aka: 'Jump-start the Ladder Tournament'
This is semi-elimination type tournament.
What I mean by 'semi' is that the emphasis of the rules is not on eliminating players, it is on seeing games through to completion and generating interest in AWD through this tournament, the ladder at wargamer.com and the AAR section of the forum.
Onto the rules
1) All participants must be registered at the Ladder at wargamer.com
2) The results of all tournament games are to be logged at the Ladder
3) All games will be with the 'Total War' scenario of AWD using the latest official patch.
4) FOW=on Advanced Supply=on End Date=on Auto Victory=on
5) Players have 48hrs to return a file or email there opponent explaining the delay and when they can expect the turn.
6) One last house rule. Rus can not start the war with Japan until Ger has surendered. (i.e. no HB attack on Japan to get DOW)
How it Works
For round 1 players will be put on a list in Alphabetical order according to there forum names.
For future rounds players will be added to the list as they become eligible for the next round.
Each player will have 2 games going per round.
Each player will play as axis against the player below him in the list.
Each player will play as allies against the player above him in the list.
All players that achieve a win or a draw in at least one of the games will advance to the next round.
The tournament will continue until 2 players remain or the completion of 10 rounds.
Scoring
Points will be awarded at the end of each game.
There are 2 ways to earn points.
1) Finish a game and points are awarded (or detracted) according to Jan Sorensens excellent ladder point system: (too bad it doesn't seem to work at the ladder)
Decisive Victory: +60
- Substantive Victory: +40
- Marginal Victory: +30
- Draw: +20
- Marginal Defeat: +10
- Substantive Defeat: 0
- Decisive Defeat: -20
The total of the points entered for both players will be +40 under all circumstances - e.g. a Draw gives 20 points to both players (20 + 20 = 40), and a Decisive Victory means 60 for the winner and -20 for the loser (60 - 20 = 40).
2) Posting AAR in the aar section of the forum will also earn you tournament points. (player optional)
The minimum aar requirements are:
a) aar must start no later than the year that Barbarosa kicks off or SU DOW on Germany. It may start earlier but not later.
b) aar must have a minimum of one post for each year after SU and Ge go to war.
c) aar must have minimum one paragraph and one screenshot for each of the world powers you are playing (excluding China) of course you can post more than minimum.
d) I prefer the aar to be ongoing with the progress of the game but you may make the posts after the completion of the game.
Obviously be carefull what you reveal as your current and future opponents will no doubt be reading it.
Extra Points
If you win the game the aar is following you will receive an additional 5pts on your score.
If you lose or draw on the game the aar is following you will receive additional 15pts on your score as long as you play the game to completion (i.e. do not concede the game)
If you lose the game the aar is following and concede before the end date you will receive additional 5pts.
Summary:
Draw or Loss(no concede) + AAR = 15pts
Loss (concede to oponent) + AAR = 5pts
Win + AAR = 5pts
The most points you can get for a win is 65
The most points you can get for a draw is 35
The most points you can get for a loss is 25
Declaring a Winner
The Grand Champion will be the player with the highest score when there are 2 or less player remaining or at the end of round 10 whichever occurs first. If there is a tie for 1st place in points then additional rounds will continue until one player has a higher score at the completion of a round.
There will be a prize for Winning and for Runner Up.
There will also be a prize for player submitting the best AARs. The public will vote for the winner of this prize at the end of the tournament.
This will be the trophy for the Winner and it will be engraved "Grand Champion of the 2007 GGWAW A World Divided PBEM Tournament"
It is great fun knowing that you are all out there battling away trying to win this thing! 
