ETC 2023 – NoDiceNoGlory and Team Italy went to the biggest FOW tournament of the year!

Dear HQ, are you seriously asking to kill an Elephant with an Elefantino gun? Yours, Italian at front without an 88. 

By Paolo Paglianti

Oops, we did it again! NoDiceNoGlory took part in the most important Flames of War event of the world, as we did in 2022. Each year, the European Team Championship is the moment where the most passionate and strong FOW players meet with their national teams. No easy battle, as here you find the best of the best – and not only from Europe, as New Zealand and US Teams also join the party. An amazing long weekend where I met tons of wonderful people with the same passion for wargames and lots of fun.

Veni – I went

“Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour That may give furth’rance to our expedition;
For we have now no thought in us but Belgium, Save those to God, that run before our business.”

This journey start a lot of time ago: in September, the Italian FOW community elected the new Captain: Livio Tonazzo, probably our best player, as the Captain of ETC Team Italy. He did a marvelous job not only building our team and finding the best lists but also cementing the community, and also found a sponsor for us – the mighty miniature shop Tabletopper.nl. We met regularly around Italy and played to test tactics, try our lists, and also swap to the opponent’s ones. When you face a giant KVs Russian army, you see its might. When you actually play it, you also understand its weakness. Even if normally the event is itinerant and should change home every year, ETC 2023 was again hosted in the same location as the previous year, at Hasselten in Belgium.

 

(Almost) the Italian Team during a very heavy training session at the local pub in May. We were banned from it after the seventh Irish Coffee. 

 

The unmissable photo with the Tin Tin Rocket (not a V2!) at Bruxelles Airport. I forgot the team shirt so I had to offer to pay for lunch for the team. 

Vidi – I saw

“From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be rememberèd— We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that rolls his dice with me shall be my brother”

Even better than last year: the amazing organization of the Belgian team did a perfect job again. Gathering almost 120 players in a place, with more than 50 tables with magnificent decorations, and hosting such a complex tournament it’s a serious job. Again, Hilde Pagnaer, Robby Notermans, Tim Bogarerts, and Marc Henderix exceeded expectations and surpassed themselves. This was three days of competition, with 18 teams, 108 players, and 324 games without a single hitch or snag. They deserve our gratitude for this amazing long weekend, as last year. The 2023 edition was even better, with a Saturday night dinner in the same location with a delicious true Italian Pizza (I checked the Pizzaiolo was from my Country!) and a fantastic and entertaining WW2 team quiz.

The tables were amazing, with exceptional decorations. Thanks to the supporting team from Germany, France, and Switzerland who came by car loaded with decorations, we played fantastic games on 54 fabulous tables. There was also a competition for the best table, to award these efforts.

ETC competition is pretty unique. Each National team has six players – at least three of them need to be from that Country, but they can use “Mercenaries” from other nations to fill up their ranks. Each team can use up to two versions the same army, and they can’t replicate formations or cards, to allow some variety. When two teams face each other, the Captains pair the players – it’s part of the challenge and the tactics. They have to use two Attack, two Manoeuvre, and two Defend stances, so they do their best with a bit of luck to pair the best way their armies with the opponent team. If you win the game, you get a “big point”. If you draw or lose, zero. ETC 2023 was a Mid war tournament at 101 points with the new Dynamic Points from Battlefront.

 

The ETC 2023 location: almost 60 tables and 120 players enjoining their Flames of War games for three days long. Why we can’t do this every weekend?

Vici – We won

“Come, go we in procession to the village, And be it death proclaimèd through our host To boast of this or take that praise from God Which is His only.
Is it not lawful, an please your majesty, to tell how many units we destroyed in our games?”
Yes, captain; but with this acknowledgement, That God fought for us”

 

The ETC 2023 final score: double satisfaction for Team Italy, as after a bad start met the top 5 teams excluding England and we ended up third!

 

 

 

The final results. The Polish Team won the competition: Michał Jóźwiak (Romanian Motorised Rifle + R2 Companies), Paweł Kukliński (US Armoured Rifle + M3 Lee Companies), Łukasz Kur (German Armoured Car Company), Kornel Kurtys (British Crusader + Humber Companies), Maciej Mikołajczyk (Russian Mixed Tank + Hero Rifle Battalions) and Adam Tyczyński (Italian Bersaglieri Weapons Company) did an excellent tournament (and also beat us!)

As expected, the past ETC champion US Team did very well and ended up second: “always-winning-something-every-weekend” Chris Jackson (Russian T-34 Early Tank Battalion),  Vincent Arroyo (Italian Parachute and L6/40 companies), Tony Davis (German Armoured Car + Rifle Company), Johnathon Meier (Italian Tank + AB41 Company), Kevin Morris – without his trademark “Party Shirt” (Russian Mixed Tank + BA-10 Battalions) and Igor Torgeson (US M3 Stuart + Rifle Company) made Uncle Sam proud with a very good performance.

 

And, surprise!, Italy Team got the third totally unexpected podium. Livio Tonazzo (German Recon Company), Giacomo Velini (Russian Early T-34 Tank Battalion), Flaviano Maggioni (German Armoured PanzerGrenadier+ Armoured Car Companies), Antonio Soncini (Russian Hero Rifle + BA-10 Battalion),  Tiberio Vinante (Italian Bersaglieri Rifle Company) and myself (British Crusader Company) despite a rough start with Denmark who annihilated us, did an outstanding job.

 

I also won the “Best General” prize: in ETC 2022 I was second and totally happy about it. This time luck and dice went even better and I won with a perfect score of six victories on six. A double satisfaction considering we met all the first three other teams: USA, Poland and Denmark. Etienne Dufour and Maciej Mikołajczyk also did an outstanding performance with six victories, but scored just fewer Battlefront points and ended up third and second-best generals.

Etienne won the well-deserved individual best army painted, with his exceptional Russian army you can see here below. Each single infantry base tells a different story.

Finland won the prize for the Best Painting Team – all fantastic armies! – and Ireland got the Most Sporting Team prize. The Best table went to Allan Moors from Al Black Mushroom Workshop.

You can find all details and turn-by-turn scores on the ETC 2023 website.

Next year ETC will be a Late War Tournament: if you want to join, get ready with your army and dice, and stay tuned! We will have a big two days International Late tournament next 28th-29th October in Milan, and would be a perfect opportunity to test your armies!

 

If you want to test your Late army for the next ETC, or simply want to attend a big Flames of War tournament, note down the weekend: 28-29th October, Flames of War Late war Milan International tournament – for info, just message me (paglianti@gmail.com). 

And now, some random photos including the best-painted armies. Not all photos are my own – some from the organization and some from Al Blackmushrooms, who I thanks.

The team that did the real miracle: the full Belgian crew allowing all of us to play and enjoy the most important tournament of the year. Hilde Pagnaer, Robby Notermans, Tim Bogarerts, Hans Vannoppen, and Marc Henderix did again a fantastic job. And the breakfast was simply delicious too.

 

The dinner with the England team. The best moment was their Captain Graham who took his precious “Blue Book of ETC Predictions” and foretold the fall of the Italian Team with Denmark in the next morning’s games. Some historians still debate the double-digit number of beers at this table had a role in the disastrous outcome.  

The dinner with US Team at Lebanon Restaurant, also with Matt and his wife Clair. They also foretold the doom of the Italian team with the US Team in the next game between us, but we suspect it was just their propaganda machine. 

 

The Italian Team best minds gather to choose the right plan of action, while I do some miserable off-focus selfie with the aiming skill of an Ork. I just wanted to avoid Russian armies with more than 2 KVs. 

 

Team Denmark and team Belgium facing each other. In the foreground on the right, I’m having a hamburger waiting for my game. 

 

All players gather for the final prize giving. Imagine who will jump around soon like an Italian Viking, causing the Swiss Captain to complain about the mess and the noise?

 

The “Best Beard” competition with myself and Livio. It was a close call, but ultimately Richard Hardy won, as he did for our love for his helping let all of this happen for the Italian Team

 

The Italian Giacomo Velini, famous for his battle cry “Je Monto Sopra” (something like “Roll over them” but with sexual reference you don’t want to investigate more). He did a great job with his games!

 

 

Some British tanks approaching from the better side of the Italian gun. 

 

The Italian Team and the Swiss Team in a smiling photo before our games. Stefano Regazzoni (second from the left) is smiling a lot for his own standards, in case you are asking about it. 

 

A close up of Etienne Dufour Russian army. He won the best painted army prize, and totally deserved it. 

 

Crusaders everywhere! My army ready for action in an empty beer tray I found around. Don’t linger too much on that “empty beer”.

 

Finnish Captain Marvelous Italians. The Finns won the Best painted army prize as team. And yes, the six minefields aren’t a mistake.

 

Some players got too enthusiastic and took the entire drawer. Wonder how happy their wives were when they found a hole in the cabinet, but it’s a striking good idea!

 

Another British Army. Did you notice I love British armies? 

 

 

The French team pet. Notably and unsurprising, none of their opponents found anything relevant to complain with during their games. 

 

A beer with my bromance friend Vincente Arroyo. I struggle to find photos in which I didn’t have a beer and promptly deleted them. 

 

Some other British from Kristian Lyngvald fantastic army. He also deserved a prize for painting, in my opinion. 

 

 

The first three teams in a photo – and they are all already thinking about their next ETC 2024 army lists!