[Revised, one year later!]

So this event was first developed back in May 2020, when it seemed like the Pandemic would be done in early summer. How wrong we were on timings of getting back to in-person event gaming. Well, one year later almost to the day it looks like vaccines are wide-spread enough that we can make the event happen. So it’s on for Thursday, June 3rd, 2021.

This will be the first big Thursday night event that we host when we’re feeling it’s safe enough for us to gather and game. But we wanted to announce it now so that people can 1) get their Knight class model if you don’t have one yet (Enrico from Drawbridge has a few, and can order others as sought), and 2) get it painted.

Knight Night / Fight Night will be a royal rumble style event held at Drawbridge Games, where Knights of all shapes and sizes (and also Dreadnoughts and a few other related types) will be able to climb into the ring and try and see who can make it to the end.

Knight Night rules:

All players will be dealt a playing card (deck of 52) that will determine order of entry to the ring (the battlefield), and that order will be recorded and cards returned. The lowest 2 cards (numbers first, with suit order high-to-low in reverse-alpha to break numerical ties, so Spades > Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs, and Aces high) start in the ring. After each round, the next two are added to the ring (making their grand entrances with entrance music). Every round of combat all participants in the ring are dealt a playing card, and play turns will run in that order. The goal is to be the last model standing–knocking all of other competitors “out of the ring”. A few special rules help you do this, and stay in the fight.

“Recover In the Corner” action: Declare at the start of your turn. Roll 1d6 and recover that many wounds. Can move (including advancing) but cannot fire any weapons, charge, or make any melee attacks until the start of its next turn.

“Reroll Chip”: Every player gets one reroll chip. Everyone who put up a promo (posted on the Drawbridge event page, see below) gets a second reroll chip. The player with the best promo (judged by Enrico) gets a third reroll chip. Reroll chips can be exchanged or traded as you wish during the game with other players. They can be spent to reroll any one d6 roll (including the “Out of the Ring” table or the result of a “Recover in the Corner” action). They can also be spent to get rid of the card you’re dealt at any point for turn order, and be dealt a new random card from the deck. Note that no one will have CP’s to keep things simple, this is a sort of replacement for that.

“Out of the Ring” chart: Whenever a model is reduced to 0 wounds, they immediately must roll on the following chart (any model rules that might trigger on “when reduced to zero wounds” such as exploding are ignored). Conceptually a Battle Royale is about throwing your opponent out of the ring and their feet hitting the ground (indicating they’re out). While we don’t have an actual ring to be thrown out of, these are the results when the participants take those devastating finishing attacks.

Roll	Result
1 “I’ll get you back”	Both feet hit the ground and this model loses. However, they’re not quite ready to accept that. They immediately get a single turn of shooting to try and take an opponent with them (using lowest profile if applicable), and then are removed from the board.
2 “Ouch, he’ll feel that one”	Both feet hit the ground and this model loses. It is removed from the board.
3 “Thats a tough break, J.R.”	Both feet hit the ground and this model loses. It is removed from the board.
4 “Hanging on the ropes”	The Knight hangs on, just barely. It is restored to 1 remaining wound, and cannot be targeted any further this round until it acts or until the start of the next round if it has already acted this round.
5 “Push thru the pain”	This model grits its teeth and keeps on fighting. Immediately roll a d6 and restore that many wounds to the model. This model cannot be targeted/damaged any further during the current opponent’s activation.
6 “You just made me angry”	This model channels the punishment into newfound strength. Immediately restore the model to the high value remaining wounds on its middle tier on its damage chart (or to 6 wounds if it does not have a damage chart). This model cannot be targeted/damaged any further during the current opponent’s activation.

Painting Requirements: All models participating in Knight Night must be painted to a tabletop standard and based. Part of this hobby is, well, the hobby, so I want to encourage people to paint and get models finished for events. There will be a prize for best painted entrant.

Knight Night options:

Knight Options: Proper Knights have to fight solo in the ring, and players can choose any non-character Knight from the Imperial Knights or Chaos Knights codex with gear allowable from the data sheet (no relics). None of the rules for households or dreadblades or infernal/iconoclast or anything like that will be applied, and no warlord traits or upgrades that aren’t part of that basic entry for the Knight.

Smaller Models: Sometimes Tag Teams participate in the challenge of a Royal Rumble as well, and we want to allow some people who don’t have one of the big Knight-class models for their faction to still participate in the Rumble. So you can field two of the following instead of one Knight. Know that some of these might not be equivalent in points, but hey… jobbers exist for a reason, and the crowd does cheer for underdogs right? Again, no named character versions of these. They both go at the same time on your turn, but can take separate actions (e.g. one can use the “Recover in the Corner” action while the other acts normally).

• 2 Armigers or War Dogs (type can be mixed)
• 2 Imperial Dreadnoughts or Chaos Hellbrutes (no Chapter or Legion special rules, Dread types can be mixed)
• 2 Penitent Engines

When is a Knight not a Knight: We’re not able to allow in every Xenos and Chaos faction, but applications to field other types are allowable if they’re comparable in stature to a Knight (note they may not be comparable in points).

• Stormsurge
• Wraithknight
• Gorkanaut
• Morkanaut
• Lord of Skulls

That said, you know you want to field a Chaos Knight. Give in. Paint one up.

What about my special rules?

Instead of the normal faction or chapter or household rules (or warlord or relic or detachment or…), instead you get to pick one of the following Wrestling Roles or Tropes. Everyone knows that what makes good rumbles is the storylines, so pick your role, get your benefits, and cut that promo.

Wrestling Role / Trope	In-Game Ability
Babyface	Start the battle as a good guy, audience favorite. The crowd’s cheering spurs them on. As such, at the end of each of their activations, rolls a d6. On a 4+ they regain one lost wound. They can make a Heel turn during their activation if they wish (they have to turn on an another Knight while it’s down, or cut a nasty promo, etc.). If they do so, they they get the Heel ability which replaces their Babyface ability for the rest of the game (cannot subsequently change again).
Jobbers	Can only be taken by a pair from the smaller models list. You cannot win. However, the second of your two models can continue to fight on after being reduced to zero wounds. Jobbers only get removed when the story calls for it, so you can continue playing and wreaking havoc until such time as the field narrows to the exciting final 2, 3, or 4 (depending on round). Enrico will inform you when your Jobber then takes the fall and you’re pulled.
Underdog(s)	Gain an extra reroll chip at the start of the game. If taken for a pair from the smaller models list, gain two extra reroll chips.
Evil Foreigner	Can only be taken by one of the Xenos options (Eldar, Tau, Orks). You’re playing up your Xenos status in front of the crowd, and they’re booing like crazy. You gain one bonus reroll chip each time you reduce a babyface, an underdog, a Giant, or a Heel to zero wounds for the first time.
Heel	You can spend one of your reroll chips to immediately negate any opponent’s reroll chip usage. They can make a Face turn during their activation if they wish (jump in to help a Knight that is being ganged up on or cut a positive promo, etc.). If they do so, they they get the Babyface ability which replaces their Heel ability for the rest of the game (cannot subsequently change again).
The Mordian Screwjob	Once, and only once, during the event you can choose the result of any player’s out of the ring roll rather than them rolling. Be careful, the fans can get pretty angry at this one.
Cheap Heat	Make sure you insult the city in which you’re fighting. You come out of the gates strong. On your first turn on the table you cannot be targeted until you’ve acted, and you get a +1 to all hit rolls for that first activation of the game.
The Giant	Can only be taken by a Knight with carapace mounted weaponry or the Lord of Skulls. You’re a towering presence, which slows you a bit–but you hit hard and are hard to take down. You can apply a +1 to any of your “Out of the Ring” rolls after rolling them. However, you get dealt two cards each round and take the higher to represent your slow speed.
The Ricky Morton	You know your job is to take a beating. So take a beating you shall. You go last in every round, but you get the Feel No Pain (6+) rule.
Garbage Wrestler	The others might fight fair, you brought a chair. Notify the tourney organizers in advance if you’re doing this one. If you have a folding chair (or ladder or table) modeled at the size of your Knight model, you can use them in battle as an additional one-shot weapon. Not gonna reveal yet how devastating the chair is, as we need to see the finished product. But the better it looks, the better it’ll be.
Lucha Libre Tag Team	Can only be taken by a pair from the smaller models list. While you may not be big yourself, you use your acrobatic skills to run circles around the largest foes. Opponent Knights with Carapace weapons (and the Lord of Skulls) suffer a -1 to hit the models in your team, and if you reduce one of those types of models (carapace weapons or Lord of Skulls) to 0 wounds with one of your attacks they get a -2 modifier on their Out of Ring roll. If you have painted your pair with matching Luchador masks on their “heads” (or otherwise a clear luchador theme) you get a bonus reroll chip for the effort too.
Charlie Brown from Outta Town	Okay, so you play Tyranids or Necrons and you’re not allowed at this match. Well, come in a mysterious costume and wrestle under an assumed name. This one is for the converters only: if you do up a Tyranid monstrosity with assimilated Knight parts, a genestealer cult looted Knight, or a Necron creation that matches the look and weaponry of a Knight, then I suppose we would reward your creativity. They must be modeled appropriately (show us pics in advance) to “count” as an Imperial Knight. If so, we’ll let you field with with the rules of an Imperial Knight.

Wait. Promo?

Yes, promo. Players are encouraged to make a promo and share it in advance of the main event. Think of the pilot of the Knights as their manager, and cut a promo about how your Knight is gonna triumph in the event. You can write it on the facebook page by starting the post with [Knight Night Promo] in brackets so we know what it is. Be sure to include a picture of your painted Knight (or tag team or knight equivalent). And if you’re really feeling it, feel free to record a video promo version. Be as creative as you wish. It’s not required, but you do get bonus reroll chips if you try something (and the best gets even more bonus reroll chips). So give it a go!