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Doomkaiser Dragon
Card# CSOC-EN043
Doomkaiser Dragon's effect isn't just for Zombie World duelists: remember that its effect can swipe copies of Plaguespreader Zombie, too!
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About a year ago, I wrote an article about what to expect when attending your first tournament. Today, I’m going to expand on that subject a bit. I’ve head judged at more events than I can count, and in doing so, I’ve noticed a lot of repeat misbehaviors. It’s time to end this cycle of shame, so I’m going to list all of these misbehaviors here and explain why we don’t want you to do them. The list is surprisingly long, so I’m going to break it down into “pre-event,” “during the round,” and “after the round” categories. I’ll bring you a new category each week for the next two weeks.
Without further ado, I present . . .
What Not To Do at a Tournament – Pre-Event!
Decide Not to Shower
We all know what it’s like—you’ve got a long drive ahead of you, you didn’t get much sleep, you woke up late, and you realized that you have to change your deck one more time. It’s easy to think, “I’ll skip the shower, because that’ll save me fifteen minutes.” On behalf of event staff and fellow competitors everywhere, I stand here today and say, “Please, do not skip the shower!” It will be a long day, the venue will get hot, and the room will be crowded. Use hot water, soap, shampoo, and deodorant. And trim your nails too. However, I won’t insist that you shave.
Leave Your UDE Tournament ID Number at Home
When you got your tournament ID, you should have kept the card in a safe place. You’re only allowed to have one tournament ID number, and you’ll need to use the same ID number at each event. Many TOs have the capability to look up your number, but bear in mind that when 200 people are trying to get registered so a Regional tournament can start on time, there’s no guarantee someone will be able to do it. It isn’t the TO’s job to keep track of your number—it’s your responsibility. Keep your tournament ID card, memorize the number or get it embroidered on your jacket, and do whatever you need to do to make sure that you know your number before you arrive at the venue.
Not Have a Decklist
You can fill out a decklist at the tournament, which is fine if you’re planning on arriving early enough. Filling out a decklist at the tournament adds some stress to the registration process, however. If you can complete your decklist at home (typing the list is better if you have hard-to-read handwriting), it will make the start of everyone’s day a little easier. Many TOs offer downloadable deck registration forms, so check the appropriate websites. Don’t use abbreviations for card names, and make sure you separate monsters, spells, and traps from each other. The easier it is to read your decklist, the faster deck checks will go.
Forget to Double-Check Your Decklist to Make Sure it Matches Your Deck
If you get a deck check, and your deck doesn’t match what’s on your decklist, you’ll be assigned a penalty for having an illegal decklist. Then, you’ll have to make your deck match the cards on your decklist—you won’t be allowed to make your decklist match what’s actually in your deck. If you’ve forgotten to include a vital card on your decklist, you’re going to suffer. Always double check your decklist against your deck, and count your cards twice to make sure that you have a legal deck. The same rule applies to your side and fusion decks.
Neglect to Check the Format When Building Your Deck
Constructed tournaments are run under two different formats: Advanced and Traditional. Most premier-level events use the Advanced format, which bans particular cards from play. Make sure that you know which format you’re preparing for, which cards are legal, and how many of each card you can play. Your deck needs to comply with the format of an event. If your deck contains illegal cards, you’ll be penalized for having an illegal deck and receive a game loss. Claiming that you didn’t know the rules or that you left a card in “accidentally” is no excuse. You can find information about banned, limited, and restricted cards in both formats here.
Double Sleeve Your Cards, or Use Holo-Face, Worn, or Picture Sleeves
Many TOs set restrictions on the kind of sleeves that are allowed at an event. Even though double-sleeving does a great job protecting your cards, most TOs have banned it because it’s much easier to mark cards with double sleeves. Upper Deck bans sleeves with holographic patterns on the face or the front of the card, because the patterns obscure the cards from judges and opponents. Picture sleeves are often forbidden because they are easy to mark, and using worn sleeves can net you a “marked sleeves” penalty. To avoid potential problems, put your deck in a single set of new sleeves that comply with the TO’s requirements. If you’re unsure about your sleeves, it’s easy to check with the head judge before the event begins.
Show Up Late
Sometimes, there are circumstances beyond your control . . . the car breaks down, the friend who owns the car doesn’t own an alarm clock, or you get lost or run into traffic. Regardless, events have to start on time, or as close to it as possible. Players must be cleared out of venues by specific times. If you’ve ever gone through the trouble of arriving on time and then had to stand around getting angry while you waited for all of the late players to get registered, then you know how frustrating this can be. Leave home early, double check your directions, make sure you know where you’re going, make sure that you have everything you need, and stop to get gas. If you arrive late, you might not be able to participate in the tournament.
Form a Mob Instead of a Line
If you’re ever waiting outside the venue before a tournament, it’s likely that you and the other players will be loosely organized. Once the doors open, everyone will rush to get in first, tripping over people and generally creating chaos. Since no one wants to let anyone else get ahead, instead of a line, a large mob will form at the registration table. The event staff can’t register you if you’re not in line, so resist the urge to rush ahead. Always approach the registration table in the proper way.
Fight With the Event Staff
The staff is there to answer questions, give out the correct paperwork, and get everyone registered so the tournament can start on time. The event staff is trying to help, so be civil and understanding. If you’ve been waiting a long time, feel like you’re being brushed off, or are otherwise upset about something, yelling at the event staff isn’t going to solve the problem. In the worst-case scenario, you may be ejected from the event. Sometimes, tournaments have setbacks, and you probably won’t know who’s to blame—don’t start the day off poorly by choosing a random target.
That wraps up the list of pre-event misbehaviors. Next week, I’ll continue the list and go over what not to do once the tournament begins. If you recognize anything that you’re guilty of doing, make sure to correct your behavior at the next event. Organized Play in Yu-Gi-Oh! is getting a lot of attention, and knowing what’s expected of you at an event makes the experience better for everyone. See you next week! |
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