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Old 05-25-2018, 02:01 PM   #1
Anh-Dalan
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
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Default Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

after I've played my first tournament today (and qualified for the German Championship 8) ) I would like to ask which promo items are most useful / effective for tournaments.

I played with the Bracelet of slapping and a Wicke Die and had the Munchkin Book as a back-up plan nearby (talking of which: it seems a bit peculiar / very munchkinny to me that if I want to use the Book with the corresponding bookmark not counting against the limit I can provide everyone else with the bookmark which for them is totally useless for the lack of a book...).

Unfortunately I don't have a Munchkin Sweater and my Lovely Loot shirt sorely misses any autograph. These two seem quite powerful to me, too, as well as the German Belt of Munchkinism.

What are your ideas / favorites?

Last edited by Anh-Dalan; 05-28-2018 at 09:47 AM.
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Old 05-28-2018, 06:04 AM   #2
Niewodnik
 
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Default Re: Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

Bracelet and bookmarks :)
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Old 05-28-2018, 02:11 PM   #3
serleran
 
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Default Re: Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

I would use anything I could that gave me an advantage with a few caveats:

1) I do not have to destroy the item
2) I do not have to give it to someone else
3) It is legal for the tournament
4) It is different than the other items already being used (maximize the bonus!)

But, there are never any tournaments nearby, and if there could be, the game store does not support it.
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Old 05-29-2018, 03:26 AM   #4
Niewodnik
 
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Default Re: Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

Do you even hesitate to tear apart Munchkin 1 bookmark? I mean you probably have number of copies of that bookmark just laying around :)

I've won Polish Championship by tearing Conan Bookmark (FOR KROOMMMMM), and also Munchkin 1, which i have multiples of just for that.

If you hate to loose even one bookmark just think of it as a trade, when you trade one (or several bookmarks) for a chance to win a prize (which converts to further your munchkin collection).
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Old 05-29-2018, 09:26 AM   #5
Anh-Dalan
 
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Default Re: Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

but only if you succeed...

any more particular bookmarks?

@ Serleran: my idea of posting was to find out which distinct items you guys use - I have a general idea similar to yours. But I do not know every item, so I was hoping for some more concrete advise ;)
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Old 06-14-2018, 10:20 AM   #6
Coin Flip 42
 
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Default Re: Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

Any promo item that will allow you to stop curses/traps/etc.

I have the Princesses Shirt of Royal Decree (bought it in female XL size since male was out of stock at the time): stops one curse, plus one more for each signature on the shirt - SJ, JK, AH - so up to 4 curses.

Munchkin Cthulhu Research Assistant promo card: stops one curse/madness.

Mask of the Munchkin: stops one trap or curse when you put it on - Free PDF file you can download from this page.
http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/apparel/mask/

Any Kill-O-Meter with the Reversal of Fortune Scroll that came with the original Kill-O-Meter.

Either of the Munchkin Dice Bags (helps you avoid rolling a 1 on any die roll with an official Munchkin 6-sided die). Ones become sevens - this can help you make your Run Away rolls, and be first player at the beginning of the game.

Imaginary Frenemies: +2 combat bonus that you can never lose even if you die.

+10 Bag o' Munchkin D6. Roll all 10 in a single non-game winning combat. Each 1 result gives a +10 in that combat.

Meeples: one large meeple and 4 small meeples (from a pack of 30 total - 6 different colors/styles). Each size meeple has different abilities. I usually use the small meeples for +2 in one combat (+8 if you use all 4) and the large meeple to put all the used small meeple back into play once.

Metal Pins: Each pin you wear gives you a +1 in combat, then after the combat roll a die, lose one pin if you roll less than or equal to the number you are currently wearing. There are a total of 7 pins you can buy.

Most of these items are out of print.

Always bring a copy of the rules for each item with you to the tournament, or a list of all the pages they are on from the SJ Games website.

US retail prices would put this entire list at about $100.00 if you bought them - when they were still in stock - in a game store, or didn't have to pay shipping.

Thoughts:

I have played in multiple tournaments over the years - at least one for every year Munchkin has been in print.

I usually don't use bookmarks.

You may show up to learn that the tournament director is limiting the number of promotional items that can be used.

Being able to play without any promos, and still win a tournament, should be your basic strategy - you do this by playing the game frequently and being familiar with all the different Munchkin flavors - even if you don't own every set. I don't have an eidetic memory, so I concentrate on learning all the cards that will keep a person from going from level 9 to level 10. Polymorph Potion, Dimensional Shifter, etc.

Start the game as the opposite sex of the largest number of people of the same gender. If 5 males and 1 female player - start as female. If 4 females and 2 males - start as male. The current edition of the basic rules allows for this. Mind you, this may not be as important in some Munchkin sets as in others.

Read the entire Munchkin Errata page before the tournament - or at least the latest updates.

Read the latest Tournament Rules page before the tournament. I didn't this year, so I was surprised when I found out that there never were rules for Munchkin beyond level ten. They were all a dream/horrible nightmare/never existed, etc. For example, each promo card you want to play in a tournament takes up one of the card slots from your initial draw at the beginning of the game.

Having just the Bracelet of Slapping and the Invisible Frenemies gives you a +7 to combat in the early rounds of any game. This is a huge advantage, as it helps you win your first few combats, and allows you to help other players win their combats for future deals early in a game. "I'll help you for free in this combat, if you help me for free in one of my combats." Because of this, I usually build my character before the first player's first combat if I have any bonus to combat items/promos.

The thing to remember is that SJ Games wants you to have fun at a tournament - even if it is the FIRST time a person plays Munchkin. Always encourage the new players so you will have more people to play with.

Judge the level of commitment and expertise of the other players in the tournament, and reign in your Uber Munchkin if necessary.

Last edited by Coin Flip 42; 06-14-2018 at 11:17 AM. Reason: clarity/tone
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Old 06-15-2018, 04:10 PM   #7
serleran
 
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Default Re: Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

OK, a little more then.

I would likely consider items like The Stars are Cruel or Bookmark of Clerical Erroneousness since they negate other promotional items.

I would use things unlikely to be stopped, such as the Tentacle Cover (notwithstanding the above, of course.)

Anything unusual that gives a high-powered ability, like the Chopsticks.

Things with huge rewards like Super Hoard, Swap Character Sheets, and the like. Even Whim of the Elder Gods and a Cthulhu Die.

One of every type of item -- shirt, coin, postcard, imaginary frenemy, meeple, etc etc. Or more if the rules allow.

Of course, any tournament here would probably disallow most of these...

Last edited by serleran; 06-15-2018 at 04:12 PM. Reason: added details
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Old 06-15-2018, 05:15 PM   #8
Andrew Hackard
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Default Re: Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

BTW, I don't know if y'all noticed, but the revision of the Tournament Rules changed the preferred promo allocation method to "Plus One" - the minimum number of promo items held by any player, plus one. I have seen this used to great effect when one player said "None" and discombobulated the promo hoarders.
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Old 06-16-2018, 05:45 AM   #9
Anh-Dalan
 
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Default Re: Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Hackard View Post
BTW, I don't know if y'all noticed, but the revision of the Tournament Rules changed the preferred promo allocation method to "Plus One" - the minimum number of promo items held by any player, plus one. I have seen this used to great effect when one player said "None" and discombobulated the promo hoarders.
actually this is the background of my question. I'm trying to find out items that are most generally useful in case I am limited to a small number of items or I want to limit someone else to a number x+1.
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Old 06-16-2018, 09:17 AM   #10
Coin Flip 42
 
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Default Re: Which promo items do you use on tournaments?

With the promo +1 rule in effect, I'd always select the promo that gives you the biggest combat bonus because winning your beginning combats - getting higher levels early on - is the best advantage to me.

The +7 combat bonus of the Sweatshirt with all three signatures may be the best single item - even factoring in Lose Your Armor curses. The next would be the Bracelet of Slapping at +5 combat bonus - you lose it if you die. And finally the Imaginary Frenemies at +2 combat bonus and you can never lose it - unless someone takes The Stars are Cruel as their one promo item - not sure if this applies because the Frenemies aren't listed as a promo item, but as an expansion.

I had to get a ruling from Andrew Hackard after the fact because someone played The Stars are Cruel on my 10th Anniversary Shot Glass at a tournament, and the Tournament director ruled incorrectly that I had to remove the Shot Glass from play.

I'd be curious to know if sales of accessories has gone down since the Promo +1 Tournament rule went into effect. I don't care for this rule since I have spent over $250 US on items for tournament play.

This rule eliminates the event of new Munchkin Tournament players feeling overwhelmed by another player who shows up with a suitcase full of promo items (yes this has happened). There is a historical reason for the Only One/change sex use a second Bookmark rule.

Games can really drag on if many promo items are in play.

Ways to increase your promo items at a tournament are to hand out one promo item as a gift to all the other players before the tournament. I had a stack of Game Mechanic promo cards (acts like a Cheat card) that I saved up and handed them out. My friendly local game store has a binder of promo cards, and I would select a Game Mechanic as a promo reward for my buying a Munchkin accessory or base game set at the store.

You'd have to tell me what the rule for the Tentacle Cover (Tentacle Warmer) is before I could give you an opinion of it - it's a Germany only promo item, and I can't find any posted rule for it here in the USA.

Last edited by Coin Flip 42; 06-16-2018 at 09:38 AM. Reason: N + 1
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