My job is beach.
– Ken, The Barbie Movie
Note: All rules and formats are DRAFT. Even rules will be finalized by Feb. 1, 2026.
In Teams of two, players will participate in a total of three games. Each player will have their own Order Dice for their force. There will be four colors of Order Dice in the bag. One color for each player.
The theme for AdeptiCon 2026 Doubles Hit the beach! Whether it is the iconic landings of D-Day and Iwo Jima, or less well-known operations like the Soviet Kerch-Feodosiya Landing Operations and Operation Dragoon in Southern France, there are few more iconic images from World War II than storming or defending beaches.
As always, this theme is not mandatory, but is heavily encouraged. Beach-themed team uniforms are optional, but please leave the Speedos at home. We can’t wait to see the display boards and armies you all come up with! For clarity, the theme certainly includes both the defenders and the attackers, and even attacks that did not materialize (i.e. parts of the Atlantic Wall other than Normandy, Home Front beaches in England).
Army building requirements
- Teams must be composed of nations that allied during World War II. A Team cannot be Germany and Great Britain. A Team can be Poland and Great Britain. Both Players on a Team can use the same nation.
- A Doubles Team is constructing using the Nations from either the Armies of books or a Further Axis & Allied Nations PDF.
- For Germany, the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and Imperial Japan, forces must be built using their Third Edition Armies of book.
- For the 12 “Minor Powers”, forces must be built using the Further Axis & Allied Nations PDF.
- A Team is 1,600pts max. Players can split the points between forces however they wish.
- A Team is 20 Order Dice max. Players can split the Order Dice between forces, however they wish. Remember, each player will have their own Order Dice in the bag.
- A Team comprised of any number of Platoons.
- At least one Player’s force must include a Rifle Platoon.
- The other Player may replace their mandatory Rifle Platoon with a Recce Platoon or an Engineer Platoon.
- Maximum of 1 Armored Platoon per Team.
- Maximum of 1 Artillery Platoon per Team.
- Forward Observers – A maximum of 1 Forward Observer (Air or Artillery) per player.
- The Leadership Standard – The Morale level of the Platoon Commander(s) must be equal to or greater than the Morale level of the majority of the units in the platoon, not counting the Platoon Commander (rounding up). The Morale level of a Company Commander must be equal to or greater than the Moral level of the majority of the units in the entire Force, not counting the Company Commander.
- The [DATE] FAQ & Errata will be used for the tournament.
Team Considerations
- Officers – The Officer in each player’s force only affects the units in that force (Morale bonus, Snap To). Meaning that Player A’s Platoon Commander grants no Morale Bonus to Player B’s units.
- Transports and Tows – Transports and tows can only transport units in that player’s force. Meaning that Player A’s unit cannot ride in Player B’s transport.
- Medics – Medics in one player’s force only affect the units in that force.
- Spotters – Spotters (and Spotting via Forward Observers) in one player’s force only affect the units in that force.
- Best Painted Consideration – For a Team to be considered for Best Painted, both players’ forces must be within 100pts of each other (the max split is 850pts – 750pts).
Note on laser pointers and pre-measuring
Using laser pointers to determine Line of Sight is not considered pre-measuring. Players are allowed to use laser pointers to check LoS at any time. Any player using a laser pointer is expected to allow their opponent to use it as well.
Event Format
Players will participate in a total of three doubles games. Each game will be 2hrs 45min long. Axis vs Allies match-ups will be made whenever possible.
Schedule
Friday, March 27, 2026:
- 815 – 855am – Check-in
- 855 – 9am – Welcome and Operation Briefing
- 9 – 1145am – Game 1
- 1145am – 1pm – Break and Player’s Choice voting
- 1 – 345pm – Game 2
- 345 – 445pm – Break and Best Battlefield voting
- 445 – 730pm – Game 3
- 730 – 8pm – Scoring and Awards
Event Awards
AdeptiCon Medals will be awarded for:
- Best Overall – Team with the highest total points.
- Best Appearance – Team with highest Appearance score.
- Best Battlefield – Table with the most Best Battlefield votes.
- Player’s Choice – Team with the most Player’s Choice votes.
- Best Allies – Team with the highest Allies score, that is not Best Overall.
- Best Axis – Team with the highest Axis score, that is not Best Overall.
- The Spirit Award – Difficult to define, this award is for to the Team with the most “team spirit”, the most Hanoswag, a certain je ne sais quoi. The Team that demonstrates what AdeptiCon Bolt Action Doubles is all about. More to come on the day of the event.
Teams can only win one AdeptiCon Medal. If a Team earns multiple AdeptiCon Medals, the Team will have the option to choose their award.
Event Scoring
The overall score for each Team is a combination of:
- Battle – 60 points max
- Appearance – 15 points max
- Sportsmanship – 30 points max
- Theme/Comp – 5 points
Appearance Scoring
Appearance score will follow a rubric:
Note on Commissioned Armies – If you did not paint your army (if your army was borrowed or painted via commission), you must notify the TO. These armies will still receive scoring, but cannot win Best Painted or Players’ Choice.
A note on display boards – Maximum display board dimensions are 36″x24″. Armies may be displayed directly onto tables, but no display board points will be awarded. A table is not a display board.
Sportsmanship Scoring
Be gracious in victory and defeat.
Operating on the assumption that all players are good sports, opponents are automatically granted 10 points for Sportsmanship for each game. If opponents turn out to be less than good sports, players need to report it to the TO’s table, before the start of the next round, using the following categories and examples as a guideline. Keep in mind; everyone gets a little salty now and then, forgets (or misplaces) their tape measure once in a while, temporarily forgets how a rule works, or changes their mind about a decision, etc.
Salty Attitude: Complain a lot. Constantly ask to see your rules—even for basic things. Act put-out if you ask to see their rules. Do not communicate intentions or establish agreement with regard to movement, line of sight, etc. Are impatient, dismissive, curt, etc.; sore losers or ungracious winners.
Unprepared for Play: Show up very late. Haven’t read the tournament rules. Haven’t read the mission description. Don’t have the majority of the things needed to play the game (have to borrow a lot).
Incompetent Play: Unable to execute the core rules of the game without frequent referencing or coaching. Spend inordinate time looking things up (i.e. do not have materials prepared, marked, or printed for quick reference).
Questionable Play: Not quite cheating, but not aboveboard either. ‘Generous’ measurements or movement. Frequently take back movement or other decisions after they are in process. Not clearly distinguishing between similar units. Not keeping track of scoring. Abuse ‘playing by intent’ by failing to establish what their intent is, but taking advantage of what it ‘could have been’.
Sportsmanship Deductions: In all cases, the judge(s) will decide whether the described behaviors are Minor, Major, or Extreme instances.
- Minor instances will be minus 1-4 points each.
- Major instances will be minus 5-9 points each and a visit from the TO.
- Extreme instances will be minus 10 points and a visit from the Head TO.
Theme/Comp Scoring
Theme, also referred to as Comp, is a soft check against hyper-competitive, Win At All Costs army lists. Each army list submitted by the deadline is automatically granted 5 Theme/Comp points. If the army list contains a force construction more appropriate for a WAAC competitive event, points will be deducted. Examples of a deduction include:
- Inclusion of an Inexp. Indirect Fire weapon when the rest of the force is Reg. and/or Vet.
- Inclusion of an Inexp. Transport/Tow when the rest of the force is Reg. and/or Vet.
- Unit spam (Flamethrowers, Howitzers, etc.).
To put it another way, Doubles is a hobby-first event. Yes, we are all playing to win, but not at the expense of the opponent’s experience.
Army List Submission
Players are required to submit Army Lists in advance for review. Failure to submit Lists by the deadline will result in a points deduction. Lists are due by Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. Submit to Sam at syoder1992@gmail.com.
Note on EasyArmy, 2nd in Command, and Warlord Games List Builder – No matter what app or website you use to build your list, double-check your points against the Rulebook, Armies of book, and Additional Nation PDFs, and FAQ/Errata. We consider the books/PDFs to be the single “source of truth” for unit entries. If there is a difference between the books and the list builder, we always consider the book to be correct (taking into account FAQ/Errata changes).
Teams must bring five printed copies of their list to the event – three for opponents, one for the TO, and one for themselves.
Questions?
Contact Sam at syoder1992@gmail.com with any questions.
Chicago Dice 