NEW RESTRICTED LIST HERE
henry ha
rules. I didn't even notice them until I was shocked to hear that Forks
and Balances were restricted and someone said to check for Tom's post.
Here is Tom's post again.
-Henry Ha-
------------------------------CUT HERE--------------------------------------
From: aa...@cats.ucsc.edu (Thomas R Wylie)
Subject: DUELIST CONVOCATION: 4/19/95 Version, includes new scoring system
Date: 5 May 1995 19:34:14 GMT
/*
** Summary of major changes: Balance and Fork are restricted. There is a
** new, chess-style scoring system. The rule on card sleeves has changed.
** The rules include a first pass at the rules for using translated cards.
*/
Type I Tournament Rules
Magic: the Gathering
Includes Magic: the Gathering (all editions),Arabian Nights, Antiquities,
Legends, The Dark, Fallen Empires
4/19/95
Notes:
Exclusion of the listing of any expansion set above does not imply
that the expansion set should be banned from tournament play. Exclusion
of any existing expansion set in the above listing means only that final
decisions as to restrictions on cards from that set have not yet been
made.
The standard rules for Magic: The Gathering apply to tournament
play, except where amended by these rules. In cases where the official
tournament rules differ from the basic rules of Magic, the official
tournament rules take precedence.
Note on play with non-English language cards: Be advised that in
all cases, any card title, card text, rules, tournament rules, or rulings,
or any other facet of official tournament play where translational
differences may appear, will be interpreted according to the English
language versions most currently in use. This applies to all tournament
types used by the Duelists' Convocation without exception.
Deck Construction Rules:
1. Type I tournament decks may be constructed from Magic cards from the
Limited (1st edition, with black border) series, the Unlimited (2nd
edition), Revised (3rd edition), 4th edition, any Magic expansion (unless
expressly disallowed by the Judge prior to the event), and promotional
cards released by Wizards of the Coast in magazines or through books. All
cards in the Type I tournament deck must have identical card back design.
Under no circumstances will cards from the Collector's Edition factory
sets be permitted in Type I tournament decks. They are easily
distinguished from legal play cards by their square corners and gold
borders. Use of any card not expressly permitted in a Type I tournament
deck in a Type I tournament will be interpreted by the Judge as a
Declaration of Forfeiture (see Standard Floor Rules #15).
Optional rule: It is required that all of the cards in a player's
deck have the same rounding of corners. As Alpha cards (the first section
of the print run from the original limited edition basic set) have
slightly more rounded corners than cards from subsequent printings (making
Alphas effectively marked cards), it may be ruled that if any cards from
the original Alpha card set are used in the Type I tournament deck that
the entire deck must be constructed of Alpha cards. If this option is
exercised , it must be advertised to the players in advance so that they
may reconfigure their playing decks as necessary.
2. The Type I tournament deck must contain a minimum of 60 (sixty) cards.
In addition to the Type I tournament deck, players may, but are not
required to, construct a Sideboard of exactly 15 (fifteen) additional
cards, which must always contain that number of cards while play is in
progress. The use of the Sideboard is further explained in the Standard
Floor Rules (rule #5).
3. There may be no more than 4 (four) of any individual card, by card
title, in the Type I tournament deck (including Sideboard), with the
exception of the five basic land types (Plains, Forest, Mountain, Island,
Swamp).
4. The Restricted List:
No more than 1 (one) of each of the cards on the Restricted List are
allowed in the Type I tournament deck (including Sideboard). If more than
1 (one) of any individual card from the Restricted List are found in a
player's deck and Sideboard, that will be interpreted by the Judge as a
Declaration of Forfeiture. The Restricted List may be modified by the
Director of the Duelists' Convocation as necessary. If the card is
originally from a Magic expansion, following its title will be a two
letter code denoting which expansion it is from. AN = Arabian Nights ,
AQ =Antiquities , LE =Legends , DK =The Dark , and FE = Fallen Empires .
The Restricted List is as follows:
Ali from Cairo (AN)
Ancestral Recall
Balance
Berserk
Black Lotus
Brain Geyser
Candelabra of Tawnos (AQ)
Channel
Chaos Orb
Copy Artifact
Demonic Tutor
Falling Star (LE)
Feldon's Cane (AQ)
Fork
Ivory Tower (AQ)
Library of Alexandria (AN)
Maze of Ith (DK)
Mind Twist
Mirror Universe (LE)
Mishra's Workshop (AQ)
Mox Pearl
Mox Emerald
Mox Ruby
Mox Sapphire
Mox Jet
Recall (LE)
Regrowth
Sol Ring
Sword of Ages (LE)
Time Twister
Time Walk
Underworld Dreams (LE)
Wheel of Fortune
In addition, any "Summon Legend" card is restricted to one each, as are
each of the Legendary Lands from the Legends expansion set.
5. The Banned List:
The following cards are banned from Type I tournament decks, and use the
same expansion set abbreviations as above:
Bronze Tablet (AQ)
Contract from Below
Darkpact
Demonic Attorney
Divine Intervention (LE)
Jeweled Bird (AN)
Rebirth (LE)
Sharazhad (AN)
Time Vault
Tempest Efreet (LE)
Several of the cards on the Banned List are not allowed because they
clearly state to remove them from your deck if not playing for ante, and
ante is not required to be wagered in a Type I tournament (see Standard
Floor Rules, rule #6). Any future cards that make the same statement will
subsequently be banned. This list may be modified by the Director of the
Duelists' Convocation as necessary.
Type I Tournament Floor Rules:
The Type I tournament uses all of the Standard Floor Rules.
Modifications to Standard Floor Rules:
Note: Rule numbers below correspond to Standard Floor Rules rule numbers.
5. The only deck alteration allowable while a duel is in progress is with
the use of a Ring of Ma'Ruf (AN). The Ring of Ma'Ruf may only be used to
retrieve a card from the player's sideboard, or to retrieve a card that
began the duel in the player's deck (a creature removed from play by a
Swords to Plowshares, e.g.). Cards other than the tournament deck and
sideboard should not be allowed at the tournament. In the event that a
player uses a Ring of Ma'Ruf to retrieve a card from their sideboard, the
Ring of Ma'ruf used is placed into the player's sideboard to take the
place of the retrieved card, thus maintaining exactly fifteen cards in the
sideboard. Otherwise, Standard Floor Rule #5 is unchanged.
Type II Tournament Rules
Magic: the Gathering
4/19/95
Notes:
Ą The standard rules for Magic: The Gathering apply to tournament
play, except where amended by these rules. In cases where the official
tournament rules differ from the basic rules of Magic, the official
tournament rules take precedence.
Ą Note on play with non-English language cards: Be advised that in
all cases, any card title, card text, rules, tournament rules, or rulings,
or any other facet of official tournament play where translational
differences may appear, will be interpreted according to the English
language versions most currently in use. Determinations of "latest
limited edition" sets will be made according to the latest limited edition
sets released in the English language if there is a conflict in
international play. Otherwise, use the latest limited editions common to
players from all countries anticipated to participate. In any case where
there may be discrepancies, the allowable sets/expansions should be
advertised in advance.
Deck Construction:
1. Type II tournament decks may be constructed from Magic cards from the
most current edition of the basic set and the latest 2 (two) limited
edition Magic expansions only. Cards from previous versions of the basic
set that still appear in the most current edition are allowed, with one
exception. Cards from any Collectors Edition with their square corners
and differing card back design are disallowed from play as these features
make cards from this set effectively marked cards. All cards currently
out of print from the basic set appear on the Banned List. Use of any
card not expressly permitted in the Type II tournament deck in a Type II
tournament will be interpreted by the Judge as a Declaration of Forfeiture
(see Standard Floor Rules #15).
a. When new editions of the basic set and/or new limited edition
expansions are released, there will be a grace period of one calendar
month from the date of release of the English language version of that
edition/expansion allowed for players to abide by the new deck
construction rules, within certain restrictions. When a new edition of
the basic set is released, players may construct decks using the card set
from EITHER the old edition or the new one; not a combination (i.e., cards
appearing in 3rd edition OR 4th edition, with no crossover unless the card
appears in BOTH editions) during the grace period. When a new limited
edition expansion is released, players may either use cards from the
previously legal two expansion sets, or the incoming legal two expansion
sets during the grace period (i.e., expansion sets A&B were the legal
expansions, expansion C is the new release. During the grace period, sets
A&B OR B&C would be allowable, but not sets A&C). In either case, once
the grace period has expired the new deck construction rules will be
strictly enforced.
Optional rule: It is required that all of the cards in a player's
deck have the same rounding of corners. As Alpha cards (the first section
of the print run from the original limited edition basic set) have
slightly more rounded corners than cards from subsequent printings (making
Alphas effectively marked cards), it may be ruled that if any cards from
the original Alpha card set are used in the Type II tournament deck that
the entire deck must be constructed of Alpha cards. If this option is
exercised, it must be advertised to the players in advance so that they
may reconfigure their playing decks as necessary.
2. The Type II tournament deck must contain a minimum of 60 (sixty)
cards. In addition to the Type II tournament deck, players may, but are
not required to, construct a Sideboard of exactly 15 (fifteen) additional
cards, which must always contain that number of cards while play is in
progress. The use of the Sideboard is further explained in the Standard
Floor Rules (rule #5).
3. There may be no more than 4 (four) of any individual card, by card
title, in the Type II tournament deck (including Sideboard), with the
exception of the five basic land types (Plains, Forest, Mountain, Island,
Swamp).
4. The Restricted List:
No more than 1 (one) of each of the cards on the Restricted List are
allowed in the Type II tournament deck (including Sideboard). If more
than 1 (one) of any individual card from the Restricted List are found in
a player's deck and Sideboard, that will be interpreted by the Judge as a
Declaration of Forfeiture. The Restricted List may be modified by the
Director of the Duelists' Convocation as necessary. The Restricted List
is as follows:
Ą Balance
Ą Channel
Ą Ivory Tower
Ą Maze of Ith
Ą Mind Twist
5. The Banned List:
For ease of use, all cards from the basic set that no longer appear in the
most current Revised Edition are listed here. Other cards may be banned
as well. The Banned List may be modified by the Director of the Duelists'
Convocation as necessary. The following cards are banned from the Type II
tournament deck:
ĄAncestral Recall
Ą Atog
Ą Badlands
Ą Basalt Monolith
Ą Bayou
Ą Berserk
Ą Black Lotus
Ą Blaze of Glory
Ą Braingeyser
Ą Bronze Tablet*
Camouflage
ĄChaos Orb
ĄClone
ĄConsecrate Land
ĄContract from Below*
ĄCopper Tablet
ĄCopy Artifact
ĄCyclopean Tomb
ĄDarkpact*
ĄDemonic Attorney*
Ą Demonic Hordes
ĄDemonic Tutor
ĄDwarven Demolition Team
ĄDwarven Weaponsmith
ĄEarthbind
ĄFalse Orders
ĄFarmstead
ĄFastbond
ĄForcefield
ĄFork
ĄGauntlet of Might
ĄGranite Gargoyle
ĄGuardian Angel
ĄIce Storm
ĄIcy Manipulator
ĄIllusionary Mask
ĄInvisibility
ĄJade Statue
ĄJandor's Ring
ĄJuggernaut
ĄKird Ape
ĄKudzu
ĄLance
ĄLich
ĄLiving Wall
ĄMijae Djinn
ĄMox Emerald
ĄMox Jet
ĄMox Pearl
ĄMox Ruby
ĄMox Sapphire
ĄNatural Selection
ĄNettling Imp
ĄPlateau
ĄPsionic Blast
ĄRaging River
ĄRebirth*
ĄReconstruction
ĄRegrowth
ĄResurrection
ĄReverse Polarity
ĄRoc of Kher Ridges
ĄRock Hydra
ĄRocket Launcher
ĄSacrifice
ĄSavannah
ĄScrubland
ĄSedge Troll
ĄSerendib Efreet
ĄShatterstorm
ĄSinkhole
ĄSol Ring
ĄTaiga
ĄTempest Efreet*
ĄTime Vault
ĄTime Walk
ĄTimetwister
ĄTropical Island
ĄTundra
ĄTwo-Headed Giant of Foriys
ĄUnderground Sea
ĄVesuvan Doppleganger
ĄVeteran Bodyguard
ĄVolcanic Island
ĄWheel of Fortune
ĄWord of Command
* : Banned from play, as card states to remove from deck before
playing if not playing for ante. This tournament type does not require
that ante be wagered.
Type II Tournament Floor Rules:
The Type II tournament uses all of the Standard Floor Rules.
Modifications to Standard Floor Rules:
None. All of the standard floor rules apply unmodified to this tournament
type.
Standard Floor Rules
Magic: the Gathering
4/19/95
Note on play with non-English language cards:
Be advised that in all cases, any card title, card text, rules,
tournament rules, or rulings, or any other facet of official tournament
play where translational differences may appear, will be interpreted
according to the English language versions most currently in use. This
applies to all tournament types used by the Duelists' Convocation without
exception.
Standard Floor Rules:
1. Officially sanctioned tournaments will be presided over by a Judge,
who may be assisted by as many Assistant Referees as they may need.
NEITHER THE JUDGE NOR THE ASSISTANT REFEREES MAY PLAY IN A TOURNAMENT THAT
THEY ARE ADJUDICATING. A Judge may be required to interpret rules, to
terminate an excessively long match, to interpret a Declaration of
Forfeiture (see Floor Rule #15 ), or make any other adjudication as
necessary during the tournament. The Judge is also responsible for
maintaining the tournament records and providing an accurate tournament
report for the Duelists' Convocation office that sanctioned the event.
Assistant Referees will aid by answering rules questions on the floor,
assisting with matching players for a new round, and being available to
the Judge for any other assistance they may require. In necessary cases
the Judge may overrule any decision made by an Assistant Referee. The
decision of the Judge is always final.
2. The number of players in an officially sanctioned tournament should
ideally be a power of two (i.e., 32, 64, 128...etc.). In the event that
the number of players is not a power of two, byes may be assigned randomly
during the first round only, and must be done in such a fashion that the
number of players in the second round is a power of two.
3. Officially sanctioned Magic: the Gathering tournaments will use a
standard single elimination bracketing system with random pairings for
each round. An index card (or reasonable facsimile) will be prepared for
each player with the player's name, Duelists' Convocation membership
number, and other tournament information. Cards will be shuffled and
paired randomly for each round of the tournament. Alternately,
tournaments with the capabilities may use a computerized system for
generating random pairings for each round, provided that the Judge can
keep accurate records of each player's progression throughout the
tournament.
Note: The single elimination bracketing system will be changed to
another system in the near future (at the time of this writing) to
accomodate more playing time for all participants in an officially
sanctioned tournament. Contact your local Duelists' Convocation branch
office to receive a copy of the latest official tournament rules.
4. A duel is one complete game of Magic. A match is defined as the best
two out of three duels. A player may advance in the tournament after
successfully winning one match, and reporting this victory to the Judge.
5. Players must use the same deck that they begin the tournament with
throughout the duration of the tournament. The only deck alteration
permitted is through the use of the Sideboard (see Deck Construction Rules
for the appropriate tournament type). If a player intends to use a
Sideboard during the course of a match, they must declare to their
opponent that they will be using the Sideboard prior to the beginning of
that match. Players may exchange cards from their deck for cards from
their Sideboard on a one-for-one basis at any time between duels or
matches. There are no restrictions on how many cards a player may
exchange in this way at any given time. Prior to the beginning of any
duel, each player must allow their opponent to count, face down, the
number of cards in their Sideboard. If a player's Sideboard does not
total exactly 15 (fifteen) cards, the Judge or an Assistant Referee must
be consulted to evaluate the situation before the duel can begin. If a
player claims that they are not using a Sideboard at the beginning of the
match, ignore this counting procedure for that player, but no deck
alteration of any kind will be permitted by the Judge for that player for
the duration of that match. Any violation of this rule may be interpreted
by the Judge as a Declaration of Forfeiture.
6. Players are not required to wager ante during the tournament. Players
may play for real ante, provided that both participants in the match give
their consent, though this agreement does not allow the inclusion of the
banned ante cards in the tournament deck. Ante cards won in a tournament
must be kept separate from the tournament deck and sideboard and may not
be used in the tournament in any capacity. If loss of ante cards from a
player's deck reduces the deck below 60 (sixty) cards, the player no
longer has a legal tournament deck, and will be removed from the
tournament.
7. Mulligan Rule: If a player draws either (a.) no land or (b.) all land
cards on the initial draw of seven cards to begin a duel, they may restart
the duel. To do this, the player must show their opponent that they have
either no land or all land, reshuffle their deck, allow their opponent to
re-cut the deck, and draw seven new cards. The player's opponent has the
option to do the same, even if their hand does not qualify for this rule.
For example, if player A draws no land and wishes to reshuffle, player B
may opt to also to try to improve the hand they drew. A player may only
use this rule once per duel.
8. A player may use plastic card sleeves or other protective devices on
cards in the tournament deck with the permission of the Judgeand with the
permission of their opponent. If for any reason a player's opponent
wishes them to remove the sleeves/protective devices, they may state so at
the beginning of any duel and the player must immediately comply. The
Judge may wish to disallow a player's card sleeves if they are obviously
marked, worn, or otherwise in poor condition that may interfere with
shuffling or game play. The exception to this rule is that sleeves may
always be used to mark a player's card as belonging to that player in the
event the card is in the opponent's playing field.
9. The use of "proxy" cards in the tournament deck is not allowed. A
proxy card is one that has been placed into the deck to represent another
card that for one reason or another the player doesn't want to play with;
i.e. using a Swamp with the word "Nightmare" written on it because the
player doesn't want to play with their actual Nightmare.
10. Players must at all times keep the cards in their hand above the
level of the playing surface. If a player is in violation, the Judge may
issue a warning to the player, or interpret the violation as a Declaration
of Forfeiture, at the Judge's discretion.
11. Players may not have any outside assistance (i.e., coaching) during a
match. If a player is in violation, the Judge may issue a warning to the
player, or interpret the violation as a Declaration of Forfeiture, at the
Judge's discretion.
12. Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated at an officially
sanctioned tournament. Players, Judges, and Assistant Referees will
conduct themselves in a polite, respectable, and sportsmanlike manner. A
player behaving excessively belligerent, argumentative, hostile, or
unsportsmanlike may receive a warning, or have this behavior interpreted
as a Declaration of Forfeiture, at the Judge's discretion. Repeat
offenses of this type by a particular member should be reported to the
Duelists' Convocation office sanctioning the event for investigation and
possible action. Behavior of this type on the part of an Assistant
Referee should be reported to the Judge, who may issue the offender a
warning or remove them from the tournament. Behavior of this type on the
part of a Judge should be reported to the Duelists' Convocation office
sanctioning the event for investigation and possible action.
13. In the event of an excessively long match, the Judge may need to
adjudicate the outcome prior to its actual conclusion. In some cases, the
Judge may wish to impose a time limit for each round of the tournament.
In either case, the time limit will not be less than 45 (forty-five)
minutes of playing time for a complete match. In the event of a long
match, the Judge must give the players involved a time warning not less
than 10 (ten) minutes prior to the end of the allotted time. If at the
end of the allotted time the match is not completed, the Judge will award
the victory as follows; if the players are currently playing the first or
third duels of the match, to the player with the highest life total in the
current duel, if playing the second duel of the match, to the player who
won the first complete duel. SEMI-FINAL OR FINAL ROUNDS SHOULD NEVER BE
ADJUDICATED BY A TIME LIMIT. It is HIGHLY recommended to allow matches to
play to their conclusion (comebacks from 20-1 have not been unheard of),
but in cases where this is not possible, Judges will use the above format.
14. Players must take their turns in a timely fashion. Whereas taking
some time to think through a situation is acceptable, stalling for time is
not. If the Judge feels that a player is stalling to take advantage of a
time limit, the Judge may issue a warning, or interpret the stalling as a
Declaration of Forfeiture, at their discretion.
15. Failure to adhere to the above rules, or any other rules specific to
a particular tournament, may be interpreted by the Judge as a Declaration
of Forfeiture. Only the Judge may make an interpretation of a Declaration
of Forfeiture. This is a more pleasant way of stating that if a player
breaks the rules, the Judge will remove them from the tournament.
16. Rules note: The Director of the Duelists' Convocation reserves the
exclusive right to add, delete, alter, transmute, polymorph, switch,
color-lace, sleight of mind, magical hack, or in any other way change
these or any other official Duelists' Convocation rules, whole or in part,
with or without notice, at any time that it is deemed necessary or
desirable. This right is non-negotiable.
Sealed Deck Tournament Rules:
Magic: the Gathering
4/19/95
Notes:
The standard rules for Magic: The Gathering apply to all
tournament play, except where amended by these rules. In cases where the
official tournament rules differ from the basic rules of Magic, the
official tournament rules take precedence.
Note on play with non-English language cards: Be advised that in
all cases, any card title, card text, rules, tournament rules, or rulings,
or any other facet of official tournament play where translational
differences may appear, will be interpreted according to the English
language versions most currently in use. Determinations of "latest
limited edition" sets will be made according to the latest limited edition
sets released in the English language if there is a conflict in
international play. Otherwise, use the latest limited editions common to
players from all countries anticipated to participate. In any case where
there may be discrepancies, the allowable sets/expansions should be
advertised in advance.
Deck Construction:
1. Decks may be constructed using the contents of 1 (one) sealed deck of
the latest edition of Magic: The Gathering cards (60 cards), and one of
the following additions:
a. The contents of 3 (three) sealed booster packs of the latest 8
(eight) card booster pack limited edition expansion set (for a starting
total of 84 cards) or;
b. The contents of 2 (two) sealed booster packs of the latest 15
(fifteen) card booster pack limited edition expansion set (for a starting
total of 90 cards) or;
c. The contents of 2 (two) sealed booster packs of the latest
edition of Magic: the Gathering basic set (for a starting total of 90
cards).
Optional Rule: At the Judge's discretion, players may add exactly
4 (four) basic lands of their choice to the deck. These land cards must
be issued by the tournament staff after the deck construction period (see
Sealed Deck Floor Rules, SD2), and in such a way as to take care that
each player receives only four additional lands and not more (using the
player sign in list may be a good way, or checkmarking the player's index
card as they receive their lands). This pool of basic lands can be from
an individual collection, or having each player donate one of each basic
land to create the pool as part of any entry fees at the tournament.
2. The tournament deck must contain a minimum of 40 (forty) cards, with
no imposed maximum. In Sealed Deck play, any cards from the starting deck
and booster(s) not used in the tournament deck will function as that
player's Sideboard. The total number of cards in a player's deck and
Sideboard combined may change during the course of play, as Sealed Deck
tournaments require the wagering of ante (see Modifications to Standard
Floor Rules #6; Sealed Deck). The use of the Sideboard is further
explained in the Standard Floor Rules (rule #5).
3. Due to the natural limiting effect of Sealed Deck play, as well as the
fact that ante must be wagered in the Sealed Deck tournament, there are
neither Restricted nor Banned Lists for this style of tournament.
Sealed Deck Floor Rules:
Sealed Deck tournaments will use the Standard Floor Rules, except where
noted in the Modifications to Standard Floor Rules section below. There
are four additional Floor Rules specific to a Sealed Deck tournament,
noted by SD#. These are:
SD1. Players are responsible for providing their own sealed decks and
boosters for use in the tournament, except in cases where the decks and
boosters are provided for them by the tournament organizers. If an entry
fee is charged for the tournament, the fee for a player shall not exceed
the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the cards allotted to and
received by the player, plus an additional amount within the normal
sanctioning parameters allowable by the Duelists' Convocation office
sanctioning the event.
SD2. Prior to the first round's pairings, the Judge should allow a period
of 45 (forty five) minutes for players to construct their decks. All
players in the tournament must open and construct their tournament decks
during the same 45 minute period. The Judge must announce a warning to
the players at the forty minute mark that only five minutes remain in the
deck construction period. Players must have their decks constructed prior
to the end of this allotted time. If a player has not completed deck
construction at the end of this allotted time, it may be interpreted by
the Judge as a Declaration of Forfeiture (see Standard Floor Rules #15).
In the event all players in the tournament have completed deck
construction prior to the end of the 45 minutes, the tournament may
commence without delay.
SD3. A Player may not open their sealed deck or booster(s) prior to the
beginning of the time period allotted for by the Judge.
SD4. At no time prior to or during the tournament will trading of cards
from the Sealed Deck tournament deck or Sideboard be permitted.
Modifications to Standard Floor Rules; Sealed Deck:
Note: Rule numbers below correspond to Standard Floor Rules rule numbers.
5. As written, but cards from the Sideboard need not be traded into the
deck on a one for one basis; any number of cards may be added to or
subtracted from the deck, provided that the playing deck contains a
minimum of 40 cards when finished. Additionally, the requirements of
Sideboards containing exactly 15 cards are dropped for obvious reasons.
6. In Sealed Deck tournaments, it IS required that player's wager ante.
Cards won as ante may be introduced into the playing deck at any time that
a Sideboard use is allowed (i.e., in between duels or matches). A player
unable to field a deck of at least 40 cards no longer has a legal deck,
and will be removed from the tournament.
13. Note: Floor Rule #13 (Judge's right to terminate an excessively long
match) may come into play more often in a Sealed Deck tournament, as many
decks constructed from such a limited environment when played against each
other may grind into a near stalemate situation. It is therefore
recommended that if any time limits are imposed per round, it may be
desirable to extend the limit to 60 or 90 minutes, depending on the
tournament. This extension is entirely at the Judge's discretion, and
must be advertised in advance or announced to all players at the
beginning of the tournament.
The Duelists' Convocation's New Rating System Explained
The new rating system being implemented by the DC is a chess style
averaging system which will rate players based on their skill. We feel it
is much better than our old system for many reasons. To begin with this
system is more accurate at gauging a players skill than our previous
system which favored those able to attend the most sanctioned tournaments.
Using this new system will assure that an individuals ranking is based on
something other than his or her ability to drive or fly long distances.
With the use of this system we will be able to sanction as many events per
area as that area can support instead of the standard one event per
callendar month method which we have been using.
The following article is an explanation of how the new rating
system works. Please bear in mind that this article is a simplified
explanation and that we will probably make some changes in the system as
we work with it more.
The basic theory of the system is that the difference between the
ratings of players is a guide to predicting the outcome of a duel between
those two players. The formula is based on statistical and probability
theory. No rating is a precise evaluation of a duelists' strength. The
ratings are averages of performances and should be viewed as
approximations within a range. This range is at least plus or minus 56
points (standard deviation) for most ratings. Provisional ratings (those
based on less than 25 matches) are much less reliable than established
ratings.
A duelist may approximate their new rating by using the
appropriate formula. The result will probably not be exact since official
calculations are based on the most current ratings rather than the last
published ratings. Extreme fluctuation in provisional ratings make
approximation more difficult for new duelists.
Events are rated in chronological order by the date of the event.
Ratings produced by each event are used for for the calculation of ratings
in subsequent events. Published ratings are current as of the date of
publication.
Duelists who have played fewer than 25 matches earn a rating equal
to their average performance according to the following equation:
R(p)=R(c)+((400(W-L))/N)
Where R(p) is the new rating, R(c) is the average rating of the duelists'
opponents, W is the number of wins, L the number of losses, and N the
number of games.
Duelists with established ratings (those based on 25 matches or
more use the following equation:
R(n)=R(o)+K(W-W(e))
where R(n) is the new rating, R(o) the old (pre-event) rating, K a
constant (32 for ratings of 0-2099, 24 for 2100-2399, 16 for 2400 and up),
W the score in the event, and W(e) the expected score (Win Expectancy),
determined from the following formula:
W(e)=1/((10^D)+1)
where D equals the difference in ratings.
We in the Duelists' Convocation have not finished hammering out
all the minor details of the system. We are in the process even as you
read this article. When we have all the details worked out, we will print
all the details we can supply, along with examples of rating calculations
and and sample win expectancies. For now, I hope this gives you a good
idea of what to look forward to in the future.
The nicest thing about the new rating system is the fact that we
are no longer going to be restriced to how often we can sanction
tournaments. This is because, due to the averaging nature of the ratings,
they are self correcting. We are also looking forward to new
possibilities for events in the future. Keep reading to see what we come
up with.