These rules subject to change at any time, with notice.

General[list=1][*]The event is open to all players with the understanding that they will be willing and able to meet the constraints of the North American players.[*]Must have a registered account on VSRealms.com[*]Must have entered complete address in the User CP.[*]Must have the Private Messaging feature turned on.[*]Must be able to run the OCTGN software and be using the Card database files found on VSRealms.com[*]Must have an AOL Instant Messenger account and have your screenname listed in your VSRealms User Profile.[*]Tournament rounds dates will always include a period over a weekend (Tuesday - Sunday) Make sure you have plenty of available time on the weekend during the round dates! (Ex. If you work all day Saturday and Sunday, you probably shouldn't sign up!)[/list=1]
Tournament Rules
Format

• Initial players will be divided up in "pods" of 8 players. (Byes assigned as necessary.)
• Each pod will be it's own "Top 8", meaning that it will be single elminination format, so if you lose one match you're out. (Pods will probably be determined in part by Time Zone, so make sure you have yours specified properly in your USER CP)
• If there are more than 8 players after the single elimination pods, the winner of each pod will then move on to the Swiss rounds, the number of which will be determined by the number of players. I will be using Mantis to determine Tie-Breakers, etc. By using Swiss in this way, players will be allowed to concede a match if they have a schedule conflict, but still have a chance to move on if they do well in the rest of their matches.
• After the Swiss rounds we will cut to the final Top 4 or Top 8 (determined by the number of players initially in the tournament), which will be held on a pre-scheduled weekend (which will be scheduled after the number of Swiss rounds is determined) and all Top 4/8 matches will be held on that weekend. This means that if you want to go all the way, you need to be prepared to give up a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday. Furthermore, all decklists should be provided on the Friday before the matches are scheduled for the top 4/8, and failure to do so will result in a forfeit.

Match Rules

• Tournament pairs will be randomly generated. Players will be notified of their opponent via Private Message on the VSRealms site. It is recommended that Players enable the email notification feature.
  ---Byes: Byes will be granted automatically in cases where an uneven number of players exist. This may include drop-outs and disqualifications.
• If you indicated that you can host when you signed up, and it turns out you cannot, you will be disqualified. Please make sure to test your software before signing up. This does not automatically mean that your opponent did this if both players in a match pairing cannot host.
• Each pairing will have six (6) days to complete each round. It is advisable that players contact their opponent and play the match as early in the period as possible, in case there are any disputes that need to be resolved.
• If you are unable to contact your opponent within 48 hours of receiving your match information, please contact RyanDG immediately to report the issue.
• Players will setup OCTGN and play according the VSRealms.com Play Guide.
• Players will play the match according to all current VS. System rules and UDE rulings and clarifications, with one exception: Players will be allowed to modify their decks between rounds if they so choose.
• The winner of each match must submit results via VSRealms.com within 24 hours of the end of each round. Winners will submit the match information after the match is complete.
  ---The defeated player will have the opportunity to dispute the entered results of the match within 24 hrs of the results being entered. Results not disputed will be automatically accepted.
• Top 8 Players will be required to submit their deck list and Chat Log from their matches. Please see the below for instructions on saving the chat log.

Grievance Procedure
Grievances should be submitted to the Tournament Commissioner via Private Message before the deadline for that round.

Possible grievances include:[list=a][*]No-shows, or opponent dropping out of a match early purposefully, i.e. Not due to extenuating circumstances such as computer failure or connection problems[*]Suspicion of cheating[*]Verbal abusiveness, such as hate speech.[/list=a]
Grievances will be investigated within 48 hours of submission. Both players will be contacted as a result of a grievance being lodged. The Tournament Commissioner will consider both sides and make an appropriate ruling.

Rulings

Rulings made by the Tournament Commissioner are final and may not be appealed. Complaints about rulings may result in disqualification from future VSRealms.com online events.

Saving the chat log: In order to provide evidence of an offense, it is recommended that you save the chat log after your match. To do this, browse to the directory where OCTGN is installed (Usually C:\Program Files\OCTGN\Logs) and copy the file "octgn.txt" to another location.

Withdrawal
If a player is unable to play their scheduled match due to unforeseen circumstances such as connection problems or real life issues, they should notify their opponent and the Tournament Commissioner as soon as possible so that they may be withdrawn from the tournament and their opponent may be reassigned another opponent or assigned a bye.

This version of the rules is not in effect until VSRealms Online Tournament #2!
These rules subject to change at any time, with notice.

These are the procedures and rules for completing games as part of our online VS system tournaments.

VSRealms.com OCTGN Match Guide

I. Setting up the OCTGN Program
The first thing you’ll need to do to get started in the online tournaments is download and install the OCTGN base setup and the VS conversion.

II. Connecting to your opponent[list=1][*]Once you receive your match information from VSRealms and have contacted your opponent to establish a match time, you’ll need to connect to each other using the OCTGN program. It is a good idea for both of you to use an AIM or the OCTGN chat program to communicate in real-time outside of OCTGN.[*]Either you or your opponent must be able to host the game. This means that one of you must either not be behind a firewall, or have their firewall configured to allow incoming connections for OCTGN (I will be posting a sticky on hosting and connecting through a router at a later time).[*]Connect to your opponent following the instructions found in our OCTGN Play Guide.
[*]Hosting Issues: If two players who cannot host are paired together, they should work out a scheduled match time, and then send a PM to the Tournament Commisioner requesting a server for that date and time, no later than 48HRS before the round deadline. The Tournament Commisioner will respond with a server address and password which both players can connect to in order to play their match.
[*]Feature Matches: Each round of the tournament, we will be featuring a single match for coverage. If your pairing is selected for such a match, you will be notified when pairings go out. Feature Match players will be required to play on a special server, and will need to work out match scheduling with the Tournament Commissioner.[/list=1]
V. Playing the match[list=1][*]Each player should click the Dice Roll button before the each game of the match. The player with the highest roll may choose to go first or second.[*]At the end of each game in a match, each player start a new game by right-clicking their name in the OCTGN window and choosing "Reset". Each match should be a total of 3 games.You may not go into the deck editor once a match has started. [*]If a disconnection occurs during the middle of a game, please wait for your opponent to come back online as long as possible. OCTGN allows you to reconnect and finish a game that was already in progress. The player hosting should leave OCTGN running and wait for their opponent to reconnect.[*]Rules disputes should be solved in a civil manor between the players. There is no judge watching you play, or to consult during the game, you must solve the matter on your own. If all else fails, use the Die Roll feature to settle the dispute, with the player rolling highest getting to choose the solution. You will be able to lodge a grievance after the match if you feel that your opponent was being difficult, unsportsmanlike, or refused to follow the rules properly.[*]Deck Legality: OCTGN has a deck legality checker that will report if a player is using more than 4 copies of a card. However, this checker cannot currently account for decks using Army characters. Therefore, if your deck displays this message when it is loaded, you must be willing to submit to the following procedure at the end of the match in order for your opponent to verify that your deck did not contain more than 4 copies of a non-Army character card:
-Reset the board by right-clicking on your name and choosing "Reset"
-Right-click on the deck stack, and choose "Reveal deck to:" then select your opponent.
-Your opponent may then take 2 minutes to view the contents of your deck to ensure legality.
-If your deck is illegal your opponent must say so in the chat and then submit the chat log to me in order to file a grievance.[/list=1]

III. Reporting the Results

Both players of the match should report results via:
http://www.vsrealms.com/league.php
(Please enter 99999 for both deck codes)

Enter the number of wins per player. The second player to enter results will receive a message as to whether the results they entered match the results already entered.

If the results entered by the second player do not match the results already entered by the other player in the match, an error message will be displayed. If you receive the error message, check your info and re-enter the match information. If the error message is received again, and you are sure that the information you are entering is correct, please contact RyanDG, the Tournament Commissioner immediately.


IV. Grievances

If you feel your opponent has committed an offense worthy of a grievance send a Private Message to the RyanDG, the VSRealms.com Tournament Commisioner, with the details.

Banned Cards:

Golden Age -
Overload