Version 1.1, March 1998
(FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THERE IS NO LONGER AN OFFICIAL SANCTIONED TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE.)
I. Rules adjustments
The guidelines outlined in the Imajica CCG Rulebook will be followed with the following exceptions. This list is expected to grow and change over the course of the game’s evolution.
A) Deck construction:
1) There may be no more than 25 characters in a deck.
B) Rules modifications: Except for the modifications described in Article III for Simple Three tournaments, and rulings in the official FAQ (specified in Article X), there are currently no modifications to the game rules.
C) Card rules modifications:
1) Unless specifically stated on the card, no Flashes or Actions may target Holders of a Site. This includes Flash activation powers on other types of cards (such as the Ruukassh! power).
II. Deck Registration
All contestants must register the exact type and number of cards used in their decks before the first round of preliminary competition. Registration must be completed on an official ZI Games tournament form. Registration forms are kept confidential until the end of the tournament, and viewed only by judges.
III. Tournament Types
There are 3 types of tournament play:
FULL FIVE: In Full Five games, players win complete victories by controlling Sites from each of the Five Dominions, as in a normal game of Imajica.
SIMPLE THREE: In Simple Three tournaments, all rounds are “short games,” wherein players win complete victories by controlling Sites from 3 different Dominions. Border Sites may count as either one of the Dominions represented, but not both at the same time.
MIXED: In Mixed tournaments, the preliminary rounds are played in the Simple Three style. Semi-final and final rounds are played in the Full Five style.
IV. Tournament Structure
Imajica tournaments are played in two-player rounds. Players compete in a set number of Swiss style preliminary rounds, after which a predetermined number of semifinalists are chosen. Semifinals and final rounds are played in single elimination rounds.
Preliminary rounds: The preliminaries are scored according to article 5 below. During each round, a player will be matched against a new opponent with an approximately equal score. If an odd number of contestants is playing, one player will receive a bye (2 points). Byes will be awarded to the contestant with the lowest current score. One game of Imajica will be played between opponents per round, with the winner receiving 1 or 2 points (see Article V). Losers will receive no points for the round.
A minimum of 4 rounds should be played, with a maximum of 10. The exact number of rounds played will be left to tournament coordinators.
At the end of each round, the player adds the total Resistance of all controlled Sites, and reports this value to the judge. This value is added to the previous total Resistances from other rounds.
The value has no impact on the tournament, unless ties must be broken in determining semifinalists.
Semifinals: The number of contestants to advance to the semifinals is to be determined by the tournament coordinator before the tournament begins. The number of advancing contestants should be a power of 2 (2, 4, 8, etc.). This number of contestants having the highest scores in the preliminaries advance to the semifinals. In case of ties, the contestant with the highest total Resistance from all preliminary rounds is allowed to advance. If this still does not resolve the tie, all tying players should play in a single Simple Three “run-off” round, limited to 30 minutes.
The winner advances to the semifinals.
Semifinals are resolved in single elimination rounds, with contestants initially paired according to their scores in the preliminaries. Only one game will be played between contestants. A partial victory is sufficient to advance to the next round in semifinals.
The winner of the final two-player round is the tournament champion.
V. Scoring in Preliminaries
Each round should be scored according to the following scheme.
Loss: 0 Points
Partial Victory: 1 Point
(Winning by time-out or exhausted Destiny)
Complete Victory: 2 Points
(Including Byes)
VI. Timing Out
In a Simple Three tournament, rounds are limited to 30 minutes each. In a Full Five tournament, rounds are limited to 60 minutes each.
If neither player has achieved a complete victory by the end of the time limit, the player controlling Sites from the most different Dominions is awarded a partial victory (1 point). If both players control the same number of Dominions, the player with the most Sites is awarded a partial victory. If both players control the same number of Sites from the same number of Dominions, each player is awarded a partial victory.
There are never time limits in semifinal or final rounds, with the exception of tie-breaking rounds to qualify for the semifinals (as described in Article IV).
VII. Auditing Decks
When a deck audit is called, play ceases in that match, and a judge counts and compares the number of cards in a players deck to his registration sheet. Audits of all semifinalists will always be called between the preliminary and semifinal rounds. Audits may be called at other times at the judges discretion.
When a player’s deck does not match its registration form, the judge may react in one of ways. The judge may:
A) Disqualify the player, and force them to leave the tournament.
B) Cause an immediate loss of 2 points to the players preliminary score.
C) If the error is corrected simply and immediately (i.e. it was an “honest mistake”), waive the error, with no penalty.
VIII. Timing of Flashes and Maneuvers
To reduce argumentation during play, more advanced rules of timing have been developed for flashes and maneuvers.
A) Right to react: The player who is currently the “acting Autarch” will always have the right to play flashes first in reaction to his own actions. This privilege includes the right to play a flash first during the “build-up” to a contest (after the opponent announces the intention to contest, but before it formally begins).
The acting Autarch ALSO has the right to play any maneuvers first during a contest or seizure.
B) One card at a time: A player may only play ONE flash or maneuver before his opponent has the opportunity to react. If the opponent wishes not to react, another appropriate card may still be played by the former player. The opponent then has another chance to react before the former may play a third card. This cycle continues until both players pass the opportunity to play cards.
IX. Forfeiting
When a player forfeits a round, that player receives no points for the round, and his opponent receives 2 points. The Resistance of any Sites a player controls at the time of forfeiture is added the players’ running totals of Resistance.
A player must forfeit a round if a judge decides the player has performed an illegal action. A player may intentionally forfeit a round simply by announcing his intention to a judge.
X. Official FAQ Rulings
All rules on the Official Imajica CCG FAQ are considered official, and tournaments should be played with these rules in mind. Tournament organizers are strongly urged to download a copy of these rules shortly before the tournament date, and have all judges familiar with them.