About a month ago, one of the premier Warhammer 40k events known as the ATC (The American Team Championship) was held in East Ridge, Tennessee near Chattanooga. Teams from across American descend on this ETC style event. ATC is is huge with over 200 players and 40 teams. Such a large event means you get a cross section of players with divergent backgrounds, so it may come as a surprise to know the tournament judges thought it was a good idea to pack guns out in the open and joke about the consequences of arguing with them!

Before we get started, this post isn’t going to be about the 2nd amendment, but if you feel the need to brandish a gun to a 40k event then you either have mental problems or you have certain compensations issues both requiring psychiatric or maybe surgical help.

Now, this lame display came one week after the four US Marines were killed by a crazed maniac in Chattanooga, so my guess is the TOs thought it would be the patriotic/precautionary thing to do. Really, did they honestly think the next mass murderer was going to show up to a 40k event? With that said, I probably wouldn’t have a problem with concealed weapons because they accomplish the same thing without Wyatt Earping up the place. Hell, if you are really concerned have a security guard or call the police to check in from time to time. Instead, you got lots of uncomfortable players with judges running around with guns, but I guess that is the smell of freedom.

These certainly brings new meaning to a Rules Judge, or should I say Judge Dredd. It seems many arguments were also had with the “dice down” rules, but given the environment I rather not lose more than just the game. At least the event was held in a space where no drinking was allowed, because alcohol, competitive games, and guns seem like a stable cocktail. Seriously, this isn’t some local event where everyone knows their Oath Keeper brother, it is a national event! People come from places where they hardly ever see guns or not care to see guns. I imagine kids were around too, so should my kid be subjected to this sort of thing?

After any shooting you always have a heightened country divide, but a 40k tournament isn’t the appropriate place to showcase your particular political bent. Having had a gun pulled on me in broad daylight and gun related death threats, I find them very threatening, even though I support the 2nd amendment on basic tyranny principles. I just don’t trust people I don’t know especially with firearms; who are these guys, what training do they have, and what is their mental state?

You know what would’ve been a better idea?

How about run a charity raffle during the weekend, say money for shooting victim’s families. Not this false support/concern for people at 40k event, it just makes you look jingoistic and/or paranoid. Most common sense folks know there is a time and place for guns, but I sure hope our community doesn’t think these guys at Chipotle…

represent the average 40k player. I don’t even want to think if this gun stunt was going to happen irregardless of the Chattanooga shooting, and shouldn’t the players been given a heads-up way before the event? I certainly like to know what shooting gallery I could potentially be entering into. It seems like these TOs just thought open carry guns was a everyday occurrence in Tennessee, which I guess they could be…

The real sad part, is should we require wargaming events to now post guidelines for people carrying weapons? Maybe it is my urban West Coast upbringing, but this shit is plain dumb. I hope next year the ATC thinks again about this policy and leave the guns to just the toy variety.

Addendum 8-25-15

Since this article was posted I have gotten a lot of comments about it. The TOs at asked I post this following statement. It should clear up any concerns or comments my original article brought up. Here is their statements on the matter.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would post a statement that:

1 – Neither of the TO’s where carrying any weapons. (It was Two Judges who were carrying)
2 – There were absolutely no assault rifles at the event and the people in the photo (above) were not at the ATC.
3 – We were indeed taking donations for the families and had advertised that we were taking donations all weekend for the victims of the terror attack in Chattanooga the week before the ATC.
4 – There will be no firearms permitted by anyone at the event in future years.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

-Shane Grubb head Tournament Organizer for the ATC