Official tournament guidelines

Players

To participate in a Portals & Champions tournament, players must meet the following criteria:

• Account Requirement: Players must have a P&C account.
• Deck List: Complete and submit a deck list form before entering the tournament, preferably via your profile on the website.
• Rule Compliance: Players must be familiar with and adhere to the rules.
• Judge Notifications: Report rule violations or seek clarifications from the judges if necessary.

Stores

Stores hosting tournaments must meet these requirements:

• Account Requirement: A P&C pro-account is required.
• Tournament Information: Provide tournament details (date, location, and type) and register all participants' wins/losses.
• Prize Distribution: Ensure that promos are distributed correctly (Basic = 3 cards, Epic = 2, Mythic = 1), as outlined in the tournament pack.

Cards

• Each main deck must contain exactly 40 cards (including  exactly 25 Allies). Next to the main deck select: 9 different Portals, 3 different Champions, 1 Deity, and the appropriate Divine Interventions.
• All cards must come from one Region and be official cards created by The Geeksmith CG.
• Damaged or marked cards that are distinguishable from others may not be used.

Sleeves

• Opaque sleeves are advised for all main deck cards to avoid the possibility of marked decks. If certain cards in the deck are visible marked, damaged or otherwise distinguishable from other cards. The judge can obligate the player to use opaque sleeves for the main deck. Champions, Portals, and Deity/Divine Intervention cards do not require sleeves.
• Identical sleeves must be used for all cards in the main deck.
• Judges have the final say in whether cards or sleeves are considered distinguishable. Players may be required to change sleeves if necessary.

Playmats

Playmats are required and must feature the same layout as official mats. Zones include:

• Portal Pile
• Active Portal
• Champion
• Equipment
• Ally Deploy & Charge
• Deck & Discard
• Deity
• Divine Interventions (2 zones)

• Players must clearly communicate their actions and provide opponents time to respond.
• Seek assistance from a judge immediately when an issue arises, not afterward.
• Committed moves cannot be retracted, for example:
  • Forgetting to add stamina, taking back a Rearguard or healing a status effect in the preparation phase. 
  • Declaring an attack with a Champion but forgetting to put down a Rearguard first.
  • When searching for a card in the deck,you cannot select one and show it to your opponent and then change your mind.

Failure to follow communication rules may result in Warnings or penalties.

1. Duel (1 vs 1)

• Format Overview: Each player brings 1 deck to the tournament.
• No Side Decks Allowed.

Tournament Structure:

• If there is an odd number of players, the player with the bye (free win) for the round is selected randomly, ensuring that no player receives more than one bye throughout the tournament unless necessary.
• Players are matched based on a Swiss-system format.

2. Brawl (Multiplayer)

• Format Overview: Players compete in groups of 3 or 4. Its is advised to play with a minimum of 3 groups of 3.
• Match Structure: In each group, the players will face off in a multiplayer game. The winner of each group proceeds to the next round. Time-limit 60 minutes. If the game is not over, play until the end of the round.
• Deck Requirements: Each player brings a single deck of their choice to the tournament.
• No Side Decks Allowed.

Tournament Structure:

• If the number of players does not divide evenly into groups of 3 or 4, a random player from an incomplete group may receive a bye for the round.
• Players advance through knockout rounds, with the winners of each group competing in the next stage of the tournament until a final champion is crowned.

3. Survivor 

• Format Overview: Each player must bring X+1 decks, where X equals the number of tournament rounds plus one deck. Each deck must represent a different region.
• Match Structure: Players battle in multiple rounds, using a different deck for each round. Once a deck has been used, it cannot be used again in later rounds.
• No Side Decks Allowed.
  • Example: "For a tournament with 4 rounds, players must bring 5 decks, one for each round plus an additional deck. The number of rounds you can participate in is determined by the number of regions available in the market. For example, if there are 6 regions available, and you want to play more than 5 rounds, you can play up to 6 rounds, but you’ll only use 6 decks, not 7—each from a different region."

Tournament Structure:

• Players are paired in a Swiss-system format.

If there is an odd number of players, a random player will receive a bye each round, ensuring no player receives more than one bye unless unavoidable. Players who receive a bye must eliminate one of their decks (their choice).

Decklists: Players must submit a complete decklist to the tournament organizers before the tournament begins. This applies to all formats, including decks and side decks (if allowed).

Time Management: All rounds have a strict time limit to ensure fairness. In case of unresolved matches at the time limit, the outlined procedures for each format will apply. Duel and Survivor have a time limit of 40 minutes, Brawl has a time limit of 60 minutes.

When time is called:

• In the event of a tie, the active player completes their current turn, which is referred to as turn 0. Afterward a total of three turns is played. The active player's turn is counted as turn 0, followed by the second player's turn as turn 1. The first player will then take turn 2, and finally, the second player will finish with turn 3, marking the end of the tiebreaker.
• In the Brawl format the active player finishes it’s move, then every player still in the game gets 2 more turns.
• When applying this rule, there are 5 more minutes added to the clock. When these 5 minutes are over and there is still no clear winner the active player immediately stops their turn and the match results in a tie.
• A judge will be present at the table in these 5 minutes. If he determines that a player is stalling  on purpose, the player will get a Warning. If the same player still stalls in his turn the judge can rule that the player loses that match.

When no winner is determined in a Brawl-tournament (knock-out) use the following tiebreakers:

• Amount of Faith
• Amount of Divine interventions left
• Amount of Champions that are Empowered at that point

In the Swiss format winners will receive 3 points, a tie is 1 point each, a loss is 0 points.

Tiebreakers in standings due to the number of victories or points: the following 

• Opponent Match Win Percentage (OMW%):
  This calculates the strength of a player’s opponents based on their results. The idea is that if you played tougher opponents, your wins are more valuable.
• Game Win Percentage (GW%):
  This tracks how many individual games (if each match has multiple games) a player won compared to how many they played.

Odd Number of Players: In the event of an odd number of participants, a bye will be randomly assigned each round. No player will receive more than one bye unless it is absolutely necessary due to the tournament structure.

Sportsmanship: Players are expected to maintain respect and good sportsmanship throughout the tournament. Unsporting conduct will result in Disqualification.

Knock-out rounds Format (Brawl):

• Best-of-one match
• Number of game wins necessary: 1
• Match Time: 60 minutes
• Extra Time: 10 minutes (for extra turns)

Swiss-System Format (Duel and Suvivor):

Choosing Rounds Based on Players:
Here are some common player counts and the suggested minimum rounds to ensure a clear winner:

How to choose a bye:

A bye can be randomly assigned in the first round or based on the lowest standings in a Swiss-system structure. The rule is that no player can receive more than one bye, unless absolutely necessary.

Mistakes during gameplay:

The game state can be disrupted by illegal actions, missed triggers, or similar issues, making it either fixable, infixable, or accepted as is. Whether the game state is fixable or infixable determines whether the penalty is a Warning or a Game Loss.

If both players can provide clear details, and a judge can figure out a way to fix or rewind the game state, it is considered fixable. In this case, the game should be corrected as much as possible, and play should proceed.

In some situations, even if the game state is disrupted, it may be too far in the past to fix completely, and does not create a major advantage for the responsible player. In such cases, the game state is accepted by both players, and play continues.

• A game state can still be fixable even if not all mistakes can be rewound.
• A Game Loss is not appropriate for a fixable game state, unless it's for repeated infractions.
• If both players are at fault for an infixable game state that warrants a Game Loss, determine who is primarily responsible and issue them the Game Loss, while the opponent receives a Warning.
• Infixable game states should not lead to restarting a game or match.
• If a player disrupts the game state due to an illegal action or missed automatic trigger, and gameplay can be rewound to that point, it should be rewound, even if this gives the opponent an advantage based on previously private information.

Public Knowledge

The following information is public knowledge to all players:

• The number of cards in a player’s hand/deck
• The cards in a player’s discard pile (they should always be face-up)
• The amount of Faith and Stamina a player has.
• Information printed on a card which have been played or shown to an opponent at that moment.

Conceding a Game or Match

During a tournament, players have the option to concede a game or match at any point until it has officially concluded. A concession is an acknowledgment by a player that they choose to forfeit the current game or match rather than continue play.

Key Guidelines:

• Timing of Concessions: Players may concede at any time before the match is finalized. Once the match has concluded and results have been recorded, players can no longer concede.
• Finality of Results: Once a match result has been declared, it is considered final and cannot be changed. This includes any circumstances that may arise after the conclusion of the match.
• Respectful Conduct: We encourage players to concede respectfully and to communicate their decision clearly to their opponent and the tournament officials.

Declaring a Draw Match

In the tournament, players are not permitted to intentionally declare a draw in a match, even if both players consent to this decision. Intentional draws undermine the competitive integrity of the tournament and will result in penalties.

Key Guidelines:

• Prohibition of Intentional Draws: Players must not engage in any agreement or action aimed at declaring a match as a draw intentionally.
• Penalties for Violations: Any attempt to declare an intentional draw will be met with appropriate penalties, which may include Warnings or more severe consequences, depending on the circumstances and frequency of the infractions.
• Commitment to Fair Play: We encourage all players to compete earnestly and to uphold the principles of fair play throughout the tournament.

Reporting Match Results

All players are required to report the results of their match to the tournament organizer or judge together, immediately after the conclusion of the game. This ensures transparency and accuracy in the recording of match outcomes.

Key Guidelines:

• Joint Reporting: Both players must approach the organizer or judge to submit their match result. This collaborative approach helps prevent any discrepancies or misunderstandings regarding the outcome.
• Timeliness: Results should be reported promptly after the match has concluded to facilitate smooth tournament operations and maintain an accurate record.

Clear Communication: Players should clearly communicate the result, specifying the winner and any relevant details regarding the match.

If a rule violation has occurred the judge will ask for an explanation of every person involved. The judge will then determine the severity and impact of the violation and decide if a penalty or Warning is appropriate and explain the reason for his decision to the players.

If the violation was during the match, it will continue if possible. When the judge call took longer than 2 minutes. The match will be extended by that amount of time.

The judge should always write down: player name / time / rule violation / penalty assigned / reason why.

Types of penalties

• Alert: this is the lowest type of penalty. These are meant to warn players of their mistakes and help them correct their play in the future. The error of the player has minimal effect on the gameplay and can easily be fixed. If a player repeats the same mistake the Alert may be upgraded to a Warning.
• Warning: this type of penalty is meant for players who made an obvious error that has resulted in a favorable outcome for that player. The game state can not be fully repaired to the same extent as would be possible with an Alert. This can also be used as multiple Alerts of the same nature. If a player gets a second Warning for the same error it can be upgraded to a Match Loss by the judges discretion.
• Match Loss: this is reserved for more extreme violations where no repair of game state can be made and the opposing player is at a severe disadvantage based on the error made. The player loses the current match.
• Disqualification: one of the most severe penalties. Players who disrupt the tournament as a whole, are caught cheating intentionally or commit other major examples of unsportsmanlike conduct can receive this penalty. The player receives a match loss for the current round and is dropped from the remainder of the tournament. No prizes or rewards are issued (not physically or digitally). The Geeksmith CG will be notified of such penalties and who received it.

Suspension: Players who received multiple high-level penalties over a series of events or in extremely severe situations may be suspended from the current and future tournaments for a certain amount of time. The Geeksmith CG will determine this amount of time after a conversation with the judge. This will be recorded on their online profile and all participating stores will be Alerted. If a suspended player tries to create a new online profile, the new account is immediately deleted and a new, lengthier Suspension is issued.

1. Misinterpretation of a rule.

Penalty: Alert/Warning

Resolution: Issue a  Alert / Warning depending on the possibility to reverse the game state and on the advantage the player (or disadvantage an opponent) received by this. If an unfair advantage is gained (or disadvantage is given to the opponent) a warning should be issued.

2. Forgetting to resolve an (automatic) action (gaining stamina at the start of turn, empowering a Champion, drawing cards, resolving a card effect)

Penalty: Alert/Warning

Resolution: Issue a  Alert / Warning depending on the possibility to reverse the game state and on the advantage the player (or disadvantage an opponent) received by this. If an unfair advantage is gained (or disadvantage is given to the opponent) a warning should be issued.

3. Looking at unnecessary cards

For example: looking at the second Portal in the Portal Pile, looking at cards in your deck without a card effect that permits it.

Penalty: Warning

Resolution: If the player who made the error was the only one who saw the card, show it to the opponent as well. The judge will decide if the card should be put back in the original place (for example Portal in the Portal pile or cards in the hand) or if it should be shuffled back in the deck.

4. Delayed

A player is not seated at the beginning of the match

Penalty:

• Warning: if a player arrives within 5 minutes

• Match Loss: if a player arrives more than 5 minutes late

Resolution: apply the above penalties. If a player starts its match against the wrong opponent, repair the two matches and give a Warning to the players.

5. Slow Play

When a player intentionally slows down his turn to gain an advantage. For example in the extra time to avoid the turn of the opponent.

Penalty: Warning / Match Loss

Resolution: a Warning when this is unintentionally or has no real impact on the game. A Match Loss if it really impacts the game or is a repeated error.

6. Incorrect deck

When the cards a player uses in the game do not correspond with the approved deck list and this is determined during a match.

Penalty: Match Loss

Resolution: after issuing the Match Loss the player can change their deck to the deck list and continue the competition. If the error is seen before the start of the competition a Warning is issued and the player has to change his deck. If this results in a delay of his match another Warning is issued.

7. Marked cards

If a card or series of card can visually be distinguished from the other cards in the deck by looking at their backs.

Penalty: Warning - Match Loss

Resolution: a Warning when one card can easily be distinguished from the others. A Match Loss if it is a series of cards with a clear pattern. Instruct the player to provide all the cards with new sleeves.

8. Unsportsmanlike behaviour

When a player behaves in an inappropriate why against his opponent, judge or any attendee at the event.

Penalty: Warning / Disqualification

Resolution: Determine the severity of the players action and if a Warning will be sufficient to stop further similar behaviour or if a Disqualification is opportune to keep the tournament a safe environment. Disqualifications should be reported to The Geeksmith CG

9. Theft, bribery or collusion

A player steals event equipment, cards or other items belonging to another player or store. They want to pay the judge, an opponent, attendee or the store to gain an unfair advantage in the competition. A player works together with another player to gain an unfair advantage during the competition.

Penalty: Suspension

Resolution: issue an immediate Suspension to the player and remove them from the event or store. Suspensions should be reported to The Geeksmith CG

10. Cheating

Examples: Lying about an in-game situation, intentionally ignoring another players mistake until it benefits you and then reporting it to the judge or realizing you accidentally included cards in your deck that are not on your deck list, but continuing your match without informing a judge.

Penalty: Disqualification / Suspension

Resolution: Issue a Disqualification for the player. If this is a repeated infraction The Geeksmith CG may issue a Suspension for the player. 

11. Players under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Penalty: Disqualification / Suspension

Resolution: issue a Disqualification if it is determined that a player is clearly drunk or under the influence of drugs. If the behavior is disturbing or threatening to others, issue a Suspension. The Geeksmith CG will determine the appropriate time of the Suspension after a conversation with the judge, the player and possible other witnesses.