First, a big thank you to Rob Murray for his leadership of and epic event reports for WBC Agricola over the last ten years.

Format:

This year’s tournament will begin a measured shift to Revised (2016) as the default edition. The 2025 tournament format will prioritize each player getting to play the edition of their choice.

Original Edition is the 2007 edition with E, I, and K decks. Use all 3 of those decks, minus bans (see below), mixed together.

Revised Edition is the 2016 edition with A, B, C, D, and E decks. Use as many of those 5 decks as are available in the copy of the game, minus bans (see below), mixed together.

If the entire table agrees to add or subtract decks or certain cards to either edition, that is fine - but it should be a quick decision, not a debate.

All games will be four-player games, if possible. Start Player is determined PRIOR to the draft for all games in all rounds. 16 players will advance to a Semifinal round of 4 four-player games. Advancement to the Semifinal will be determined using the Heats Most Wins - Points criteria listed below. The winner of each semifinal game will advance to the Final.

Each player will be dealt 8 Occupation cards. Each player will choose one card and pass the remaining Occupation cards to their right. This will continue until each player has selected 7 Occupation cards. Players will then be dealt 8 Minor Improvement cards. Each player will choose one card and pass the remaining Minor Improvement cards to their left. This will continue until each player has selected 7 Minor Improvement cards.

All questions regarding card rules or combinations will be clarified by the GM (or one of the assistant GMs). Decisions may be based on information contained within the Agricola compendiums available on the internet for all decks used in the tournament.

Heats:

For each heat, all players will be able to say whether they prefer to play Original, Revised, or either. The GM team will do their best, given the available copies of the game, to have everyone play their preferred edition during heats.

Three-player games will be used to balance the number of entrants for each Heat, with the table(s) utilizing the three-player format to be determined randomly. The Occupation action space from the 4-player game will be used in place of the Occupation action space from the 3-player game. Additionally for Original, any time the “Take One Building Resource" action is taken, the player doing so receives one food.

If there are any tied scores for a win during the Heats, all tied players will earn credit for a win. Likewise, if there are ties for the remaining positions, all tied players will receive points for their finish as previously specified. Therefore, during Revised Edition heat games, ignore the printed tiebreaker.

Semifinal:

Before assigning tables, each semifinalist will say whether they prefer Original, Revised, or either. The GM team will then (depending on available copies of the game) determine how many Original and Revised tables are being played in the round, minimizing the number of players not getting their choice. If at least one player won’t get their choice, it will be the lowest applicable ranked player(s) moving to the other format to get multiples of 4. If, for example, there are 10 Original preferences and 6 Revised preferences, 2 players won’t get their choice. As Revised is the default, this would mean 2 tables each of Original and Revised, and the 2 lowest ranked Original-preferring players will be assigned to a Revised table. Lastly, tables will be assigned using a snake selection of players in each format. Players who are unwilling to switch editions can drop and be replaced by an alternate.

Full example: There are sufficient copies of both editions. The 9 players ranked 1-9 all prefer Revised, the rank 10 player says either, and the 6 players ranked 11-16 prefer Original. Having 2 tables of each edition minimizes the missed choices at just one player, and the lowest ranked player who has to switch editions is the rank 9 player, who does not drop. Thus, the tables are: Revised with ranks 1, 4, 5, 8; Revised with ranks 2, 3, 6, 7; Original with ranks 9, 12, 13, 16; Original with ranks 10, 11, 14, 15.

Final:

Players will again state a preference for Original, Revised, or either. The edition will be determined by minimizing the number of players not getting their choice, using Revised as the default/tiebreaker.

All ties during the Semifinal and Final Rounds will be resolved by the following methods:

1. If one of the tied players started the game in Seat 4, that player wins all tiebreakers
2. If playing Revised Edition, apply the rulebook tiebreaker of most unused building resources
3. Most food leftover at the end of the game. Note for Original Edition: During the Semifinal and Final you MUST ensure all conversion of any goods to food MUST be made prior to final breeding. Once final breeding has occurred following Round 14, the final state of your board cannot be modified
4. Fewest begging cards
5. Fewest negative categories* (including unused spaces as an extra category here)
6. Most scoring categories* that the player has achieved the maximum value
7. Total card points (point value of the cards plus bonus points)
8. Started in Seat 3 > Started in Seat 1 > Started in Seat 2

*Scoring categories are fields, pastures, fenced stables, grain, vegetables, sheep, wild boar, and cattle.

Original Edition Ban List: Braggart (E Deck, Occupation), Ratcatcher (E Deck, Occupation), Chamberlain (I Deck, Occupation), Taster (I Deck, Occupation), Wooden Hut Extension (I Deck, Minor Improvement), Lover (K Deck, Occupation), Wet Nurse (K Deck, Occupation), Reed Hut (K Deck, Minor Improvement)

Revised Edition Ban List: C60 Small Potters Oven, D25 Witches Dance Floor, and all bans from BoardGameArena as of July 12, 2025. At time of writing, that list is A14 Carpenters Hammer, A33 Big Country, A39 Chapel, A48 Shaving Horse, A82 Work Certificate, A97 Freshman, A131 Craft Teacher, A133 Braggart, B10 Caravan, B15 Carpenters Bench, B21 Hayloft Barn, B22 Walking Boots, B117 Informant, B132 Estate Master, B151 Little Peasant, B161 Weakling, C3 Carriage Trip, C28 Teachers Desk, C31 Writing Chamber, C63 Craft Brewery, C99 Garden Designer, C102 Tree Guard, C125 Nightworker, D4 Cross Cut Wood, D19 Pulverizer Plow, D21 Recruitment, D33 Summer House, D74 Royal Wood, D92 Child Ombudsman, D97 Begging Student, D137 Trade Teacher, E22 Guest Room.

Original Edition Errata: Moldboard Plow may be used twice; Brushwood Roof has prerequisite of 2 Occupations; Swineherd text should read that when a player takes wild boar, they receive an additional wild boar.

Revised Edition Errata: See compendium at https://tiny.cc/agrcomp.

HEATS: MOST WINS - POINTS (HMW-P):

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 4th in three heats: total points would be 1,101
3. GM Specific Tie-breaker:
   1. Fewest tied results in games
   2. Most games played from Seat 4
   3. Fewest 3-player games played
   4. Highest score in a heat
   5. Next highest score(s) in heat(s)
4. High dice roll.

Links: