Gearing up for the regionals season, and I'm wondering whether the NYC tourney is following the right strategy. NYC is planning either 4 or 5 rounds of swiss, with a guaranteed cut to at least top-8 (likely out-rounds will still be timed though).

The reason behind having fewer preliminary rounds with a greater number who break to top X is that this will guarantee everyone who has any possible shot at winning the tourney will be going to the top 8. This will avoid a situation where someone has a record of 4-1 but doesn't break due to strength of schedule (we've had that happen in NYC before, and it wasn't pretty). Secondly, the thinking is that players with a low win rate frequently do not want to play out the last round of the event anyway...some players would rather drop from the tourney and play a few casual games with people they rarely get to see, or even just watch other higher-ranked competitors. In theory, it's nice that everyone has an opportunity to play 5 full games of swiss, but in practice I've found in NYC that those players who have performed poorly are usually ready for a lunch/coffee/alcohol break anyway.

Just wondering if the approach we're using in NYC is consistent with other metas, and what other people suggest. Thanks!

Actually, I really like it.

5 is alot in my opinion. Then add in 4 more to take the crown you are talking 9 games. Even in our weekend meta gatherings when I have unlimited time, I rarely play more then 5 or 6. Fatigue and too much of a good thing tends to set in midway through game 6.

The KingdomCon regional (32 people) was 6 rounds cut to 8 and I thought it was pretty much right on. Cut it down to 5 rounds if you're at less than 32. How would timed wins in cut work- would the player with the most power at time advance or ?

As with most things for OP - best to just copy the undisputed leader is getting stuff "right", DCI:

papalorax said:

Thanks for the input guys!

I really like the idea to cut to top 8, I am pretty sure that the 3 of us from Central Pa will be coming. Plans have been put in place as long as nothing changes.

I think there are about 6 or 7 of us coming from DC. Glad to see that PA should be in attendance!

Well if 7 from DC and 3 from PA then the host only has to bring 6 players to hit 16 Dan, I think that should be pretty easy. That is of course as long as nothing comes up for everyone between now and then.

SirDuck said:

I wish we could talk the DE players into coming...it's been too long since we've seen Kevin, Alec and the rest of the crew.

In any case, sounds like a decent turnout is in the making, so long as we don't get a lot of last-minute cancellations. (We had 3-4 last-minute cancellations last year...mostly travelers, so fingers are crossed!)

Twn2dn said:

I believe I'll be alone - BloodyCelt said work was running over him. :/ It'll be sad to not see the only deck he's ever built in the tournament...maybe I should just build it and come with it, now that Val + Laughing Storm is viable.

I like to do enough to have 1 person undefeated at the end of swiss. papalorax's table is spot on, and can include 4 rounds for 9-16 players.

We should have had only 5 rounds at Kingdom-Con, but for some reason I was thinking that hitting 32 pushed us into having 6 rounds. My bad.

Deathjester26 said:

3-3 sounds waaay better than 2-3, thanks for the gift round!

Too bad about bloodycelt. What baout Will from CT (I think he's Stais on the boards - any chance he will join us again?