The German Invasion of Spain … Euro style
El Grande is a multiplayer game of territorial control.
The map depicts Spain, divided into nine provinces into which
players place their forces. While there is no combat, players
select option cards which can rearrange the forces on the board
or make parts of the board off-limits.
Players bid for the order of choosing these option cards, but the higher bids
carry the penalty of giving fewer troops. Thus, the game is a balance between
resource acquisition and use; players must know when to ’lay low’ in order
to restore their forces. It is equally important to give other players good
reason to do things which help your cause while they optimize their own scoring.
The tournament will have three Heats. The top 25 players will advance to the
semi-finals (past experience indicates one heat win will be sufficient); be
sure to check the event Kiosk for your status following each Heat. Winners
of semi-final games will compete in a five-player Final game.
All games will be limited to two hours, including semi-final and Final Rounds.
This is a B level event. If you have not played the game before, be sure and
attend a teaching session before you sign up to play.
Tournament Format
1) Game Size
Default game size will be five players, with 4-player games as necessary
2) Table Assignments
Players who have set up their own games will play at their table
To save time, all other players will be randomly assigned to tables, however
please alert the GM if team members or acquaintances are assigned to
the same table. The GM will switch players as necessary between games.
3) Seating Order and Start Player
Players at the table may determine in any manner they wish (electoral college
and touch-screen voting processes are discouraged due to high legal fees
involved)
4) Game Length:
Rounds for ALL games will be two hours.
If the game is starting to run long, the GM will remind the players of the
time limit. If the game will obviously not finish in two hours, the GM may
halt and adjudicate the game as he sees fit. (Do NOT make me do this. No one
will like it.)
5) Score Sheet:
At the completion of your game, please complete the table score sheet in its
entirety. All information is important for determination of tiebreakers and
advancement.
The in-game tiebreakers for ranking players (after score) will be:
Most unused caballeros (# cabs in court + # cabs in provinces)
Highest unused power cards (compare each thus a 13, 12, 7, 6, 5 beats
a 13, 12, 4, 3, 1).
Random
6) Advancement:
25 players will advance to the semi-finals, and five semi-final winners to
a five-player final. (If fewer than 25 show for the semi-final, the size
and number of games may be adjusted at the GM’s discretion.)
Ranking (tie-breakers) for advancement to the semi-finals will be as follows:
Win in first heat entered
Most Wins
Win in second heat entered
Win in third heat entered
Sorting factor that includes 100 points for each win, 20 points for second,
5 points for third, plus your percentage of your nearest opponent’s score
Average finish in all heats
Random
The GM will post a list on the Kiosk as soon as possible after each heat to
show the top player rankings. Be sure to check the Kiosk if you are interested
in advancing. No-shows in semi-finals and final will be filled with the players
next in order.
7) Unsportsmanlike Behavior
We are here to run a good, fun, and competitive tournament. If you witness
anything that may constitute unsportsmanlike behavior (which may include
verbal abuse, cheating, and even excessively slow play), please alert the
GM immediately. Outcomes may involve as little as a warning up to ejection
from the game and a ban from future tournaments.
8) Tie-breakers for sixth place finish (out of the
five second place finishes in semi-finals):
—Smallest gap behind first place
—Best record according to advancement criteria in 6) above
Rule Clarifications (and Reminders)
1) The correct total number of Caballeros for each
color is 31, which includes the cube used for scoring.
2) The number of Caballeros in players’ provinces shall be secret unless
all players agree to have this knowledge open. (And thus, make it possible
to count players’ pieces in the Castillo.) Please bear in mind that excessive
counting and recounting on your turn is generally inconsiderate to your fellow
players. Playing at a decent pace will make a more pleasant game for everyone.
3) In all games, used power cards are placed in a single stack face up; only
the top card is visible to other players and the other cards are not open knowledge.
4) Action card clarifications:
—Intrigue cards may be used to place Caballeros into the Castillo
—Players are permitted to move less than the number of Caballeros stated on
Intrigue cards
—There are DISCREPANCIES between different printings/versions of El Grande with
regards to the Action Cards in the 2 stack. For this tournament, all cards
in the 2 stack that send Caballeros back to the provinces affect ONLY “your
fellow players” and NOT the player who executes the action.
—Veto cards:
—Per the rulebook example, Veto cards may cancel PART of a special action.
HOWEVER, for this tournament, this will ONLY be permitted for Intrigue cards.
No other actions may be partially cancelled. The player of the Veto card can
insist that the last part of the action performed be taken back. (In other
words, no “quickly moving a piece and then declaring that it’s already
moved and thus can’t be vetoed")
—Some MINIMAL negotiation is permitted between the active player and a Veto
card holder, to determine what the Veto player will or will not allow before
executing the action.
5) If, when required to
move Caballeros by means of the “secret” disk, the
player chooses the King’s region, then all such Caballeros
are instead moved to his court. This could occur during scoring
when emptying the Castillo, or with the Evict action card.
6) If, when required to remove Caballeros from a region
by means of the “secret” disk, the player chooses
the King’s region (or a region with none of the player’s pieces),
then the player who executed the special action gets to choose
the region from which the Caballeros get removed. This could
occur during the 2 stack action cards for removing 2 or all
pieces from a region.
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