The Mercaturian Tournament Codex

Game System: Warhammer 40k Tournament Rules

This Codex establishes the tournament rules and standards of conduct expected of all participants within the tournament. It serves as a clear reference point for behavior and procedure, ensuring fairness and consistency throughout. Detailed information specific to each tournament is contained in the individual Arena page.

Purpose and Scope

The Codex establishes the framework and tournament rules for all tournaments/events conducted under Mercaturan oversight. It defines the standards of conduct and the operational rules that participants are expected to follow. Its purpose is to ensure fairness, consistency, and clarity across every match and event.

The Codex applies to all participants, officials, and organizers within the tournament environment. It sets expectations for behavior, outlines procedures for competition, and provides guidance for resolving disputes. Overseer presence is acknowledged as a stabilizing force, maintaining order without imposing beyond necessity.

New participants are welcomed with assurance that the Codex is designed to support them as much as it guides veterans. Every rule is written to provide clarity, reduce uncertainty, and foster a fair environment where newcomers can compete with confidence.

For detailed information specific to individual tournaments, including schedules, formats, and unique conditions, reference is made to the Tournament Summary. The Summary functions as a living record, updated as required to reflect the particulars of each event.

Code of Conduct

Respect and Courtesy
All participants must treat one another with professionalism and courtesy. Harassment, discrimination, or disruptive behavior is not permitted. The environment must remain safe and welcoming for every individual.

Fair Play
Participants are expected to uphold the spirit of competition. Cheating, manipulation of results, or unsportsmanlike conduct undermines the integrity of the tournament and will not be tolerated.

Support for Newcomers
The Codex is written to guide and reassure new participants as much as it governs experienced competitors. Newcomers are encouraged to engage confidently, knowing that the tournament rules are designed to protect fairness and provide clarity. The tournament environment is structured so that learning and enjoyment are also prioritized alongside competition.

Safeguards
In rare cases where conduct violates these standards, officials may take corrective measures. Such actions are applied only as needed, with the sole purpose of preserving fairness and positive vibes for all.

General Tournament Rules

Format
The tournament is conducted using an eight‑participant Swiss system. Each participant competes in three rounds, with pairings determined by current win records. The first round is seeded randomly to ensure impartiality.

Victory and Pairings
A participant who achieves three consecutive wins (3‑0 record) is recognized as the champion. Pairings are generated within the same bracket of win records, matching participants with identical records whenever possible to maintain balance and fairness.

Standings and Safeguards
Final standings are determined first by total wins. In the event of identical records, VP score is applied as the secondary measure. Officials may intervene only when necessary to resolve irregularities in pairing or scoring, applying measures with restraint to preserve fairness and consistency.

Scoring and Recording
Participants are strongly encouraged to have a physical copy of the mission deck for ease of play, as the Sector does not provide this. Recording results may be done digitally through apps such as Tabletop Battles, but pen and paper remains perfectly acceptable and is encouraged for reliability.
For accountability, both participants should track Command Points (CP) and Victory Points (VP), with optional dual tracking by each participant to ensure accuracy and transparency throughout the match.

Materials for Play
Participants are expected to bring their own army, codex (either physical or via the official GW app), dice, measurement devices, LOS lasers, tokens, and any other accessories that support smooth and fair play. These items ensure clarity, reduce delays, and make the game experience comfortable for all participants.
For the best experience, participants are strongly encouraged to bring a printed and laminated copy of their army list along with their army rules, making it easy for opponents to reference.

Timing Control
Chess clocks are provided at each table by the Sector. Usage of clocks is optional, but they must be used if requested by any single participant on that battlefield. When clocks are in use, they are activated at the deployment stage and remain active until the end of the battle or the end of time, whichever comes first. During a judge call, the clock may be stopped; otherwise, it is expected to remain active.
The frequency of flipping active time depends on each participant’s personal style. Flipping for opponent save rolls should be reasonable. For example, not for a single save roll, but for a batch of rolls such as ten saves with different profiles or Feel No Pain checks.
Failure to flip the clock back results in an unfair situation typically disadvantageous to the participant who forgot to flip since time continues to run on their clock. In such cases, no time will be reimbursed and the clock state is immediately rectified at the time of discovery.

Dice
If custom dice are used, the numbers or faces must be clearly distinguishable. Where a special symbol is present, it must indicate either a one or a six, and not both. All dice used in a single roll must be of the same colour to ensure clarity. Cocked dice and dice not contained within the tray are to be rerolled.
Participants must ensure that opponents are given the opportunity to acknowledge results before dice are picked up. This safeguard preserves transparency and fairness in every dice roll.
For rolls against a measured value, it is advised that the value be predetermined before rolling. Once dice have been rolled, the original value cannot be disputed.

Playing by Intent
Warhammer is a game of open information, and participants should not be penalized for lacking detailed datasheet knowledge. Each participant is expected to play and maintain the board state together at all times. Sportsmanship is highly valued within the Sector, even in a competitive tournament environment.
Playing by intent means that a participant presents their intent verbally to the opponent. For example, a participant may state, “I am moving this unit behind the wall to avoid overwatch when I charge later.” If, during the charge, a model is found to be marginally within line of sight, it is expected that overwatch will not happen as the declared intent governs the action.
The purpose of playing by intent is to ensure clarity of immediate actions and to prevent disputes arising from potential future marginal grey areas.
It does not require participants to reveal their broader game plan. Statements such as “my intent is to win” are not valid applications of this principle.

Judge Calls and Grievances
Participants are expected to uphold the integrity of the tournament at all times. Do not cheat! Don’t CB! Yellow cards may be issued for offenses including but not limited to cheating, obscuring dice rolls, misplaying rules, sloppy miniature movements, misinterpreting tournament rules, unsportsmanlike conduct, “gotcha” tactics, and excessive rules lawyering. Even within a competitive environment, this is still a game of plastic toy soldiers. Accumulation of two yellow cards will result in immediate termination from the tournament. In cases of severe misconduct, a single yellow card may be sufficient to terminate participation immediately.
Participants are encouraged to resolve disputes independently before calling upon the judges. In all judge calls, each participant must provide proof of their position using the official Games Workshop app. Trivial or nuisance judge calls may be penalized, though the threshold for such penalties is intentionally set very high. Participants should not hesitate to call for a judge if their argument can be justified within the app.
All decisions made by judges are considered final, even if later discovered to be incorrect. Judges are human, and rulings are binding to preserve flow and fairness within the tournament environment.
If clocks are in use, they may be temporarily stopped during a judge call.

Map & Terrain
In‑house terrain and objective markers are provided by the Sector. These are official Games Workshop pieces intended to mimic the official layout as accurately as possible, ensuring a balanced battlefield without random factors. Acrylic footprints are supplied and follow the general footprint rules. All first‑floor building walls are treated as blocking line of sight. Light terrain features are defined as less than two inches in height. Units firing from the second floor do not gain a plunging fire bonus, and all units positioned on the second floor can be charged directly from the wall.
All maps are sized 60” by 44”.
Participants must measure and double‑check all terrain and objective markers before each game. This ensures accuracy, consistency, and fairness across the battlefield.

Army Construction
Unless specified in the Summary, all latest balanced updates and point changes are to be used. All army lists must be submitted no later than seven days before the tournament date, using the Games Workshop official app format only. Unless specifically mentioned in the Summary, battle‑forged armies grant a bonus of 10 Victory Points in each match.

Miniature Rules
In the spirit of competition, all models must follow WYSIWYG as closely as possible. Non‑WYSIWYG configurations are only permitted if the entire unit can be generalized; for example, a squad of Custodes with a mix of swords and spears may be treated as all having spears.
Kitbash or third‑party printed parts are allowed, provided that at least 50% of the model consists of original Games Workshop kits. All proxies must use the correct base size and maintain approximately the same dimensions and silhouette as the official model.
Modeling for advantage is strictly disallowed and may be barred during competition.
Participants should check with the Overseer before fielding any such models, and must confirm with the Overseer regarding any WYSIWYG exceptions.

Participation slots are allocated strictly on a first‑come, first‑served basis. Only payment made in full guarantees a confirmed slot, while partial or pending payment places a participant on reserved status. To secure entry, participants are strongly advised to confirm early with the Overseer.

Further Information on Tournament Rules

Additional resources can be found through the official Warhammer Community downloads. Each tournament’s Arena entry will clearly indicate when and how these documents are to be used.

Have fun and see you in the Sector! Happy rolling~!