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Sekigahara (SKG) Links Email GM   Last updated May 26, 2018.
Class B: Beginning Players Welcome You may play if you have read the rules, played previously, or participated in a scheduled demo. Be on time for the scheduled demonstration. The GM will remain for only 15 minutes if no one is present.
Schedule  GM: Dennis Mishler (1st Year)
Round Day Start Time Duration Location
Demo 1 Mo 9 1 Exhibit Annex Table 3
Round 1/3 Mo 10 3 First Tracks Center
Round 2/3 Mo 13 3 First Tracks Center
Round 3/3 Mo 16 3 First Tracks Center
Semifinal Mo 19 3 First Tracks Center
Final Mo 22 3 First Tracks Center
2018 Tournament Format Swiss Elim

Sekigahara is a diceless block wargame based on the campaign that founded Japan's Tokugawa shogunate. The game features several unique, elegant mechanisms that make it appealing to wargamers and euro gamers alike. Games commonly play in about 2-2.5 hrs, and while the rules are straight forward, the strategy is much more intricate, involving bluffs, calculated risks, and hand management. Attending the demo is sufficient for learning the rules, although a few plays may be needed before you feel like you “get it”. Luckily, you can play in the tournament immediately following the demo!

After a century of constant conflict (the Sengoku Jidai), Japan has almost become fully united. In Osaka, the forces loyal to the young Toyotomi heir have assembled around Ishida Mitsunari, the leader of the Western army. In Edo (now Tokyo), an Eastern army loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu has formed. In Sekigahara, as one of two warlords fighting for control of Japan during the samurai era, your goal is to capture (kill) the opposing leader. Barring this, your goal is to control more of the vital castles and resource points throughout Japan at the end of the 8-week campaign.

The game is played primarily with blocks and cards. Each of the two armies is composed of multiple factions (clans). Rectangular blocks represent your armies, displaying the insignia of the clan they belong to. Blocks marked with a banner indicate the leader (or daimyo) of that clan. Other blocks have cavalry or guns attached, which grant them additional features in combat.

During this time period, the loyalties of many clans were fluid. In Sekigahara, the cards that compose your hand represent this. To deploy a block into battle, a card with a matching insignia must be played. A select few cards can challenge this deployment. Thus, proper management of your hand is vital.

Throughout the campaign, each side will receive reinforcements, partially based on your current board position. Before the start of each week, you will receive additional combat units. At the same time, you will also need to discard part of your hand and then draw fresh cards, forcing you to reconsider which of your armies can most fully fight during the coming week.,/p>

TOURNAMENT DETAILS:

The 2018 tournament will be a modified Swiss elimination format. During the initial stage of continuous play, participants will be matched based on number of wins. This preliminary round will be composed of three games for each player. At the conclusion of this stage, all 3-0 players will advance to single elimination play. Ideally, this will be either 4 or 8 players. Should less than 4 players emerge with 3-0 records, then only those players will advance to the elimination round. If more than 4 players emerge with 3-0 records, then a number of players with 2 wins will be advanced in order to fill out the single elimination bracket to 8 players.

Players who do not advance to single elimination matches can continue to play for honor and glory.

In this tournament, we will use second edition rules, which have only one important difference from the first edition: the inclusion of two new Uesugi blocks on the board at the start of the game: Two units are added to the initial deployment. The blocks 3-Uesugi and 1-Uesugi-Gun get a circle deployment mark in the lower right corner, and two additional deployment circles appear in the Aizu location.

Players will begin with a bid for sides. Randomly determine the first bidder. Bid in blocks (zero or higher), specifying the side. The winner gets their choice of side, and the loser gets the bid number of blocks added to their recruitment box at the start of the game.

Please see the official tournament home page for more information or useful links:https://sites.google.com/view/sekigahara/home

Round 1 Seeds:

Depending on the number of players at the start of the tournament, seeds will be given to up to 8 players, based on AREA ratings and BPA laurels. These seeds will only apply during the three matches that comprise Round 1. Undefeated seeded players will not play against each other, when possible. Defeated players will lose their seed designation.

Filling out the Single Elimination Bracket

If more than 4 players emerge with 3-0 records, then a number of players with 2 wins will be advanced in order to fill out the single elimination bracket to 8 players. These additional players will be selected based on:

  1. Most wins
  2. Most points scored in loss (instant loss = 0 pts; a player who is 2-0 will receive an instant loss)
  3. Strength of schedule (most opponent wins)
  4. Head to head results
  5. Random draw

Determining Single Elimination Pairings

If 4 or fewer players have perfect records, they will be randomly paired. If 8 players advance to single elimination matches, then a bracket will be constructed containing all 8 players. These players will be seeded based solely on their Round 1 performance:

  1. Most wins
  2. Number of points scored in loss (instant loss = 0 pts)
  3. Number of instant wins
  4. Number of total points scored (instant win = 27 pts)
  5. Strength of schedule (most opponent wins)
  6. Head to head results
  7. Random draw

In this case, the highest seed will play the lowest seed and so on: 1v8, 4v5, 3v6, 2v7.

Additional Prizes: GMT will provide merchandise certificates to the top four places. In Sekigahara, we have a tradition of giving Honor Prizes for those who play several rounds, despite potentially poor results. While we are optimistic that this tradition may continue, it is not guaranteed. Typically these have also been samurai figurines, letter openers, or the like. There are also commonly prizes (figurines, etc.) for specific feats, like most enemy leaders killed or largest battle won.

Links:

Map: