Getting ready for the 2017 season.

Colin Webster delivering the closing at IeSF's 8th World Championships - Jakarta.

Mind Sports South Africa's Ladders and Battle Honours systems give gamers the perfect start to the year.

Through playing these very much more informal competitions, gamers are able to hone their skills for the year ahead.

And what a year it is going to be.

The year takes off to a quick start with the Old Edwardian Summer Championships, the Online Schools Championships and the Annual Gauteng Championships.

As usual MSSA shall send a teams to world championships as organised by the international federations.

However, it must be borne in mind that teams shall only be selected should the criteria for selecting a team be met.

Also, it should too be borne in mind that only players who participate in National Team Trials shall be eligible for selection.

So, all the best for 2017, get out there and good luck!

Wargames Individual Battle Honours rules.

Elishia  deliberating on her  next move.

Since publishing Individual Battle Honours: Are you up to the challenge?, MSSA has been inundated with people wishing to know the rules to the Individual Battle Honours.

The rules are as follows:

INDIVIDUAL HONOURS

1. Shall be held in all figure-gaming periods as played at the most recent S A National Championships to the rules used in such championships.
2. All games shall be played to the Handicap rules.
3. That all challenges operate as 'BATTLE HONOURS' challenges, except that the defender must defend the trophy at least twice in two months. Should the defender not have defended the trophy due to lack of opponents, he shall retain the floating trophy, however, should he not have defended the trophy and a challenge has been recorded by the Chairman/Chairwomen, or in his/her absence the Secretary of MSSA, the trophy will be awarded to the next best player.
4. Should the holder of the trophy not play at the South African National Championships in the period in which he holds the trophy, then the trophy shall be awarded to the winner of the South African National Championships for that period.
5. Should the holder of the trophy play in the South African National Championships, in the period in which he holds the trophy, and fail to finish in the top five places, then the trophy shall be awarded to the winner of the South African National Championships for that period.
6. All challenges made during a Regional, Provincial, and National Championship, played to the same rules, army point size, and period, as per the most recent S A National Championships shall be valid. Thus a player may have to fend off 5 challenges during such championship, or, the trophy may change hands as many times during such championship.
7. In the case of new periods, the trophy shall be awarded to the highest ranked player.
8. Should the holder of such trophy be unavailable for more than three months, the trophy shall be awarded to the highest ranked player for such period.
9. The competition shall be run on a national level.
10. The trophy shall be inscribed on a monthly basis when necessary.

Should the 'Super League' for figure gaming be changed back.

Christo Steenkamp a many time Individual Battle Honours winner

It is clear that the 'Super League' for wargames as implemented in 2006 has not worked.

The 'Super League' replaced the 'Individual Battle Honours'. The 'Individual Battle Honours' was an active system for promoting games.

Whereas the 'Super League' relies on totalling up the scores of players throughout the year, the 'Individual Battle Honours' relies on active participation and challenge matches throughout the year.

'Individual Battle Honours' also takes into account the Handicap rating that a player has to make sure that the holder truly is the best player in South Africa.

The old rules were:

INDIVIDUAL HONOURS

a.        Shall be held in all wargaming periods played at the S A National championships.

b.       That all challenges operate as 'BATTLE HONOURS' challenges, except that the defender must defend the trophy at least twice in two months. Should the defender not have defended the trophy due to lack of opponents, he shall retain the floating trophy, however, should he not have defended the trophy and a challenge has been recorded by the Secretary of the MSSA, the trophy will be awarded to the next best player.

c.       Should the holder of the trophy not play at the South African National Championships in the period in which he holds the trophy, then the trophy shall be awarded to the winner of the South African National Championships for that period.

d.      Should the holder of the trophy play in the South African National Championships, in the period in which he holds the trophy, and fail to finish in the top five places, then the trophy shall be awarded to the winner of the South African National Championships for that period.

e.        In the case of new periods, the trophy shall be awarded to the highest seeded player.

f.       Should the holder of such trophy be unavailable for more than three months, the trophy shall be awarded to the highest seeded player for such period.

g.       The winner of any challenge is the player with the most points on the 32 – 0 system after the SA Handicap adjustments have been made.

h.        The competition shall be run on a national level.

i.         The trophy shall be inscribed on a monthly basis when necessary.