Steamroller 2010 Appendix

Pages 21-29 are full of optional rules to make for exciting events or to tweak the game for a particular community. If you have a lot of new players who also play or used to play 40K you might use the "No Caster Kill" rule so players can keep playing after there caster is killed. Or Accelerated Time limits in a venue that is available only for a short period of time. You can Mix and match this rules for different challenges to game play.
I really like the idea of Survival Scoring for tie breakers instead of Strength of schedule, if might have some broken meta game consequence down the line, but I think it's great as it's something you can influence in game (requiring some skillz) and also that does not favor Assassinations or Scenarios over one the other, like assassination scoring where number of Caster kills is the first tie breaker. If you have a group that doen't favor caster kills or that love caster killin, you can challenge them by rewarding or punishing scenarios.

Here are a few ideas for zazzy event formats, because sometimes even the best things are lacking a little Zazz.

Deadline: Causul time limits first round, normal time limits second round, accelerated Time limts on the third and final hardcore time limit for the rest of the event. If you lose a game, you go to the next higher time limit (ie get more time).

Grand Melee: Two rounds of 50 points games then three rounds of mangled metal. Game play should be under 6 hours, so I think this could be a blast to play in and get plenty of experecne with you warcaster and Beasts/Jacks.Additionally add the "Survival Scoring" and a Thematic scenario selection, like this:
First Round (50 points) : Overrun
Second Round (50 points) : Incursion
Third Round (15 points Mangled Metal/Claw and Fang) : Convergence
Fourth Round (15 points Mangled Metal/Claw and Fang) : Destruction
Fifth Round (15 points Mangled Metal/Claw and Fang) : Kill Box
And you have a neat "Battle Campaign" themed tournament that should have some very interesting game play.

Grinder: a Reverse Progressive format where you start with 50, then go to 35 and finally play the last rounds as 15 mangled metal. The Zaz is that it represents the lose of resources over a battle/war. My only worry about this format is that with one a single 15 point game, one bad match up is to telling. Larger games mitigate the advantage that overspecialization give in smaller games. Stuff like All Stealth armies or Khador can ruin some people's day as they require specized units to counter well (high p+s vs Khador or anti stealth tech vs stealth when you have much shooting) In Grand Melee you get three games at 15 points, so one horrible match up is not the end of you run.