Some weeks, there is not too much that’s ready to report. On others, like this week, there’s a bunch. Let’s start with the most pressing information and work our way forward.

City Championship events wrapped up last weekend, and now is the time for tournament winners to send their decklists in to Upper Deck Entertainment. The deadline for us to receive your decklist and form is May 1, 2007. As of this writing, you have just a little over a week to get your information in so that you are eligible to win your likeness on a future Vs. System card.

The form you need to send in with your decklist can be found here.

If you are sending your information by mail, please send it to:

Upper Deck Entertainment
C/O Vs. City Champs R&D Tournament
5909 Sea Otter Place
Carlsbad, CA 92010-6621

You may also send your entry form and typed decklist via email to:

Scott_gaeta@upperdeck.com

Be sure to put Vs. City Champs R&D Tournament in the subject line if you are sending your entry by email.

You can also find this information on the City Championships web site here.

Random Punks

The next big event for Hobby League is the Random Punks Tournament. These kits are available to order now. As promised, here is the winner’s prize for these events—the Howard the Duck playmat!

There have also been some questions about the format for this event. First and foremost, Random Punks is a “no rare” format, so it’s time to start digging through all those commons and uncommons you have in your closet. The event will be Golden Age, and the usual banned list applies. Normal deck construction rules also apply.

For more information on Random Punks, be sure to check out our Random Punks page, which should be live next week.

Upper Deck Elite Series

So here it is, the first information on that PCQ-type program we’ve been working on. From the feedback we’ve received from all of you, it’s clear that (1) you want events that are more competitive than monthly Hobby League, (2) you want events that earn you PC points so you can qualify for Pro Circuit Indy and beyond, and (3) you want events that are professionally run.

I think we’ve been able to deliver on all three. Here’s the rundown:

• Elite Series events will happen every two to three months on a set weekend with a predetermined entry fee.
• Select stores which have shown that they run quality Organized Play events with top-notch judging will be invited to host Elite Series events. You will see a mix of quality hobby shops and shops owned by UDE Premier Tournament Organizers.
• In addition to its history of running quality events, a store’s geographic location will be factored in to the selection process.
• Prizes will include items such as playmats, deck boxes, t-shirts, and cards that will likely be in high demand on the secondary market.
• These events will all be 30 C-Value events, so you have a greater opportunity to increase your rating if you are working towards a ratings-based invite for an upcoming PC.
• PC point distribution will be the same as it was for PCQs.

The list of venues for the first Elite Series events will be complete and posted within the next two weeks. The kick-off events for this program will be held on a weekend in June. You can expect the rest of the details very shortly.

Oh, one last thing. The prize card for this first event should have some decent demand: it will be the long-rumored Enemy of My Enemy Extended Art card. The Top 4 at each event will receive one copy each of this card.

I’ll be taking next week off, as I’ll be attending our annual industry trade show, but look for a new column in two weeks—it will include the list of UDE Elite Series venues.