Hello Runners!
Gen Con begins in less than a week, and the 2019 North American championship is nearly upon us! If you have not yet signed up, tickets are still available! We would like to offer a few clarifications and reminders for those who will be participating in the event:
In order to allow attendees more time to enjoy the convention, the top cut (“Day 2”) will also happen on Friday 2 August 2019, upon the conclusion of the Swiss rounds. There will be no main event on Saturday 3 August, only side events.
Location
All events will be held in Hall C: Yellow 20-30 of the Indiana Convention Center. Find us on the interactive convention map here.
Time
Please arrive at 9:00 AM or earlier, on Friday 2 August 2019. Decklists must be submitted to tournament HQ by 9:30 AM so that the event can begin promptly
What to bring
Make sure you have all materials necessary to compete – legal decks, opaque sleeves, tokens, etc. It is wise to bring a playmat and extra sleeves, although these are not required. We also recommend you bring along your spare promos to trade with other players!
Decklists
Blank decklists and pens will be available at tournament HQ. If you prefer to fill out a list in advance, you can find one here. Please double-check that your decks are legal. The main event will follow the Standard format and the most recent MWL (3.3). Decklists will not be required for the Core Experience or Eternal side events. More information on formats can be found here.
Proxies
Proxies and fanmade alt-arts are allowed at this event, provided they conform to the NISEI proxy policy found in the Organized Play Policies. This is a Competitive-level event, so remember that they must be approved by a member of tournament staff before the event begins. Please allow us to do so when you turn in your decklists. Handwritten and hand drawn proxies will not be allowed.
Pairings
Since we will not have access to a printer onsite, pairings will be posted online at http://cobr.ai/GCON. There will be no physical, printed pairings or standings sheets. If you do not have a mobile device or internet connection to access the site, please go to tournament HQ between each round so that tournament staff can inform you of your pairing.
Day 1 – main event
The main event begins at 9:30 AM on Friday, 2 August. There will be 4 or 5 65-minute rounds of Swiss, depending on final player count. An optional group photo, and then a lunch break of approximately one hour will be provided at the conclusion of round 4. After the lunch break, a tiebreaker round will commence, if required, followed by a cut to a top 8 double elimination bracket. There are no side events scheduled on Day 1.
In order to allow attendees more time to enjoy the convention, the top cut (“Day 2”) will also happen on Friday 2 August 2019, at the conclusion of Swiss rounds. There will be no main event on Saturday 3 August, only side events.
Day 2 – side events
Side events will run all day during Day 2, Saturday 3 August. Signup sheets will be available at tournament HQ all day, both days. Beginning at 10:00 AM, names will be called in the order that they appear on the signup sheets – every hour, on the hour. You must be present to be seated, and at least 4 players must be present for an event to fire. Side events will be run for as long as there is interest, but after 2:00 PM there is no guarantee of further events. You may sign up for either Eternal or Core Experience, or both. Should you sign up for both, you will be given the choice when your name is called. There is no specified entry fee but donations to the Indiana Youth Group charity (helping LGBTQ+ youth in Indiana) are encouraged. Decklists for side events are not required, but please ensure your decks are legal by double-checking here. In addition to what is found here, prize support includes older FFG promos such as Magnum Opus, NAPD Contract, Gabriel Santiago, and more.
Updated prize support
The original prize support found here will be given out, but due to reduced attendance, SSL Endorsement and IP Block will likely be given out to all participants. Additional prize support including plastic identities and new, unreleased promos will be raffled to random players each round.
Staff
The two main individuals running the North American Championship are Austin Mills (he/him) and Jamie Perconti (they/them). Other members of the NISEI team will be helping out intermittently or as required. Please do not hesitate to call a member of tournament staff if you have a rules question, an issue with another player’s behaviour, etc. See the Organized Play Policies and the Code of Conduct for details.
Gen Con
Please see the Gen Con FAQ for more information about the convention. Remember that you will need a convention badge in addition to your event ticket to participate.
That’s all for now!
– The NISEI Organized Play Team
