Tournament Rules

Updated 2.14.17

1.1
Tournament Rules Questions: All questions about tournament rules or procedures that come up outside of a tournament should be directed to http://www.win.wizkids.com/bb/viewforum.php?f=10

1.2
Tournament Procedure: Dice Masters tournaments should be run using Swiss-style pairings, however if a store needs to they may run a single elimination event. Stores should announce the way they plan on running their tournament in advance. Pairings in the first round of a standard Swiss-style Dice Masters tournament are determined randomly. For subsequent rounds, players are randomly paired to other players of similar record (a 2-0 player would get paired to a 2-0 player, a 1-1 player would play another 1-1 player). Players cannot have the same opponent twice during Swiss rounds. Guidelines for how many rounds should be used appear to the right:

Players and judges participating in a draft format such as Rainbow Draft should make themselves aware of drafting procedure.

Number of Players Rounds
6-8 3
9-16 4
17-32 5
33-64 6
65-128 7
129-256 8

1.2.1
Matches: Matches may consist of 1 or 3 games. For matches that are best of 3, the player who wins the most games within the time limit is considered the winner. For specific events, single-elimination championship rounds might be required after the conclusion of Swiss rounds. The number of championship rounds should be announced by the judge at the beginning of each tournament.

1.2.2
Games in Matches: The player who goes first in a tournament game may not attack on their first turn. The player who loses a game within a match may decide to go first or second in the next game of the match instead of randomizing which player goes first. Players should randomize who goes first after a tie.

1.2.3
Ties in Matches: Players may tie a best of 3 series in Dice Masters in a number of ways:

  • Both players have won the same number of games and have equal life totals after time is called and any extra turns or time extensions have concluded.
  • Both players have won the same number of games and all other games in their best of 3 series end in a tie.

1.2.4
Victory: Victory in each game is determined as described in the latest Dice Masters Rulebook and any official errata or clarifications. A win is worth three points, a draw is worth one point, and a loss worth zero points.

1.2.5
Tournament Winner and Tiebreakers: Tournament win-loss record is the primary factor in determining ranking during all Swiss rounds in all Dice Masters tournaments. Ties in tournament points during the Swiss portion of each tournament are resolved by the following criteria in the order below:
1.2.5.1
The total points accumulated by all previous opponents of the tied players.
1.2.5.2
The total points accumulated by all previous opponents of the opponents of the tied players.

1.2.5.3
If two players are still tied in final standings, and played each other during the tournament, then the winner of that match is ranked higher. If the two players have not played during the event, continue to the next tiebreaker.

1.2.5.4
If all other tiebreakers are equal or inapplicable, the player whose final opponent had the higher standing will be used to break the tie.

1.2.6
Byes: A bye is issued when there are an odd number of players in a Swiss event. A bye awards 3 points like a win, but does not count as having an opponent for tiebreakers. First-round byes are assigned randomly. In subsequent rounds, the bye is given to the lowest-ranked player who has not already received a bye.

1.2.7
Timekeeping: 50 minutes is recommended for a 3-game series of Dice Masters. Once time is called, the active player finishes their current turn and the game proceeds to a 5 turn extension. At the end of these 5 turns, if the game is incomplete it is a tie. In single elimination, the player with the highest life total is the winner. Every game in a round should have the same time limit applied to it. Barring any special circumstances, every round in a tournament should have the same time limit applied to it.

1.2.8
Dice Bags: Players may look into their own dice bag, but not their opponent’s. They must mix their dice well before drawing.

1.2.9
Judges Playing in Events: The judge’s role in an event is to present a fair and impartial face to tournament decisions. At a WizKids sponsored event, judges are requested to not participate in the event as a player, even if they forgo prizes and/or tournament advancement.

1.2.10
Required Materials: All players are responsible for bringing the materials required for play as described in the latest Dice Masters Rulebook unless altered by the rules for that particular event. Players are responsible for being aware of any clarifications for any characters/dice on their team. Players are expected to have a general knowledge of game play.

1.2.11
Spectators: Spectators are expected to not comment or ask questions on tournament games in progress.

1.2.12
Electronic devices: Players’ cell phones or tablet PCs are not permitted for use in the play area and should be put away.

1.2.13
Forced re-rolls: Dice which are cocked more than 15 degrees or roll off the table must be re-rolled.

2.1
House Rules: Venues can determine the appropriate house rules for tournaments held at their location. House Rules should be published and available for all players significantly prior to the event. *House rules do not apply for championship events including WizKids Opens, National Championships, etc.

2.2
Judges: Judges are the final authority on rules for the event that they are responsible for. An event with many judges might have one judge identified as the “Head Judge”.

2.3
Cheating: Players who intentionally try to gain an unfair advantage over other players at the event may be dealt with at the discretion of the judge – this includes disqualification.

2.3.1
Broken Game State: If players enter a state where someone has forgotten to perform a required action (such as rolling dice from their Prep Area) the judge will warn both players. The judge will attempt to repair the game state as much as possible and determine if a player has gained an advantage from the error that led to the Broken Game State. If the player making the error is determined to have gained an advantage from their mistake, a penalty may be appropriate, especially for repeat offenders. Intentional errors might be better described as Cheating as in 2.3.

2.4
Lateness: A player who is tardy or absent when the judge announces to begin the match forfeits the first
game of that match and cannot be determined the winner should the match proceed to extension.

2.5
Conceding: A player may concede a single game to an opponent once the match has begun.  A player who concedes is given a loss for that game. The conceding player’s opponent is awarded a win.

3.1
Card/die legality – Constructed: All Dice Masters cards and dice are legal for tournament play one week after their official release date for constructed events, except banned cards, see the list here – http://dicemasters.com/bannedcards. Please see individual events for restrictions (such as how many cards and dice a player may bring).  No other restrictions apply unless stated in the event description or elsewhere in this document.

3.2
Card/die legality – Limited: All Dice Masters Basic Action Cards are legal for tournament play upon release for limited or sealed play (such as Rainbow Draft).

3.3
Card/die legality – matching items: All Dice Masters dice used for tournament play must match their characters or actions in color as well as design.