Event preview – What’s happening at Lock & Load US 2026?
Lock & Load, the best weekend in Warmachine, is returning to the US from November 6-8 at the Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel in St. Louis!
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Not heard of Lock & Load? Get all the details here
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Haven’t got a badge yet? Grab yours on Eventbrite
Before we dive into the preview, a quick message from us:
Your Lock & Load badge gets you access to the hall, live preview presentation, and other free events happening across the weekend which you’ll need to register for separately (the same as you would for a tabletop convention like AdeptiCon).
Normally, we’d have opened event registration much sooner, but after getting feedback on the system we used for Lock & Load EU, we’ve been exploring a different route to make registration more straightforward. (Details below!)
We’re just about ready for the new registration system to go live, but we didn’t want to keep you waiting any longer for the event details. Especially because we know many of you are (understandably) keen to know what the heck we’ve got planned!
So, today’s preview is here to help you plan your Lock & Load weekend before the actual event registration goes live early next week.
Okay, okay, that’s the boring bit out of the way. Let’s see what’s happening!
If you’ve never heard of Frontlines or you’re wondering what on earth a Blitzmachine is, we’ve got you covered with a summary of each event type below.
And yes, there will also be lore seminars, paint & take, painting classes, and super secret playtesting sessions (NDA required) happening across the weekend! Bookings for these will be released alongside the above-listed events.
How to register for events
Here’s what you need to do:
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Get your Lock & Load badge if you haven’t already (available on Eventbrite)
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Create a Longshanks account (if you don’t have one already)
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Fill out this form: Pre-registration form — this is very important!
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Once you’ve filled out the form, we’ll add you to the exclusive Lock & Load US 2026 community on Longshanks
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When event registration opens early next week, you’ll then be able to register for any Lock & Load event directly on Longshanks
It’s very important you fill out the pre-registration form so we can verify your badge holder status and match your badge with a Longshanks ID before adding you to the community. Event registration will only be open to members of the Lock & Load 2026 US community.
Handling registration this way cuts out the middle step of you signing up elsewhere and us transferring your registration over to Longshanks, and makes remaining event capacity more easily visible to everyone. Plus, you can see what your friends have registered for and coordinate more easily.
We’re confident this is a step forward from our previous way of handling registrations, but there’s always room for improvement! As with previous Lock & Loads, we’ll keep an eye out for any feedback after the weekend.
What is Longshanks?
Longshanks is an online system used to organise, manage, and track tabletop and miniature wargame events. Create a free account here.
Event descriptions
Iron Gauntlet Last Chance Qualifier
Timings: See schedule above
Warmachine’s Iron Gauntlet returns for 2026: a season-long challenge where players climb the leaderboard to earn a coveted seat in the US final.
This event is your last chance to qualify for the Iron Gauntlet US 2026 Final happening Saturday and Sunday. Qualifiers are open to all players, but only the top two players will make it through to the final.
You’ll need to be a decent tactician with good knowledge of the game and one or two fully painted and based 100-point Prime army lists*. Be prepared for epic highs, adrenaline-fuelled lows, and an experience for the ages!
The Warmachine community is an especially friendly one, so as well as testing your matched play mettle, you’ll get guaranteed games, meet fellow players, and come away with some fantastic stories. Register for your shot at making Warmachine history.
*See Steamroller 2026 for guidelines
Frontlines
Timings: See schedule above
Rock up and roll dice in one of our Frontlines events which use Tales from the Frontlines, our Casual Play Pack for Warmachine.
Frontlines is designed to give you a great game and create memorable moments at any experience level, from rookie to veteran. Experimental and “just for the heck of it” plays are highly encouraged! Bring your 50-point army list, dice, and widgets, and let's do this.
3-Player Teams Tournaments
Timings: See schedule above
Grab two of your best Warmachine friends and throw your hats in the ring for the teams tournament!
Every team needs three players, and every player needs one or two 100-point Prime army lists*.
The Warmachine community is an especially friendly one, so as well as testing your matched-play mettle, you’ll get guaranteed games, meet fellow players, and come away with some fantastic stories.
*See Steamroller 2026 for guidelines
Grand Narratives
Timings: See schedule above
In a realm where steam power and arcane magics intertwine, battle lines are drawn with steel, fire, and sorcery. Fractured by politics and age-old rivalries, the fabric of Immoren is a torn and re-woven tapestry of alliances and betrayals.
Join the Grand Narrative and let your actions stitch or unpick the threads of fate that hang over the Iron Kingdoms. Bring your 50-point army and let destiny be forged.
Steamroller Tournaments
Timings: See schedule above
Get ready for some good, clean Warmachine all wrapped up in a classic Steamroller tournament!
We'll split players into pods at random, for groundshaking beasts vs. machine action as 32 armies go head-to-head across the Iron Kingdoms.
Bring one or two 100-point Prime army lists*.
*See Steamroller 2026 for guidelines
Blitzmachine
Timings: See schedule above
Smaller armies, faster games. Formerly known as “Hardcore”, in Blitz Warmachine the aim of the game is speed. Each player gets just 30 minutes on their clock, so every second counts.
This is a Warmachine format that’ll really get your pulse racing. Wolves At Our Heels is the only scenario — watch out for that encroaching killbox!
Bring one 75-point Prime army list*.
*See Steamroller 2026 for guidelines
Painting Classes
Timings: To be released
Details to follow!
Lore Seminars
Timings: To be released
Want to learn more about the deep world behind Warmachine? Warmachine’s Loremaster, Sherwin Matthews, will take you on a guided tour and get you up to speed!
More details to follow. Q&A at the end.
Confidential Playtesting Sessions
Timings: To be released
Join Warmachine's gameplay lead, Jamie Perkins for behind-the-scenes sessions where you’ll get to be hands-on with genuine in-development gameplay content under live playtesting conditions!
You’ll need to bring all your regular gaming accessories and models to construct a Prime-legal army during the session.
IMPORTANT: Signing a non-disclosure agreement on arrival is mandatory to enter this session. All mobile devices must be set to airplane mode for the duration. Photography and filming will not be allowed.
Iron Arena — drop in, roll dice, get rewards
Get stuck into the Iron Arena, where you can play casual pick-up games of Warmachine to your heart's content. Earn stamps just for playing to redeem towards awesome prizes.
Bring any 50, 75, or 100-point Warmachine army, play games, get your card stamped at HQ, and work your way toward the most desirable loot.
The Iron Arena is open every day of Lock & Load, so swing by for a steady stream of battles and a nostalgic arcade-style prize wall to spend your well-earned stamps on.
Live Warmachine 2027 Preview
Get the first previews and teasers of what’s coming up for Warmachine in 2027!
If you want an early look at what we’ve got planned, including the kind of reveals that make group chats blow up, then factor this Preview into your plans.
Can’t make it to St Louis? Don’t worry; we’ll be streaming the whole thing. Subscribe to the Warmachine YouTube to get notified when we go live!
Got questions?
Join the official Warmachine Discord and pop them in the dedicated Lock & Load US 2026 thread.
Otherwise, make sure you’ve followed the step-by-step registration guide, then check back next week when event registrations go live!
