A new GM brings a third heat and, for the first time, a change to class B status with a demo for beginners. The tournament will be divided by experience levels with inexperienced players grouped together for coaching, with experienced players who have already secured a spot in the next round, encouraged to play at a coached table.

There will be three heats of 5-player games. You may play in any or all heats, but winners of preceding heats may be excluded from later heats if necessary to make even multiples of five. Otherwise, as few 4-player games as possible will be played to accomodate all players. Players will be assigned to games at random by the GM.

The long awaited Second Edition of the game will be the default version. First edition games may be played only if all players in the game agree.

Side determination: Each player rolls two dice: highest roll has first choice of country, next highest second choice, etc.

Advancement: Only the winner of each game will advance to the semi-finals. Exception: any Prussian player whose game ends on Turn 1 is guaranteed advancement into Round 2 PROVIDED he REMAINED NEUTRAL AND did not give up a card to end the game.

Selection points: Each WINNER receives Selection points based on the power he played: Prussia 5, Russia 4, Austria 3, England 2, France 1. Selection Points are used in the next round to choose the power the player gets to play; thus lessening the chance of a player being randomly assigned the same power twice.

Round 2 (semi-finals): The number of players in Round 2 will determine the number of players at each board: while 5- and 4-player games are preferred, should there be only seven players in the round, there will be a 4- and a 3-player table. If there are only six players, there will be two 3-player tables. Players will be assigned to games at random by the GM

Semi-Final Side determination:

1, At boards with players who consolation advanced, place one unit of each player power in the box top.
The consolation-advanced player will draw a power at random. If they draw Prussia, they must decline it and draw again

2. After consolation advancement players have drawn, other players at the table EXPEND their selection points to buy their countries. The player with the most selection points at the table gets first choice of power, the player with the second most gets second choice, etc. If two or more players have equal points, they dice for order of choice.

Should there be five or fewer players for Round 2,they will play together on a single board and that round will become the Final. The winner will be awarded First Place in the tournament, the player who comes in second will get second place, etc.

Otherwise, Winners of Round 2 advance to Round 3. Selection points and Consolation advancement for Prussia are awarded as per Round 1.

Alternates or runner-ups will NOT advance.

Round 3 (Final)

The type of game to be played will be based on the number of remaining players. Should there be five or fewer players for Round 3, they will play together on a single board. Selection Points from Round 2 are used to determine choice of power.

Should there be six or more players in the Final, the players will be divided as evenly as possible into two or more boards. The player with the most Victory Points in Round 3 will win the tourney, the player with the next most will take second, etc. Ties will be broken in Reverse Movement Track Order. If still tied, the player whose game finished first, will prevail.