Atlantic Storm Tournament
PrezCon 2004 - The Winter Nationals
February 25st - 29th
Welcome to PrezCon 2004 and the Atlantic Storm tournament. This tournament is Swiss Elimination with 4 heats, a semi-final, and a final. You are welcome to play in any or all heats.
Schedule: Heat 1 Thursday 9:00 AM Grand Ballroom
Heat 2 Friday 10:00 PM Grand Ballroom
Heat 3 Saturday 8:00 PM Grand Ballroom
Heat 4 Sunday 8:00 AM Grand Ballroom
Semi-Finals Sunday 10:00 AM Grand Ballroom
Finals Follows Semi Grand Ballroom
GM: Scott Buckwalter
sbuckwalter@comcast.net
Tournament rules and guideline:
- Gamers and table space permitting, games will be played with 5 or 6 players per table. Feel free to find a free spot at a table at the start of the heats. Try and not to sit at a table with players that you regularly game with.
- IMPORTANT: Do NOT begin a game until the GM has come by and given you a game report sheet. Depending on the number of excess gamers, there may be some shifting around players to even out the tables. Also, do not begin the game until all players have been listed on the game report sheet.
- After your game is concluded, the winner of the game must bring the completed game report sheet to the GM. Be sure to include the final scores of all players.
- Anyone finishing 1st in any heat is invited to the semi-finals. Additionally, depending on the number of 1st place finishers, there will be additional seats available to players finishing 2nd in their heats as well as alternates for players who do not show up.
- Please allow 2 hours for each heat. If it appears that a game will last longer than 2 hours, it will be cut short by reducing the number of convoys played.
Rules:
- All rules (including the advanced rules) will be used. Once again, pay particular attention to the rule regarding the sharing of spoils.
- Note: When the convoy is chosen, the discarded convoy is revealed to all players then placed face up in a pile off to the side. Players may not look through the pile of discarded convoys.
FAQ’s:
Q: How do we know who starts the first hand?
A: The rules say to cut the convoy deck and whoever draws the lowest convoy number (lower right corner, not the top of the card) begins. However, if you just want to roll dice for it, that’s fine as well.
Q: Which VP cards must be displayed face-up?
A: Any convoys you win must be kept face-up and anyone can count the number of VPs you have at any time. Any force cards you win (through sharing of spoils or fate) are to be kept facedown under one or more convoys (do NOT put them in your hand). No one may inspect another players force cards.
Q: May I keep track of which cards have been played?
A: Yes, but only in your head. Keeping written notes is not permitted.
Q: In what order do we refill our hands during the draw phase?
A: Cards are to be drawn in clockwise order beginning with the player whose turn it is to select the convoy. If you discarded rather than played during a hand, you still wait until the start of the next round before filling your hand.
Q: What happens if an illegal card play is made?
A: If the mistake is noticed before the next player plays, then the illegal card(s) may be taken back into your hand and you may then play another card if you wish. If the mistake is noticed later in the round, then the illegal card(s) are discarded and does not affect play. If, through bonus cards or the Admirals, you play two or more cards and only one of them is illegal, only the illegal card is discarded. The rest of your cards remain in play and count normally. If the mistake is noticed after a round is completed and all VP’s have been distributed, then the play stands.
Q: How does this whole “Fate” thing work?
A: Some of the force cards have the name of another force card printed under the year(s) the card is eligible to be played in. This is the name of the other force card your card is “fated” to destroy. If the card your force card is “fated” to destroy is played before you play your card(s) you can play your force card and immediately pick up the other card and place it facedown in your VP pile. Another important note, if a card has an “enemy” its name will be printed in red on the top of the card.
Some of the force cards have a convoy listed under their year listing. In this case you do not immediately pick up the convoy, instead the value of your card is doubled (i.e a 2 value becomes a 4). If the value of your card is a “?”, the value of your one die roll is doubled (you don’t roll two dice).
IMPORTANT: If you play a card that has a convoy as its “victim” you MUST announce that fact as soon as you play the card (you can’t try and hide it until the end of the round). If you don’t say anything when you play your card, then you lose the effect. Remember, “Say it as you play it”.
Q: What do the Admirals do?
A: The Admirals allow you to do one of two things. You can play an Admiral and then play two cards (plus bonuses), or you can change the “suit” of the hand to combined (only combined, you can’t change from sub to air) and then make your regular one-card (plus bonuses if applicable) play.
Q: Do I have to match my card play to the nationality of the Admiral I played?
A: Yes, if you play the Admiral Donitz card, then any subsequent cards you play must be German (and vice-versa for Admiral Tovey).
Q: How many bonus cards can I play in a round?
A: As many as you want, as long as:
- The year and ocean match the convoy.
- The nationality matched the “parent” card (i.e. no German bonuses with British ships).
- The type of bonus card matches the type of parent card (i.e. a windscreen view bonus card may only be played with a windscreen view parent)
- If the bonus card has a rectangular view, then it may be played with any parent
- The bonus card cannot specifically exclude it from being played with the “parent” card.
Q: If a storm card is played and no one rolls a 1-3, what happens?
A: The storm is discarded and affects no one. Note, you do not have to announce the target of the storm until after a roll of 1-3 is made. If you don’t roll a 1-3, then you don’t have to announce who your target would have been.
Q: If a player has played the 2nd Happy Time or Raid on St. Nazaire but is then taken out by a storm do the effects of the card stay in play?
A: No. This is also true for the Black Gap card as well as the Admirals (the “suit” would revert back to what was initially called).
Q: If a round ends in a tie (German vs. Allied) and a second round is played, do the cards played in the first round count in the 2nd?
A: No, the cards played in the first round don’t count in the battle, but are part of the spoils after the round is over. If a fated card is among these spoils and it’s destroying card is played in the second round, it does not destroy it. Both the fated card and the destroying card must be played in the same round.
Q: What happens if there are no cards with a value >= 1 at the end of a round?
A: The convoy is discarded.
Q: How do VPs get divided by “sharing the spoils”?
A: VPs are NOT divided by “sharing the spoils”. The winner of the trick has to share the cards won but not the VPs (i.e. you, with help from two others, win a 6 point convoy, there are two defeated ship cards, each worth one VP, in addition to the convoy. As the winner you must divide the three cards not the 8 VPs. So, you can keep any one card for yourself and you have to give each of your “friends” one card, but you can keep any one of the cards for yourself (most likely the 6 VP convoy)) Note, you must contribute to the battle in order to receive spoils. If your ship is destroyed by fate, you get hit by a storm, or play only a 0 value card, they you cannot receive any spoils.
Q: Are you allowed to play cards with a 0 value?
A: Yes. Although this is normally a bad move since it gives victory point to other players, it is allowed. There are 2 possible valid reasons to play a 0 value card: 1) if a bonus card requires a parent card, then playing a 0 value card may be necessary to play the bonus card; 2) if the 0 value card is fated to destroy a card already played, then playing the 0 value card would destroy the card.
Q: Are there any rules regarding deals made at the table?
A: The main rule regarding diplomacy is that any deals must be made at the table in front of everyone. In addition, there is no whispering or signaling allowed either. Other than that, anything goes, even lying.