Territorial Open Championship (TOC) season is upon us! For players who have never been to a TOC, we’ve compiled some helpful information to make sure your Territorial experience is the best it can be. So pack up your winningest deck, grab a couple friends, and head out to a TOC this spring!
Most newer players headed to a TOC find themselves unprepared for the heightened security of the tournament. As a Level 1 event, the tournament director (TD) may require registered decklists; in this case, you will need to prepare one before the event begins. So what is a decklist?
A decklist is exactly what it sounds like: a list of every card in your deck. This list is used as a way to confirm that no extra cards have been added to your deck between rounds (and checks against missing cards as well). Decipher has premade PDF decklist files that you can fill in from your computer to print out, or you can come up with your own decklist format. In any case, the decklist must show five vital pieces of information:
•Player’s Name and ID number
•Title and Date of Event
•Card Titles (and Subtitle, if any)
•Copies of each card per deck
•Title of Deck (optional)
The most often asked question I hear about decklists is: “Do I really have to write out all the subtitles?” The answer is yes! It doesn’t matter if there’s only one version of a unique personnel; subtitles are required for each decklist. Alternatively, some players choose to write the card ID number instead of subtitles. Some TDs may allow this; check with your local TD before using this method.
Some TDs will reward their players for legible decklists that are turned in on time before the tournament begins! Even if your TD doesn’t do this, it is still in your best interest to turn in the cleanest, earliest decklist possible. Remember, you will be reliant on the TD during the TOC for rulings and dispute resolutions, so anything you can do to make their life easier can only help your case later on!
“Where do I find my Player ID number?” This is also an often-asked question during the TOC season. To find your Player ID, follow these steps:
1. Open your web browser to decipher.fanhq.com.
2. Click the link at top left of the welcome screen that says ‘log in’. (New users will need to create a decipher.fanhq.com account to get a Player ID number.)
3. Enter your User Name and Password, then click the ‘Log In’ button.
4. When you return to the welcome screen, your Customer ID number will appear where the ‘log in’ link appeared before.
This is your Player ID number.
Here are some other materials that are useful to bring with you for your TOC experience:
•Deck box/case. This is better if your box is distinctive; you should be able to easily pick it out from twenty other similar deck boxes.
•Card sleeves (plastics). Again, the more distinctive your card sleeves, the better. Bring extras in case you need to replace a busted sleeve during the TOC. Fresh sleeves are best.
•Snacks! Believe it or not, this can make the difference during a long six-round tournament when you have little or no time to grab a bite to eat between rounds. Energy bars work well.
•Cash. TDs are unlikely to accept entry fees in any other form of currency (so don’t be surprised when they won’t take your credit card!)
•Cards to trade. TOCs are a great place to find more traders than you usually find at an average tournament!
Next time on Captain’s Personal Log: What to expect at your TOC!
Until then, Kirk out.
