1.1 (Contents): This document contains the official tournament rules structure for Heresy: Kingdom Come. It includes the general floor rules which relate to all official H:KC tournaments, and the specifics of each of the three major tournament types which Last Unicorn recognizes and will base their players' organization around.
1.2 (Updates): Changes to these rules, and future versions
of them, will be circulated through the players organization, on the Internet
through postings at rec.games.trading-cards.misc (the primary public forum on
Heresy) and available by request from Last Unicorn Games by U.S. Mail or email
to the addresses found at the end of this document.
2.1.1: Each tournament will be run by a Judge or a group of
Judges and unless otherwise announced will be played according to the most
recent rulings, errata, and printings of the cards as presented in the
rulebook, the official FAQ, and over the internet.
2.1.2: In all cases, a judge's word will be final; if a
player has an official case against a ruling, it may be presented after the
tournament is completed, but will not alter the outcome once the judge has
passed a final decision. (Judges please note - This clause is not meant to
allow you complete power. If a player presents an official ruling of which you
were unaware, do not take it lightly and dismiss it out of hand.)
2.1.3: In the case of multiple judges, a head judge will be
appointed, whose decision will act as a tiebreaking vote.
2.1.4: Remeber that this is a competitive environment, and
that tempers can flare. Such a situation can easily compound itself, so all
players and officials are required to conduct themselves as civilly as possible
at all times.
2.2.1: All decks, except where otherwise specified later in
these rules, are to be constructed according to the rulebook. Those guidelines
are presented again here for clarity. "You ... need at least 60 Heresy cards to
make your deck ... You may have no more than four of any given card in your
deck, except for locations. You may have any number of individual locations in
your deck."(19)
2.2.2: Each player's cards are returned to him at the end
of each game, and each deck must start each game with all of its original
contents. No cards may be added to or removed from the deck between games,
except where noted.
2.3.1: At the start of the game, the first player will be
decided by some random method agreed upon by all players in that game; play
proceeds clockwise from that player (as standard). Each player has the option
to shuffle and cut the deck of the player to his or her right before any cards
are drawn, and at any time that a shuffle of the deck occurs during the game.
Other than this and as indicated on specific cards, no player may manipulate
another player's deck at any time.
2.3.2: The Tau goal for each game is determined by the type
of tournament, as explained below.
2.3.3: The only modification to the standard rules is to
the play of cards in the Archive. Each playerŐs archive is face-up, to preclude
the possibility of cheating. All discards to the Archive must be made face-up
and one at a time, but only the top card must be visible to all players at any
time. Each player has the right to look through and reorder his own Archive at
any time, but may not look through another's. If a suspicion of foul play
exists, a Judge may be called in to check the Archive.
2.3.4: Each player's oblivion may be looked through at any
time by any player, and each player may request information about any cards in
play or in oblivion, but the order of cards in oblivions may not be altered
without a card effect.
2.3.5: Any violation of the Tournament rules or the game's
basic rules which can be corrected must be, reversing steps as necessary to
correct the problem, and play resumes from there. If such a backtracking is not
possible, players may agree on a resolution if possible, or enlist a Judge's
opinion. If the violation is deemed intentional by a Judge, that judge has the
option of issuing the player a warning, penalizing the player in some manner,
or simply ejecting him from the tournament entirely.
3.1: The Reascension Tournament is the main variant of
Heresy tournament, and the one on which the other variants are based. It is a
full view of the struggle for the Fallen to reenter Empyrean on an epic scale,
and is suitable for any number of players from 6 to (theoretically) infinity.
Its games are intended to be suitably sized for a number of deck styles to
develop given the opportunity, and the scoring system is meant to encourage
variety and competitive play.
3.2.1: A Reascension Tournament is comprised of a number of
rounds of multiplayer games, with either three or four players in each game.
Each player then receives a number of points based on his or her performance in
the game (as explained below, under Scoring - 3.3). A player's total score for
the tournament determines the groupings for each round.
3.2.2: In each round, players are grouped with others of
similar scores, from the highest to the lowest. Any necessary groups of four
are to be comprised of the highest-ranking scores, with a maximum of two such
groups per round. Mathematically, there will be (X div 3)-(X mod 3) groups of
three per round, and (X mod 3) groups of four. The pattern is as follows:
3.2.3: There will be at least 4 rounds per tournament, plus
one per full fifteen players or as announced by the judge(s) ahead of time.
3.2.4: It is recommended that each round have a 75 minute
time limit, though other or no time limits are allowed at the option of the
judges. Any player found to be intentionally significantly delaying the game
(at a judge's decision) may be penalized, warned, or expelled, as deemed
appropriate. Should the time limit conclude before the game ends, the current
player finishes his turn, and then the game is scored as detailed below.
3.2.5: The standard Tau Goal for a Reascension tournament
is 9 Tau.
3.3.1: The winner of each game receives 14 points. (Should
the Tau goal be changed for a tournament, this number should also be changed.)
3.3.2: Each other player in the game receives a number of
points equal to the amount of Tau he or she has stored at the conclusion of the
game, to a maximum of the Tau goal.
3.3.3: Should a game run out of time, each player receives
a number of points equal to the amount of tau he or she has stored, to a
maximum of the Tau goal. Each player then receives an additional 2 points for
staving off his opponents.
3.4.1: There are no modifications to the Standard Floor
Rules for a Reascension Tournament.
4.1: The Armageddon Tournament is intended as a
faster-paced, more bloody alternative to the Reascension Tournament. It is a
reflection of the close and violent interactions between rival groups of the
Fallen, and is significantly less of a diplomatic game. It can be run for any
number of players, but works best in powers of two.
4.2.1: An Armageddon Tournament is a set of three-game
matches between two players, in which the total winner progresses to the next
round. It may be run either single- or double-elimination with regard to the
losers, and is set up and run exactly like any other single- or
double-elimination tournament. Note that, due to the bye system recommended
below, all three games of each match should be played if possible.
4.2.2: Any byes will be assigned to the eligible player
with the fewest lost games, in a single elimination tournament, or to the
eligible player with the fewest lost games who just lost a match. In any case
of a tie, the tie is broken by awarding the bye to the tied player with the
highest Tau stored at the conclusion of his or her last loss. Further ties are
broken randomly. No player may receive more than one bye per tournament,
however, and is thus ineligible for future byes.
4.2.3: The number of rounds, obviously, will be determined
by the number of players and the type of the tournament.
4.2.4: It is recommended that a total time limit be imposed
on the matches, but none on individual games. If a time limit is imposed on
matches, similar delay-of-game penalties are recommended as in Reascension
Tournaments, and in the case of time expiring, the situation is resolved as
described below.
4.2.5: Should time expire during the first game of a match,
the player with the highest Tau stored at the conclusion of the current turn is
declared the winner of the match. If it is a tie, play continues until one
player is ahead at the end of a turn or activates a gateway. For reference to
byes, both unplayed games are recorded as losses for both players.
4.2.6: Should time expire during the second game, the
player with the highest Tau stored at the conclusion of the current turn is
declared the winner of the game. If it is a tie, play continues until one
player is ahead at the end of a turn or activates a gateway. If this results in
a tie for the match, the winner of the first game is declared the winner of the
third game and thus the match; otherwise, both players record a loss for the
third game.
4.2.7: Should time expire during the third game, the player
with the highest Tau stored at the conclusion of the current turn is declared
the winner of the game. If it is a tie, play continues until one player is
ahead at the end of a turn or activates a gateway.
4.2.8: The standard Tau Goal for an Armageddon Tournament
is 7 Tau.
4.3.1: Due to the direct-conflict emphasis and the extreme
power of such cards in a 2-player situation, Apocalypse cards are banned from
Armageddon Tournaments at present to preserve the atmosphere and encourage a
variety of decks. Note that they are not banned in Reascension Tournaments
because the multiplayer format lessens their general effectiveness. There are
no other modifications to such a tournament.
5.1: The Revelations Tournament is a test of performance in
a limited environment. It is intended to carry a sense of the urgent and sudden
nature of the Fallen's situation, and the random forging of alliances in the
wake of the Ruin. It also allows new players to compete on an even level with
those who own large numbers of cards, since it is a sealed environment.
5.2.1: A Revelations Tournament is run identically to a
Reascension Tournament except where noted below. The primary difference is in
the rules for and system of deck construction, as outlined below (The Draft,
5.4).
5.2.2: The standard Tau Goal for a Revelations Tournament
is 7 Tau, and the resulting award for a win is 11 Tau.
5.3.1: Due to the nature of the draft, there is no maximum
number of any particular card which can appear in your deck. In addition, the
minimum number of cards is dropped to 50. Note, however, that such a small deck
will likely lose due to loss of cards.
5.3.2: In addition, any player may spend 5 minutes tuning
his or her deck between matches, adding only Ultracommon domains and those
cards from the draft currently not in the deck, and removing any cards he or
she desires, so long as the minimum size is maintained. This rule may be
negated by the judges if they so desire, but must be announced in advance of
the tournament.
5.4.1: The focal feature of a Revelations Tournament is the
draft, in which players select their cards in a limited manner from a set of
sealed boosters brought to the tournament or bought on site. Each player must
be informed in advance of the number and type of each booster to bring or buy.
It is recommended that the total number of cards provided by the boosters be
between 35 and 60, and that at least one of the boosters be from the latest
printing of the core set. Currently, this means 3 or 4 booster packs of the
main printing, but as time goes on, expansions may be worked into the system.
5.4.2: Players are randomly divided into groups sized as
evenly as possible, with the optimum size for a group being 5. The decision is
left to judges as to exact sizes and allocations.
5.4.3: Within a group, players sit in a circle. Each opens
the first booster pack (all of the same type, by mutual decision), and selects
one card from it, which is placed in front of him or her. The pack is then
passed to the left. The player receiving the pack selects one card, and passes
it on to his/her left, and so on until all packs that were opened together are
exhausted. At that point, the next pack is opened, and the same occurs, but the
packs are passed to the right instead, and so on, alternating directions, until
all packs are exhausted and all cards are drafted.
5.4.4: Each player now may build a deck with any or all of
these cards, and may add any number of any of the Ultracommon locations from
the basic set (listed below) to the deck. Such locations are the only cards
from outside the boosters which may be added to the decks, and the only
requirement of the resulting deck is that it be at least 50 cards. All unused
cards are the property of that player (unless there is some other stipulation,
such as their use in the prize) for the duration of the tournament.
5.4.5: The Ultracommon Locations are: Congo Depth Preserve,
Corporate Arcology, Euroreach, Free City, Kiev Grid, Nile Shard, Osaka Expanse,
Old World City, Outland Tunnels, Remote Biodome, Rimspace, Rio Net, Seafloor
Metroplex, and Urban Sprawl.
6.1: These Tournament Rules were originally written for
Last Unicorn Games by Denis J. Chagnon in June, 1996, and have been released so
far in the Alpha version by him on 6-15-96.
6.2: Further information regarding tournaments is available
from Last Unicorn Games through
rec.games.trading-cards.misc,
D.J. Chagnon (internet rep) at djc@capital.net
or djc@eniac.seas.upenn.edu, from
LUG itself at
heresy@lastunicorngames.com,
by phone at 1-717-221-1118, or at the LUG website,
http://www.lastunicorngames.com
6.3: Further information on Heresy, especially the
FAQ and rulings, and questions on them, are best
requested from the newsgroup or the internet addresses. For those without
internet access, send an SASE and a request for that information to Last
Unicorn Games, 931 N. Front St. #404, Harrisburg, PA, 17102.
6.4: These rules are an ongoing process, and depend on
player participation and feedback to make them all they can be. Please, let us
(especially D.J., who's doing the writing, and the players organization) know
what you think.
Standard Floor Rules
* General Rules:
* Deck Construction:
* Playing the Games:
The Reascension Tournament
* Reascension Overview:
* The Main Structure:
Players Groupings
6 3 3
7 3 4
8 4 4
9 3 3 3
10 3 3 4
11 3 4 4
12 3 3 3 3
13 3 3 3 4
14 3 3 4 4
15 3 3 3 3 3
... ...
* Scoring:
* Modifications to Standard Floor Rules:
The Armageddon Tournament
* Armageddon Overview:
* The Main Structure:
* Modifications to Standard Floor Rules:
The Revelations Tournament
* Revelations Overview:
* The Main Structure:
* Modifications to Standard Floor Rules:
* The Draft:
Further Information
©Copyright 1996 Last Unicorn Games
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