Should I go to a tournament?

I'm going to briefly talk about going tournaments but not how to go and win or how to get the most out of your crew in five turns I'm just going to discus the question... 

"should I go to a tournament?".

Firstly you don't have to be the best player to go to a tournament you don't even need to a good player. From experience you just need to be a competent player. I will be the first to admit that I am a poor player easily the worst in our group but I know enough to make it through a game and that's all I've needed to enjoy tournament games.


One of the main things I hear people say when they're debating whether to attempt a tournament is I'm too slow I couldn't play a full game in 2 hours. Two points; one, yes you can you just need practice. Try a few games with a time limit you'll soon find you speed up without much effort. Two, people won't mind if you're a bit slow as long as you are not purposely time wasting. 
If you really find time an issue make sure you are as prepared as possible before you start, have an idea of what your crew will be for each strategy, especially if the strategies are pre announced.
Have your models and cards ready. A tray is great for this but having things neatly in your case will work just as well. 

 The second excuse for not playing is "I'm not good enough". I'm walking proof that being good and having fun have nothing to do with each other. You'll get better the more you play and three to four games in a day is great practice. You'll learn things from the other players there that people in your local club may not do and you'll face crews you've never seen on the table.  Round pairing will quickly take care of skill levels. The first round is usually random after that people are paired by results so there is little chance you'll have three games against people massively better than you. You'll also find you are probably better than you thought. The next worry is about a tournament being a super competitive environment. I won't say people never get over excited or that some people really want to win. But I've never seen people get nasty or aggressive with it. We are lucky enough to have a community of great people who play Malifaux. Every game I've played at a tournament has started and ended with a handshake and this isn't forced. I've (often) been completely destroyed on the table but by the end of the game had a smile on my face and ready for the next round.  I'm not saying there aren't any dickheads playing Malifaux it just that they are more likely to be called on it by the rest of the community before it becomes a problem.

 I'll sum up by saying you don't have to go to tournaments to enjoy the game and it's only a small part of a great game but if you've never tried it because you're unsure or nervous give it a go before you say no. And if that's not enough remember, I'm a miserable git who doesn't like socialising, hates travelling, has a major problem with large groups of people and to add to that I'm a wooden spoon magnet. But I really enjoy Malifaux tournaments and I've had a great time at every one I've been to.