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WBC FAQs

 

 

 

World Boardgaming Championships Event Descriptions Updated November 6, 2022.

 

   

 

This new page provides all members with information regarding events that are held at WBC. This information was previously listed only on the GM guidelines and is now being made more visible to all members of the BPA.

EVENT TYPE: Events at the World Boardgaming Championships (WBC) consist of the following five types:

  • Century Events: 100 events that are determined based on the previous WBC. It includes the 25 events from the previous WBC that had the largest number of attendees participating in the event and the 75 events from the previous WBC with the most player hours of WBC events.
  • Legacy Events: These are events that the Board has granted legacy status to continue the traditions of the WBC. For the Board to consider an event for this category, the event needs to 1) been run for at least 10 years at WBC, 2) not be a current century event, 3) meet the minimum required number of players each year, and 4) have been a century event in the prior year. There are currently 12 Legacy Events
  • Trial Events: These are events that are voted on each year by current BPA members during the annual membership drive. Members submit event forms the month before the membership drive begins for games to be included on the trial ballot. Members then vote for up to 10 different games from games submitted. The top 25 games that receive the most votes will be run as Trial events during the upcoming WBC. For WBC 2022, the Board has approved 30 Trial events due to the cancellation of WBC 2020 and WBC 2021.
  • Sponsor Events: These are games that BPA members at the Sponsor level of membership have added to the upcoming WBC.
  • Vendor Events: These are events added by Vendor members of the BPA. Vendors may add an event for each vendor space they purchase.
  • Exhibitor Events: These are events added by Exhibitor level members of the BPA. Exhibitors may add an event for every two Exhibitor tables they purchase

EVENT CLASS: Event Class determines the knowledge level of a game that is required to participate in the game's tournament at WBC. Event Classes are:

 A. ADVANCED: Experienced players only. Rules will not be explained. Neither GMs nor players will teach the game to beginners during the event. 

 B. BEGINNERS WELCOME: Players must have read the rules, played previously, or participated in a scheduled teaching demonstration.

 C. COACHED EVENT: Inexperienced players welcome. The game will be taught to anyone present at the scheduled starting time. GMs may also schedule a demonstration for the Event.

EVENT FORMAT: These are the formats allowed for tournaments run at WBC. No more than half of the total players in a tournament MAY qualify for a Semifinal round. For games that run heats that do not have a good way of implementing any of the heat formats, the convention director may grandfather in a different method. This exception must be pre-approved before submitting the event. Examples are Dune and Republic of Rome which don’t fit any of the heat formats.

SINGLE ELIMINATION (SE): This competition style can be used for both two-player and multi-player games. It is the ideal style for long games, and usually the most practical style for Events with many entrants. Participants play until they lose a game. Winners in a Round advance to the next Round. Thus, the number of players per Round is continually getting smaller.

SINGLE ELIMINATION WITH MULLIGAN (SEM): This competition style is the same as Single Elimination with the following exception. Players may play in a mulligan round that is scheduled before the start of Round 1. If a player wins their Mulligan round game, they advance to the second round of the tournament. Losers in the mulligan round can re-enter the tournament in Round 1.

SWISS (SW): Any format of a pre-determined number of rounds in which players with the best records are paired against each other in every round. Players are free to drop out after any round of the event.

SWISS ELIMINATION (SWEL): A system using a number of continuous preliminary round games in order to advance a pre-determined number of players into Single Elimination Rounds.

FREE FORM (FF): Free Form tournaments are a type of Swiss Elimination tournament with Round 1 lasting several days. After Round 1, the top four players advance to two rounds of Single Elimination play. Special approval by the Convention Director is required to use this format.

HEATS: WINNERS ONLY (HWO): Players participate in two to four scheduled Heats. Players who win a game during a heat will advance to the next rounds, usually a Semifinal/Final round or just a Final round. Rounds after the heats are played as Single Elimination rounds. No alterates advance. Further, anyone who comes in second may not advance, even if person who finished first has won previously or chooses not to play in the Final. Any tournament that cannot accommodate all winners from the Heats in the next round may not use this method of advancement.

HEATS: MULTIPLE SINGLE ELIMINATION (HMSE): Each of two or four heats are played Single Elimination to determine one winner who advances to the next round. With two heats, the winners advance to the Final. With 4 heats, the winners advance to a Semifinal with Semifinal winners advancing to a Final.

HEATS: MOST WINS - POINTS (HMW-P):This is the new format for those that prefer playing a game multiple times. It is a format with two to four chances to enter Round 1, followed by Single Elimination rounds. The event will specify the number of players who advance to Round 2. The event MUST use the following standard set of tie-breakers in the below order to determine who advances to the single elimination rounds. Standard tie-breakers enable players to make more educated decisions about which tournaments to play and whether or not they qualify to advance to later rounds of play.

  1. Most Wins (e.g., total in all heats entered)
  2. Total Points – Players earn the following pints in each heat they entered:
    • 1st Place - 1,000 points
    • 2nd Place - 100 points
    • 3rd Place - 10 points
    • 4th Place - 1 points
    • All other places - 0 points
    • e.g. player has a 1st, 2nd, and 4thh in three heats: total points would be 1,101
  3. GM Specific Tie-breaker - GM specific tiebreaker (must be submitted with the event form, included in the Event Preview, and approved by the Convention Director)
  4. High dice roll.

HEATS: MOST WINS - TIMING (HMW-T): This is the new format for those that prefer to play the minimum number of games and still advance in the event. It is a format with two to four chances to enter Round 1, followed by Single Elimination rounds. The event will specify the number of players who advance to Round 2. The event MUST use the following standard set of tie-breakers to determine who advances to the single elimination rounds. Standard tie-breakers enable players to make more educated decisions about which tournaments to play and whether or not they qualify to advance to later rounds of play.

  1. Most Wins (e.g., total in all heats entered)
  2. First Win
    • First Heat played
    • Second Heat played
    • Third Heat played
    • Fourth Heat played
  3. Fewest Heats
  4. Most Second Places
  5. Fewest total points behind first place in second place finishes. Not playing in a heat counts as an N/A for this criteria, not 0 points
  6. Fewest total points behind first place in all finishes. Not playing in a heat counts as an N/A for this criteria, not 0 points
  7. Highest total points ahead of second place
  8. High dice roll.

EVENT STYLE: Event Style is determines how an event will be scheduled.

CONTINUOUS:: Rounds continue with breaks of not more than an hour until a winner is determined. No Round will begin after midnight without the consent of all players. The next Round must continue at 9 a.m. the following morning.

SCHEDULED:: Play has scheduled breaks between rounds. This Event Style Format is recommended for long multi-player games where continuous play becomes too much. The tournament is limited to three such breaks.