Enter the Diplomats
By Nathanael Tripp

With the release of the new IDC expansion, Invasion of Naboo, we thought it proper that we hold a ION Release Tournament. So, without further ado, here's the info.

General:
The tournament will start on Mondy June 8th and will be in the draft format with pairings done according to the swiss format. Each round (either 3 or 4 rounds depending on participants) will last one week.

The tournament will use LackeyCCG. If you are unfamiliar with LackeyCCG or would like a refresher click here. Please don’t join the tournament unless you are familiar with LackeyCCG. If you want to be able to host your own games look here.

Registration:
Participants need to post here no later than 11:59 Hawaiian Time on June 7th if they plan to play in the tournament. Late registrations will be allowed for following rounds if an even number of participants can be maintained. All missed rounds will result in zero points. Players also need to have their preferred method of contact posted here (i.e. AIM, YIM, etc). One of the nice things is that participants are allowed to meet whenever it works for the two of them. So such things as time zones, work and school can be worked around by both players.

Pairings:
Pairings will be posted on Mondays. In the first round, participants will be paired randomly. Following rounds, will be using the swiss format to pair players. Players will have one week (by Friday 11:59 Hawaiian Time) to post their results. Players need to post both the match and games results (three games per match) in the match results thread. If there is an odd number of players for a round, the player in last place will receive a bye and automatic victory (providing they have not already received a bye).

Scoring:
Winners will receive three points, both players will receive one point for a draw and a loss will result in zero points. The first tie-breaker will be game winning percentage. The second tie-breaker (which will only be used in the final standings) is opponent’s points. The third tie-breaker (which will only be used in the final standings) is opponent’s game winning percentage.

Time Limit:
A player may request a time limit to the match. The request must be made before bidding is begun for the first game and the time limit request must be granted. Players may not request a time limit of less than two hours. Both players should post the time in the lackey log if playing with a time limit. If no request for a time limit is made before the bidding for the first game, then the match is played without a time limit. If both players request time limits, then the shorter time limit is granted. If a match reaches the time limit, then players will play 3 more turns after the current turn is finished. If after that there is no winner, then the game is considered a draw.

Deck Submissions:
There will be no deck submissions for this tournament. You are only allowed to play with one 40 card deck. You may not change the deck at any time. If you suspect someone has cheated, please let a TD know. The decks must comply with the rules outlined by the official rulebook.

Unplayed Games:
Unplayed games will automatically result in draws for the round. However, it is the players responsibility to contact a Tournament Director before the round ends letting them know that they intend to keep playing. If a player does not play his games for the round and does not contact a TD he will be dropped from the next round. To be safe, please PM all TDs if you miss your games and want to keep playing.

Draft Rules:
For draft play each player will open 5 packs of Invasion of Naboo and construct a 40 card deck using cards opened. You may mix Light Side, Dark Side, and Neutral cards into one deck and the arena limit does not apply (ie. you can have 0 space units and 30 ground units and it would be a legal deck). Also please only open your 5 packs of cards ONCE, this is going to be done on an honor system so don't break our trust in you.

Prizes:
1st Place - Specialty Title on Rebelbasers, The Art of Episode I, and Film Strip from Episode I
2nd Place - Specialty Title on Rebelbasers and The Art of Episode I: Star Wars Lego Mania Magazine (signed by Ketricel if you want)
3rd Place - Specialty Title on Rebelbasers

Any questions or concerns can be posted below or you can PM any Tournament Director.

Above all, HAVE FUN and ENJOY yourself.
Afterall, it’s not about winning (only one person will do that) it’s about having an enjoyable experience.

Tournament Directors:
Eagles Nest
Grand Moff Nicodemus Fett
Ketricel

Thoughts or comments? Visit the message board thread for this article here.

About the Author
Nathanael has been a player since May 2002 and is currently taking time off from the IDC and Playtesting for personal reasons. He has written a number of articles for Wizards of the Coast and has been very active with the SWTCG Hope of the Jedi tournament. Nathanael Tripp has also been a member of both the Wizards and Rebelbasers forums since January of 2002, posting under the name Ketricel.