrying it around the house or at store tournaments. There’s some great sellers on Etsy has some pretty cool stuff to organise things, such as Admiral Tater Ship Shop (not an affiliate link).

Pack smart: Comfy shoes for long days on your feet, jacket/warm jumper/sweater, snacks (Clif bars or trail mix type stuff), water bottle, phone charger/battery and some meds like headache/cold'n'flu/anti-inflammatory/hand sanitiser/face mask (just in case - con crud is a thing).

Backup plans: Have a plan for other stuff you want to go check out while you're there. There's so much to see and do, so check out the event schedule for other games and stalls you might want to have a look at, seminars that interest you or game demos to try!

Gamedays

Arrival and setup: As mentioned above - get there early, register, then locate the tables and amenities.

Food and rest: Stay well-rested, eat well, and stay hydrated. Take simple non-greasy hi-protein snacks to munch on between/during games.

Chat to people!: It's honestly the best part of these events - meeting new people from all over the world, including all those people you only chat to in Discord, hear in podcasts or see on YouTube. People are also usually keen to head out as a group for dinner or drinks after each day (but make sure you stay well-rested and hydrated, etc., etc.). People are usually looking for pickup games outside tourneys too. The venue halls and every hotel lobby is full of random games in progress all hours of the day.

Be a good human and HAVE FUN!: It's easy to get caught up in all the competition stuff, but the main thing is that you enjoy yourself and spend some time 'in the moment' at the con. The atmosphere in and around the venue is awesome, extending out to bars, restaurants and hotel lobbies everywhere around the con venue.

Take time to check out the rest of the con! There's so much great gaming and events going on - it's all worth seeing. Seriously, take it all in mate. It’s a good time. Here’s some pics from last year:

Have an absolute ball!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now, so I hope that was helpful for someone - happy to answer any questions that anybody might have as well. Even though I may not know the answer, I’ll definitely know some people who will =)

After the Con, I’ll also put together a bigger readout of the whole process from Con announcement, through trip planning, to packing the right stuff.

Time for a wee dram 🥃 and some fleet decision time…🤔 and probably some painting… ARGH 😅

Cheers - Rosco