Saturday, 14th January 2012 (11am Start) @ Clifton Road Games, Exeter.
Premier Events
The true test of a Pokémon TCG player's skill and devotion is shown at a Premier Event. Ranging from City Championships to the highly competitive World Championships that pit the best against the very best...
In the Pokémon TCG City Championship tournaments, players in each of the three POP-recognized age divisions can work toward earning Championship Points, potentially earning an invitation to the World Championships!
A limited number of the Championship Series Karrablast promo cards are available for us to hand out to the first players registered on the day.
Pokémon City Championship - Exeter
City Championships are the second rung on the Pokémon TCG Championship Series event ladder, which starts with Battle Road Tournaments and continues up to the Pokémon TCG World Championship 2012, but it is still just about playing Pokémon with friends and allies... so don't be put off by the Championship label. Anyone can play.
The event is organised using the impressively titled: Age-Modified Swiss Pairing System, which means that you will be playing someone of roughly your own age and ability most of the time. The three age groups are, approximately: 10 and under, 11 to 14, and 15+.
Note: The 'age' brackets are actually based on the year in which you were born rather than your actual age (in order that you always remain in the same age group for a complete season).
In order to play in an official Pokémon TCG Tournament you will need:
If you don't already have a Pokémon Player ID Number (a Pokémon Organized Play number / POP ID#) we can issue one on the day. All we need is your name and date of birth.
For this City Championship and the majority of Championship Series events, a deck list is required. You should be able to hand this in, already completed, upon your arrival at the venue. It is your responsibilty to register in good time.
It is important to note that the official 'Pokémon Play!' web-site tends to list the prize support and structure that is provided by Pokémon International for events run in the United States of America.
Unfortunately, the prize support provided to events outside the USA is often much lower and, unlike the USA, we are not centrally funded to run Championship Series events so they are not (usually) free of charge.
Any prize support provided to us will be distributed in full amongst the players at the event. We will also add additional stock, in order that all players should receive a couple of Pokémon TCG booster packs (at least) as a thank you for their participation in this event.
For City Championship UK events...
Championship! Points are only really relevant to those players intending to take part in the Pokémon TCG World Championship.
The tournament is scheduled to start at 11am and each round takes approximately one hour to complete. In most cases we should be finished by 3pm, although a large turnout may see finals (and possibly semi-finals) running beyond this time. In any case, players are welcome to stay and play until at least 6pm.
Start @ 11am: Please do not assume that we will be hugely sympathetic if you are late in providing a deck registration form. Bring it with you!
Food and Drink are permitted in the games room. However, players should not have food and/or drink on the table during games. In fact, it's a good idea not have food or drink on the same table at the same time as, potentially very valuable, Pokémon TCG cards.
Finish your game, clear the cards away safely... and then eat.
We may or may not schedule a formal lunch break. Announcements will be made on the day and depend on how many players are present, as well as how things appear to be progressing. In practice, most matches finish well within their allotted time and players are comfortably able to eat between matches (if they wish to do so) without the need for any long formal lunch break to be allocated.
The Modified format is the standard tournament format for Pokémon Organized Play events. This format will be used at all premier events unless specified otherwise. The Modified format for the rest of the 2011 season and the entirety of the 2012 season will consist of the following:
With the exception of basic Energy cards and previously printed cards that appear in Modified‐legal sets, players may not use cards from Pokémon sets prior to HeartGold & SoulSilver. Players using previously printed cards that appear in Modified‐legal sets must play those cards using the wording of the most recent printing of the card. New sets are allowed as soon as the product has been released in that rating zone. In events that include multiple rating zones, such as the Pokémon TCG World Championships, the format of the United States will be used.
As a game of skill, the Pokémon TCG is enjoyed for its complex strategies, entertaining characters, and atmosphere of friendly competition. While the objective of a Pokémon TCG tournament is to determine the skill level of each player involved, our ultimate goal is to ensure that every participant has fun. It is this attitude that Play! Pokémon wishes to emphasize during Pokémon TCG events.
Regardless of the size of the prizes on the line, adherence to the Spirit of the Game helps to ensure that all participants, including players, spectators, and event staff at a Pokémon TCG event, have an enjoyable experience. This spirit should guide the conduct of players as well as the tournament judges as they interpret and enforce the rules.
The Spirit of the Game is composed of the following tenets: