It's official, Portland is hosting its first Call of Cthulhu Regional Championship. I'll use this thread to post and update all the relevant details, as well as answer any questions you may have about the event.

WHERE? Guardian Games ( www.ggportland.com )

WHEN? Saturday, June 23rd

WHAT TIME? TBA

We're hoping to use this event to build the local Call of Cthulhu community, so whether you're a veteran player or just beginning the game, come and join us for a day of Mythos Madness! Depending on the turnout, we may include other formats, such as Cenacle multiplayer or team play.

For all you other Pacific NW cultists out there, surprisingly this is the only Call of Cthulhu regional championship west of the Mississippi. Perhaps the stars are right for a quick trip to Portland?

Stay tuned for information on when and how to register for the tournament.

Awesome news, I just started playing CoC. I will be there!

Great! I'm hoping to have a good-sized turnout so Guardian Games will want to host a CoC regional again in the future. If you know anyone else who might be interested in attending, please pass the word along.

One of my primary goals is to make this event as beginner friendly as possible. As this will be the first CoC regional championship held in Portland (perhaps even the first official CoC tournament in the state), I expect most players to be new to the game. I know I am.

For this reason, it will be a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere with an emphasis on meeting other players and just having fun. Who knows, if everyone is 21 and over, perhaps we'll have a few rounds (of game play) in Guardian Games' bar, Critical Sip? The Mythos and microbrews sounds like a good combo to me!

Also, to help bring brand new players up to speed, I'm considering a "Cthulhu is Calling" game night sometime before the regional championship. This would be a great way for someone who has recently purchased the Core set to learn the rules and start building their deck.

It does sound like a good idea. I don't see anyone playing it when I am out at the games stores, so I'm learning.

I'll keep an eye out for any such nights. And I think CoC may be one the best games to play over beer .

I'll try and make the trip down from Tacoma. There doesn't seem to be any organized play locally. Definitely would like to attend the "Cthulhu is calling" night as well.

VTSvsAlucard,

Excellent! It should be a fun day with some neat prizes to hand out. I hope to see you there.

As for a "Cthulhu is Calling" game night, I'm probably looking at a weekend in late April to early May, though I'm open to suggestions. If there are days that work better for you, please don't hesitate to let me know. It it turns out to be popular, we may hold more than one.

Also, after the tournament my plan is to get a weekly or bi-weekly CoC night going at Guardian Games. Call of Cthulhu players are a hard bunch to get together, so I'm hoping the regional championship will pry enough people away from their "at home rituals" to get things rolling.

By the way, you're the second Tacoma-area player to contact me about the tournament. I've even received an email from a group in Pullman who want to come, so it looks like there will be a few Washingtonians at the event. Good news! Unlike some of the bigger CCGs/LCGs that have an established meta-game, I think it will be quite intriguing to see what people from several different areas bring to the table. I honestly have no idea what to expect.

RE: Proposed "Cthulhu is Calling" Event at Guardian Games

How does Saturday, April 21st sound? Is there a time that works better for you guys? Please let me know and I'll get it on the Guardian Games calendar straight away.

What is a "Cthulhu is Calling" event anyway?

This event will focus on introducing new players to the Call of Cthulhu LCG, testing out deck ideas for the upcoming tournament, answering rules questions, and just having a good time. I should have several decks on hand for those who want to play but don't own any cards. And I may have a small CoC-related something-or-other to give away for those who attend.

i've got it plugged into my gCal already! so looking forward to this. as far as time is concerned, late afternoon (3pm) & on into the evening works best for me, but i can work with it if you decide to start around noon or something. how long would you anticipate this lasting?

m

*** REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE ***

WHEN DOES THE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP START?

The tournament is scheduled to start at 12 PM. Please arrive on time.

HOW MUCH IS THE REGISTRATION FEE ?

The registration fee is $10.

CAN I PREREGISTER?

You can!

DO I GET ANYTHING COOL FOR PREREGISTERING?

You do! Everyone who preregisters will receive a free set of 3 official FFG mini-Cthulhu statues or 1 large Cthulhu statue.

The mini-statues make perfect "travel size" domain markers, while the larger statue is ideal for use with decks that add a fourth domain. Please note that the larger statues are limited in quantity and will given out on a first-come first-serve basis to those who preregister.

HOW DO I PAY?

You can preregister at Guardian Games' website via PayPal. Currently, the link incorrectly lists a $20 fee. When this is fixed I'll post the link in this thread and over at BGG.

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?

1) Your deck.

2) A copy of your deck list for the Tournament Organizer.

3) The Shifting Sands story card set (if you own it).

4) Some cash and a hefty thirst.

As we'll be holding this event in Guardian Games' bar, Critical Sip, make sure to bring plenty of pocket change for some good old fashioned "Dutch Courage". After doing battle with the Mythos, you know you're gonna need it!

A final word... Guardian Games is kindly footing the $150 bill for this event. Based on the number of participants they expected, the original fee was $20 to cover their expenses. I convinced the owner that lowering the fee to $10 would encourage more people to attend - especially newer players - and they agreed to take the risk. So please, let's all do what we can to make this tournament a success by showing up, bringing a friend along, and tossing back a few in honor of our hosts!

Sincerely,

Matt

Quick question about card legality for the tournament in June: will you be allowing older (black-bordered) copies of cards that have been reprinted in the LCG core set? Obviously they would abide by the most recent printing rule.

jpowers said:

Yes, black-border cards that have been reprinted in the LCG format are 100% allowed. You must notify the Tournament Organizer (that's me) if your deck includes any black-border cards (though you don't have to disclose the card's title).

By the way, Secrets of Arkham also includes black-border reprints.

Hope to see you in June!

UPDATE!

The preregistration has been fixed to show the correct amount of $10. Here's the link:

www.ggportland.com/calendar/event-pre-registration.html

Scroll down toward the bottom for the Call of Cthulhu Regional Championship.

And remember, if you preregister you'll receive either 1 large Cthulhu domain marker, or 3 mini-domain markers.

Once you've preregistered, send me an email at [email protected] so I can add you to the list.

UPDATE!

The Portland 2012 Regional Championship will consist of 2 halves - a head-to-head tournament and a team multi-player mega-battle!

START TIME
The head-to-head tournament will start at 12 PM. Please arrive early so we can begin on time. If you are registering the day of the event, allow yourself extra time.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The head-to-head tournament will consist of 4 rounds using the Swiss system, with random first-round match ups. Players will determine who goes first by rolling a die (provided at the event) with high roll choosing to play first or second. After 4 rounds, we will cut to a top 4 for the semifinals and then a top 2 for the overall winner. Tiebreaks will be determined by opponent's match-win percentage.

LEGAL DECKS, DECK LISTS and LEGAL CARD POOL
Decks must be 50 cards minimum and use protective sleeves. You can include 1 card from the restricted card list (with 3 copies of that card). No banned cards are allowed.

Black border cards that have been reprinted in the LCG format are allowed, but you must notify the T.O. that your deck contains one or more of these cards before the tournament begins (all CCG-era cards will follow the most recent printing).

Players must submit a deck list prior to playing in the tournament.

The legal card pool has been expanded to include Written and Bound, Words of Power, and Ebla Restored.

PRIZES
Here's a list of the prize packages for the head-to-head tournament:

1st PLACE
Regional Champion 2012 Trophy
Signed and Certified Regional Champion 2012 Certificate
1 Call of Cthulhu Regionals 2012 Magnifying Glass
1 Uncut Sheet from a recent Call of Cthulhu Asylum Pack
1 Full-Color Call of Cthulhu LCG Playmat
1 Large Glossy Art Print

2nd PLACE
1 Call of Cthulhu Regionals 2012 Magnifying Glass
1 Uncut Sheet from a recent Call of Cthulhu Asylum Pack
1 Full-Color Call of Cthulhu LCG Playmat
1 Large Glossy Art Print

3rd PLACE
1 Full-Color Call of Cthulhu LCG Playmat
1 Large Glossy Art Print

4th PLACE
1 Full-Color Call of Cthulhu LCG Playmat
1 Large Glossy Art Print

5th – 8th PLACE
1 Large Glossy Art Print

LAST PLACE
"Asylum Prize" – Card box from a recent Game Night Kit

UPDATE!

Players who preregister will also receive a set of Official FFG domain cards. This set of domain cards is only available at a regional championship. There are only 16 sets, so they will be given out on a first-registered, first-served basis.

If there are fewer than 16 preregistered participants, then the remaining sets will be given out to players who register on the day of the event. Again, first-come, first-served.

You can preregister for this event here:

www.ggportland.com/calendar/event-pre-registration.html

Once you have registered, please send me an email at [email protected] and I will reserve your set of domain cards.

NOTE: The x3 Mini-Cthulhu Statues or x1 Large Cthulhu Statute bonus for preregistering ends May 31st.

Here's the promotional poster one of our players made for the event:

Less than a month away! I'm seeing the excitement pick up at all the game stores in Portland. At least the ones who are cool enough to carry CoC!

grant_babb said:

Just curious, where are you seeing an interest (in other stores) besides Guardian Games? I didn't know if the word had spread much beyond there.

An update on attendance for our regional championship:

Short answer - it's looking good!

Right now we have 12 preregistered players, with 4 more probables who have yet to pay but plan on attending, thus giving us a potential pool of 16 participants.

In addition, there are 4+ players from the Tacoma/Seattle area who have expressed an interest in coming, as well as 4 other locals who play CoC but haven't committed one way or another. If you Western Washingtonians are out there, I hope you decide to make the drive down. We already have 2 players from Eastern Washington making the long haul just for this tournament, so it would be cool to have a solid contingent from up north.

While unlikely, we could hit 20 people, making our inaugural Call of Cthulhu Regional Championship the biggest in the country (and possibly the world).

That's not too shabby considering A) throughout the past year I've been repeatedly told by local store owners that no one plays this game and B) this group came together only recently (after the Regional Championship was announced). It seems there were a number of CoC players lurking about Portland, but everyone was playing in their own isolated groups. Our "Cthulhu is Calling" demo days have also helped grow our numbers, adding 2 brand new players.

Setting numbers aside, I really like the mix of people who have preregistered for this event. Some of us own just about everything, others are making decks solely from the Core set, and many fall somewhere in between. As one of my main goals for the tournament was to make it as beginner friendly as possible, I'm feeling pretty good about how things are shaping up.

UPDATE!

I've added a new prize for last place. The last place player will receive a $15 gift certificate, good for the purchase of any Call of Cthulhu Asylum Pack at Guardian Games.

We may also be throwing in extra prizes for the multi-player event (TBA on the day of the tournament). These prizes are in addition to the custom made domain cards I have for the multi-player winners.

So who's going to battle it out with me for dead last?

And yes, I did this to guarantee myself a prize…

nice one Yipe. proof that dedication and perseverance can make for a winning combination. i hope the day is a blast and not only possibly the biggest, but also the best!!

I just registered (new player form Seattle) and I'm likely bringing at least one friend. We both made decks online and ordered cards, but we do not know if they'll be here in time so we'll likely be stuck using core decks which will end badly for us…

I have a question though will we still get the promotional domains and Cthulhu statues? If so that's worth the trip by itself.

Thanks.

ssjevot said:

Great news, I'm glad you decided to make the trip!

The promotional domains are all gone - they went to the first 16 players to preregister - and the Cthulhu statue offer ended May 31st. However, I do have some black-border domain sets that I will give to both you and your friend as a consolation. I gave several sets away to other players in the Portland group and that's what everyone is using now. They look very nice, very thematic.

Also, there are more custom domains up for grabs in the multi-player event. I have 18 different sets, which means there will be a lot of winners (and these are fantastic-looking domain cards, I might add). In the multi-player half, I'll be pairing players based on their ranking from the head-to-head preliminary rounds, so even with Core set decks you've got a chance to walk home with something.

Who knows, if you come in dead last you'll win the "Asylum Prize" cardbox from FFG and the $15 gift certificate from me! Of course, I'm going to be fighting you for those prizes every step of the way.

And remember, you won't be the only players who are using Core set decks (or close to it), so you should have some competitive games. Win or lose, my goal is for everyone to have a good time. Hopefully the beer will help!

FYI, the black bordered domain cards are MUCH better than the promo ones, which have 'regionals 2012' plastered all over them. still nice, but i'd much rather be playing with the other ones!!

COCLCG, I didn't know that (I haven't seen them yet). If that's the case, then yes, the black-border domains may be better looking. The custom domains I had printed off (developed by the Cenacle group) are also pretty badass.

I did get a quick peek at the 1st place trophy today and it's very cool.

yes….. i know (hee hee). vewy niice. and the playmats are quite nice too. the deckbox is awesome so look forward to enjoying that one Yipe!! - haha. (of course i'm presuming all these were the same as ours).

and laughing my head off at the edit. "Great news!! you missed out!!" - mwahahahahaha.