War of the Worlds 21st Century Style …

Yes, its that time again and this year I am actually getting to announce ahead of time a new feature to the Galaxy tournament that I added last year but didn’t get the word out in time. Its designed to help draw in more players. Is it a new variant to the rules? Is it an expansion? Is it a shiny new re-release of the game with cool plastic molded miniatures?……No, I would never stoop to anything so low and taudry just to bring in new players. If you come to one of my heats of Galaxy: the Dark Ages you will have a chance to win your very own $10 merchandise certificate from GMT Games!!!! Yes, that’s right, I’ve been reduced to “bribing” you with the lure of cold, hard CASH!! And what gamer can’t resist that? So, don’t hesitate, and don’t forget to make room in your schedule generator for this can’t miss tournament.
 
FORMAT
Play one game in a heat. Enter as many heats as you’d like, with best finish considered in seeding. Top 25 finishers advance to Semi-Final. Top five finishers advance to Final.

The “Ender Award” will be presented to the player who eliminates the most worlds during the tournament.
Note: This is a Beginner’s Event, which means that the game will be taught only to those attending the scheduled demo in the Paradise Terrace area.
 
TABLE ASSIGNMENT: The GMs will assign four or five players to each table. No relatives or teammates may play at the same table prior to the Final. Otherwise, seating will be random, with the option of spot adjustments as determined by the GM.
 
SCORING: Each table will play one game, with each player’s final score determining finish. If there is a tie for the most influence, the tied players determine the value of the cards in their hands. That means, if a player has any cards in his/her reserve, they do not count towards tie breakers! Each ally ship or ship of a surviving world is worth double its value. Each ship of a surrendered world is worth its face value. Each technology card is worthless. The tied player who has the highest-valued Hand finishes higher. If still tied, the tied player who played last finishes higher. (If the players fail to resolve ties, the GM will break them based on his whim.) Once a new betting round has begun, no spoils of war may be granted for the previous round. Once the cards are picked up after the last round, no scoring adjustments may be made.
 
SEATING: At the start of each game, seating at the table will be randomly determined by drawing a poker chip with a table number and seat number on it.
 
ADVANCING: The semi-final will include 16, 20, or 25 winners. The goal is to fill the Semi-Final round with ONLY table winners from the heats and to NOT turn away any winners (regardless when the win occurred or the number of wins). To accomplish this, heats will strictly be four-player games, as much as possible. Second-place finishers may advance as alternates if any are required to reach the ideal 16, 20, or 25 players in the Semi-Final. Seeding will be based on percentage of winning score (i.e., players who lost on tie-breakers will advance first) and then percentage of table score.

TABLE SCORING FORMS: Players will fill out the scoring form for the table, listing the players, scores, finish, and other information. Please keep track of the world surrender information, indicate any remarkable events that occurred during the game, make comments about the way this tournament was run on the back of this score sheet. Turn this form into the GM after you’ve finished playing your game.
 
Rule Interpretations
Table talk suggesting alliances or a specific course of action is permitted; however, such verbal agreements are not binding. The only restriction is that you may never show any card to another player until you play or discard it, except as required by the rules of play. If you show a card by “accident” or otherwise, the card is considered played and the player to your left draws one random card from your Hand which is discarded as a penalty. (Thus, any card played is played. You can’t take it back.)

Revealing a secret base is done instead of placing an unplayed base. The Garrison ship is returned to your hand. (If the world has already surrendered, the Garrison ship is placed in the discard pile and is considered your ship card play.)

Spoils of victory are awarded when a world surrenders, starting with the player whose turn it is and proceeding clockwise. Once the next round has begun, no spoils of victory can be awarded for the previous round.

There is no limit to the number of cards you can hold in your hand. At the end of your turn, you may either draw one new card from the Draw pile or pick up all the card(s) in your Reserve. If the Draw pile is exhausted, you may not draw new cards.

Any undefended, visible Base on any row can be attacked by any Fleet Ship with a combat opportunity. A Base is undefended if it has no ship in the current row of the world’s column.

If you are not already governor of a world when you play your ship card, you may not use that Governor’s power that turn; however, you may use a Governor’s power in the same turn you become Governor. The ship you play need not survive the action phase to trigger use of the Governor’s power.

You don’t have to be governor of a world to use a ship’s power. If you play a ship card, you may use the power listed on the card or attack with the card, as appropriate, regardless of who is the governor of the world.

Facedown ships cannot use their ship power (even when turned face-up during the World Surrender Phase); however, facedown ships defend bases.

When the Governor of the Divergence exercises his or her power, he or she may play a second ship in the Action Phase after the first ship’s power (including attacks) is used or forfeited. The second ship may not be played in the Divergence column. If the second ship is played on a world where the player is Governor, the world’s governor power may be exercised.

Technology cards augment a player’s ability for the duration of a round (until a world surrenders), except Advanced Processing, which may be used only once.

If no player at the table can either play a card or discard a card, the game ends, and the winner is determined by calculating the value of the bases on all remaining worlds. As you may understand, this means that it IS possible for a game to end with more than three worlds surviving at the end.
 
Late Arrivals and Long Games
Late arrivals will be accommodated in the heats, as possible, if a full game (five players) can be formed; however, all games must be completed by the end of the scheduled period. For the semi-final and Final rounds, players must check in with the GM by five minutes after the beginning of the scheduled round or they may be disqualified, if an alternate has already checked in to replace them. Games that are not complete by the end of two hours may be adjudicated by the GM, at his discretion.
 
Changes from Last Year
When a player a)plays/discards the last card in their hand, b)has at least one card in their reserve, and c)the draw deck has been exhausted, they MUST pick up those cards from the reserve as their action in the Draw Phase. They are not allowed to leave the cards in reserve and thereby “passing” whenever it comes around to their turn again so as not to have to play a card that is in their reserve that they don’t want to play.
 
Rule Adjudication
For any game that the GM is playing, an assistant GM will make any necessary adjudication. Decisions made by the GM (or assistant, as necessary) are final.
 
Extra Prizes
Medalists (plaque winners) will receive GMT merchandise credits of $10 in addition to the $10 credits awarded by the GM at each heat.