The Solo "Tournament"

In my post to newbies about what I believe to be the two primary styles of solo wargaming skirmish play, I differentiated between (1) completely controlling ONE side, with auto-rules governing the other side, like THW products, and (2) commanding BOTH sides, but with “incomplete” control. Of the two, I've been thinking lately that the latter would allow for a solo player to play multiple games "tournament-style" for a true change of pace from the norm.

It might seem, though, that a "tournament" played solo would be taking this solitaire business too far. The tournament dynamic is one of YOU-versus-THEM, with the competitive energy being generated by all of those THEMS glaring at little ol' YOU. Admittedly, there can be no solo substitute for the sinister snarls and icy stares directed at a player, but the excitement and suspense of emerging showdowns between opposing playing pieces and their particular rules and strategies can be a beautiful thing!

So, to turn a session of solo gaming into a tournament, the following seem like good starting guidelines:

• Choose a tournament format that fits your schedule. Single elimination? Double? Swiss? It all depends on how much free time you have. Of course, you could stretch the tournament out over the course of many days if you'd like, but we solo gamers are a fickle lot and interest may wane. I'd aim for an event that's one to two days maximum. (Then again, there's always the "league" concept...)
• Keep the final line-up of forces/units/teams a mystery to the very last minute. One of the most thrilling moments at a gaming tournament happens when you first arrive and find out who your opponents are. Give the opening of the solo tournament the same feel by preparing more forces/units/teams than you need to play, then randomly determining who gets to play just before the first game.
• Individual games must be relatively quick. This will probably require modifying your rules or playing a timed "speed" game. Sure, we soloists love the long, lingering sessions where we can ponder formations and maneuvers at our leisure, but being on the clock can be very entertaining, indeed!
• Reward the winning force/unit/team. Give the winners some prime real estate on the display shelf, or promise them the next purchase to bolster that squad.

Inspired by my 10-round Heroclix experiment last month, I'm going to try one of these out soon with my solo Heroclix rules since those fit the above criteria.

What other rules allow commanding BOTH sides, but with “incomplete” control?