The SWM community now exists as:

http://bloomilk.com : This site. Probably the most active discussion forums. Plus it has the squadbuilder and database of every piece.

http://www.swmresources.com/ : This site hosts the most important downloads. It has the PDFs of all the Vsets (the releases since WotC discontinued the game), the rules, VASSAL downloads (for online play), and the visual map list (including all the great maps by Mapmaker and JediCartographer/AdventurersAtlas).

http://swmgamers.com : This site is in some sense the 'official' site because this is where the discussions about Vset development and (presumably) GenCon organization take place, but it's relatively difficult to navigate and most of the important discussions are hidden in private forums. I think it also has most of the downloads that swmresources has, but if so it's not as easy to find as it is on swmresources.com.

The document you are looking for is the SWMGPA Floor Rules halfway down on the swmresources link.

For tournaments, the two main changes from the printed rulebook that you have are:

* First phase of each round, whoever goes first activates one character. All other phases are two characters per phase. This reduces (but by no means eliminates!) the importance of the random initiative roll.

* Gambit scoring. At the end of each round, if a player has a character that costs 5 or more within 4 squares of the center of the map, that player gains 5 points. Every enemy defeated is worth a number of points equal to that character's cost. First player to reach points equal to the cost of the squad wins. This forces players to engage and makes for a more fun (and faster) game.

Oh - one other rule is Force Abilities. This is the only new rule that the Vset developers introduced. (They introduced lots of new abilities/powers, but only one new rule that would go in the rulebook.)

If you're not playing with Vsets, just ignore it. But if you play with Vset cards, you will see that some characters can gain Force Abilities. A Force Ability is kind of like an ongoing force power. It affects things like a force power does, so it doesn't affect Vong or anything inside a Ysalimiri bubble. Some force power last until the end of the skirmish. Some end before the end of the skirmish. If a force ability does NOT last until the end of the skirmish, it can be turned off by the enemy. The force ability ends if...

* the character is hit by an attack
* the character rolls a save
* spends a force point
* takes damage



http://www.swmgamers.com/e107_files/downloads/dotfrules.pdf
(The link is to the glossary insert for the first Vset.)

These "V-Sets" then are cards only that you print or are there actual miniatures that go along with them that you purchase?

Ahhh. That makes sense. Sometimes when I scan around this website (especially the character rating page) I see minis I did not think they made. Are those V-set minis or something different?

Yep, all the V-set stats are available on the character pages (and for use in the squad builder) If you don't like them (some don't, I think they are great) you can turn them off from that though.

WNY is usually a staple of the Regional scene and I believe it was in Rochester. I'd message DARPH_NADER, he tends to run the WNY scene as far as I know/is very active. I think they also usually have an off-regional tournament in the winter.

What is the bounty hunter challenge? I noticed that there are two cards both exactly 100 points.

thanks, very cool idea.

Temporarily. I believe it was all of 6 months before there was the DCI errata to SSM, and then about a year ago, SSM was reverted to the card text.

General Obi-Wan Kenobi was at one point banned.
Then his Soresu Style Mastery ability was errata'ed to only apply to non-melee attacks.
Now he works as the ability is printed on the card.

The main difference now is that the Vsets have brought in a lot more pieces that deal direct damage (non-attacks), and pieces that deal damage with attacks that cannot be avoided (similar to Lord Vader's Overwhelming Force). There is now enough that SSM is still powerful, but no longer powerful enough to break the game. GOWK is still a very potent piece, though.

So now there's a bit of rock-paper-scissors. Direct-Damage pieces beat Damage Avoiders. Damage Avoiders beat Big Attackers (because much of their damage is negated). Big Attackers beat Direct-Damage (the attackers do more damage, it's just that the Direct-Damage always goes through). Of course, few pieces fit cleanly into one of those three categories like GOWK does, and you generally want a good squad to have a balance of them.