In any competitive trading card game (TCG), tournaments are held throughout the world to see who the best player is. These tournaments are designed to challenge the competition within a local region, eventually leading to qualification for a larger, worldwide tournament.
With that said, these tournaments are home to much more than just some fierce competition: They’re an amazing place to make friends, win prizes and have fun!
Last weekend, I attended Pokémon’s Baltimore regional and realized how much there truly is to do at one of these events. Welcome to the Card Corner, my fortnightly column where I talk about TCGs! Today I’ll be explaining to you everything you can do at a regional.
Most TCG’s follow a similar format to their events, so even if you’re not a Pokémon player, this article will still apply to you.
The main event begins on Saturday, with eight to nine Swiss rounds. For those unfamiliar, a Swiss tournament format constantly matches the top players against each other, ruthlessly finding who the best player is in the least amount of time.
For example, after two rounds of play, players who are 2-0 will be matched against others with the same record. The pattern continues until 8 rounds have been played.
At the end of the open stage, players who have more than two losses are eliminated from the competition. This usually leaves around 500 participants for the second day of competition on Sunday.
The Swiss format continues until a clear top 8 players have emerged. They are then placed into a March Madness style bracket, eliminating players until one comes home with the title.
If you’re like me, there is relatively little hope of winning the entire tournament, but fear not! Regionals aren’t just about seeing who’s the best, they’re also about bringing together a community of TCG players to have fun. This is where side events enter the picture.
Side events are lower stakes games you can play with friends or random people. They consist of many ways to play the TCG, including non-standard alternate formats like Build and Battle, also known as Draft in other TCGs. Depending on how well you perform in your group, you’ll be rewarded with a certain number of prize tickets. Similar to an arcade, you can take your tickets to the prize wall and redeem them for fun items like cards, plushies, backpacks and more!
After I went 1-3-1 in the main tournament, I began playing side events with my friends. I gained 220 prize tickets, allowing me to cash them in for a playmat and some Destined Rivals booster packs!
After satiating your TCG playing desires with side events, you can stroll around and do some shopping at the vendors that line the walls of the convention center.
With an official merchandise stand and third-party sellers everywhere, you’re certain to find something that you’ll enjoy — whether it be a card you’ve been hunting, or a plushy you never knew you needed.
Regionals are an amazing place to come together as a TCG community and have some fun. Whether you’re a veteran player who lives for the thrill of competition, or someone newer to the scene that just wants to make friends and spend too much money, regionals are an amazing experience that I believe every TCG player should experience at least once.
On the next edition of the Card Corner, we’ll be exploring more about the community of TCGs and why they’re such a great outlet for competition and community building. Until then, have a great week all!