Pirates CSG Online “House Rules”

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Card of the Week: Opportunist
by Paul "Merakon" Dennen, Game Designer

One of my favorite heroes from Maelstrom is the very unique Opportunist. Omior have always had a leadership strength to them, but their destiny-generating strategy has historically outshadowed their military strategies, so Omior military isn't commonly seen. Because of its activated ability, the Opportunist is a potential leadership powerhouse, but it is tricky to use. You just need to figure out when to dump your hand for leadership bonus, and how you can get cards back quickly and efficiently. The Opportunist's conqueror power provides some built-in synergy. Simply activate his leadership bonus on a turn where his leadership will let you take a planet, and you'll draw two cards.

However, discarding your entire hand is pretty scary, and you might want to consider having even more card-drawing potential in your deck. Certainly having some Avid Raiders accompany the Opportunist comes to mind. Time Warp is another good card to support an Opportunist strategy. But my favorite card to use with Opportunist is Conscription. That card gives each player three Conscript cards, which are not particularly useful (when you play a Conscript, you get -2 destiny). So, I like to play Conscription to give my opponent relatively-useless cards, while giving myself additional leadership potential for the Opportunist! This works really well in a military campaign where you are also leveraging a destiny lead.

Discuss this card in this thread!

EDIT: added "by Paul "Merakon" Dennen, Game Designer"

Card of the Week: OICOB

By Chuck "Shocho" Kallenbach, Game Designer

As a relative newcomer to Star Chamber, I was fascinated and puzzled (a dangerous combination, that) by the differently colored eyes on the image for this card. Of course I knew that the Androids look like Human females (and then some), but I hadn't seen this particular feature before. (Yes, I did find mismatched eye colors on some older Android ladies as well.)

It's a subtle reminder that even though Androids look all soft and round and feminine (well, most of them), they're different. There's a concept called "The Uncanny Valley" which asserts that when something weird is closer to Human, it suddenly becomes twice as unsettling.

To put this another way, Godzilla is not very scary, but Vampires are, because they're like Humans with a twist. Designers of robots, working hard to make them more like humans, found out that when they got close to their goal, people interacting with the robots were freaked out.

Along with those lovely mismatched eyes, look at the game text: Who doesn't want more bombardment? Combo our beautiful bomber girl with Daemon Alpha, Daemon Nu, Carpet Bombing, Strife, Let Slip the Dogs of War, even Resolution Mode Gamma, and it's bombs away! (Great card title there, I'll make a note.) Seems to me that Androids like to bomb things.

PS: Until late in the testing process, this card was titled "Oicob," probably because of some overactive autocorrect gland in Microsoft Word. Thankfully, the card received its proper capitalization just days before the file became final.

by Chuck "Shocho" Kallenbach, Game Designer

When we introduce a new keyword in a set, it's important to show exactly what it means with the proper image. They're worth a thousand words, I've heard. There are seventeen cards that feature Scramble in Maelstrom, but for my money, this is the quintessential version.

(Scramble: When an entity with scramble enters play, it joins the first travel group to begin a jump from its system on that turn.)

When you think of speed, when you think of people rushing to get aboard ships and leave a planet, you think of... Zhikanii? Um, slugs aren't very fast, normally. Oh yeah? Well what if that slug's tail is on fire! Now that is motivation!

Magenta Alert (I like the title too) has a splashable cost to help make Scramble available for use by many races. It's a great turn two option to speed up your spread throughout the galaxy. Magenta is a nice color for your homeworld.

PS: The lore on this card was taken from a US State Department warning to residents of a foreign country that had recently become unstable. Just change "country" to "planet" and voila, it's science-fiction! Kinda scary when you think about it.

The Legends of Norrath Trial of Justice Tournament Pack is now in the Station Store for a limited time. Just $10.00 USD gets you this pack which contains the following:

One (1) Trial of Justice promo card
Either the Familiar of King Gelaqua (4EQP4) or Parrott (4EQIIP4) Loot card*
Three Legends of Norrath Oathbreaker booster packs

The Trial of Justice Tournament Pack will only be available through Sept. 5, 2008 so don't miss out!

* Loot card received is based on which game you selected, EverQuest® or EverQuest® II, when you logged into Legends of Norrath for the first time.

Card of the Week: False Bravado
by Chuck "Shocho" Kallenbach

It's true, you don't hear a lot of players asking for tactics that put their items back into their hands. Scouts, however, are clever folks. They like skullduggery and combat tricks. Playing a Scout deck is not about winning and losing, it's about how much style you show off while you're playing. Okay honestly, that winning and losing thing, still pretty important...

Obviously, since this is a tactic card, works well with the Hidden keyword. You can play your item that has the Hidden keyword as a combat action, at the same time that you could play a tactic. Scouts have two Hidden weapons all their own, and the ubiquitous Steel Dagger is a bonus.

Here's the scenario: You've already exerted your Steel Dagger for it's +2 attack. Play False Bravado and take that back into your hand. For your next action, play the Dagger again, and then for the action after that, exert it again for +4 total from one card.

Reuse your Tunic of Dark Reflection or Gloves of Agony, or recharge your Stein of Moggok. Sure, these ideas cost a little extra power, but sometimes in the middle and late game you have power to spare.

Any items from future sets that have a "when you play this item" action in their game text (like recharging the Stein) will benefit from this tactic.

False Bravado is one of those cards that makes you think. Players that invent ways to use tricky cards like these are the ones at the forefront of deck design. And who knows what kind of combos the next set will provide?

Discuss this card in this thread!

Card of the Week: Gnoll Soothsayer
by Chuck "Shocho" Kallenbach

You want to talk about a bleak future? Look at this poor guy. His main asset is card drawing, but it comes at the expense of his own health.

Drawing cards is important for decks that play lots of cards. The "unit rush deck" is a pretty standard deck type so far. It's easy to build, having about 50 percent units that cost 1 or 2 (a few 3's are okay).

Of course, playing that many cheap units, even though you're drawing 2 cards each turn, you can run out of cards after a few turns. Especially if you go first. You need a good, cheap way to get more cards into your hand, and that's where the Gnoll Soothsayer comes into the spotlight.

Paying 2 for 2 cards is a good deal, and getting a unit that might just block a raid in the mean time can't hurt. How do you damage this card-drawing Gnoll? Luckily, there are a few methods for accomplishing this curious goal.

Orc Taskmaster whacks one of your guys when he shows up. Why not slam your Soothsayer and draw a card when he does?

Orc Fanatic wants to hurt us and them, so you might as well draw a card by directing some friendly pain at your Soothsayer.

That crazy Gnoll Shaman really needs some practice with his spell casting, but while he's damaging every unit near him, make sure you have a Soothsayer or two... or three or four, let's draw lots of cards!

Pummel provides a nice effect, at the cost of 1 damage to one of your combatants. Again, your Gnoll Soothsayer steps up to say, "Hit me first!"

Cards are designed to work together to produce combos. When you see what seems to be a drawback like the text of the Gnoll Soothsayer, take a stroll through the deck builder and see if you can find an interesting way to make that work for your deck. This is where you find a lot of the fun in TCGs.

Discuss this card in this thread!

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Pirates CSG Online “House Rules”

The following are "House Rules" for the online game, describing how it differs from the tabletop game.

Come About

A ship can come about (turn in place) when docked at an island so that her bow ends where her stern started (a maximum turn of 180 degrees). (This rule was removed from the tabletop game.)

Deathmatch

An online-only play format just like the Standard format, with the following exceptions: (1) there is no treasure, (2) Smokepot Specialist can't be used, (3) you can’t shoot during the first turn of the game, and (4) the last player who has ships afloat wins the game.

Forts

There is no nationality restriction for adding a fort to your fleet. You don’t have to have a ship in your fleet of matching nationality.

Ghost Ship LEs

The keyword "Ghost Ship" was added to twelve LE ships which makes them different from the tabletop cards. This includes Revenant, Snipe, La Resolucion, Asesino de la Nave, HMS Meresman, and HMS Wycliffe from the Spanish Main set and Bonnie Liz, Scepter, HMS London, Le St. Michel, El San Salvador, and La Cleopatre.

Guns & Gold

An online-only play format just like the Standard format, with the following exceptions: (1) Smokepot Specialist can't be used and (2) a player who no longer has the possibility of giving any future move actions to any of his or her ships loses the game.

Placing Ships

At the start of the game, ships are placed with their sterns touchinng the home island, instead of their bows.

Practice Game

An online-only play format that provides four islands, two fleets, and a fixed setup that is used to learn the basics of the game.

Smokepot Specialist

The "smoke" placed by a Smokepot Specialist functions just like a normal fog bank. You may place this fog bank beneath a ship.

Towing

Towing can only be initiated at the start of a move action (instead of at the start or the end).

Who Picks?

While the online game maintains that the defender chooses the target in a losing boarding action, the general rule in the online game for an ability or rule that targets crew, treasure, cargo, masts, or any other game item for removal, elimination, theft, or transfer, is that the attacker chooses.

Card of the Week: Orc Fanatic
By Devin Monnens, Game Design Intern

In EverQuest, the Orc Fanatic was a fairly formidable mob for lower level players exploring Highpass Hold and were led by the fearsome Chief Gan’Shralok. In Legends of Norrath, the Orc Fanatic is one of the more dynamic cards. He is one of the few Shadow units that has Frenzy (the other is Venril Sathir). He is also one of the few units that has a 'comes into play' effect.

Some players might be too quick to dismiss the Fanatic -- after all, why would any sane player want to damage one of his own units? Turns out, there are some excellent uses for the Fanatic.

Aside from Frenzy, the most obvious advantage of this card is its ability to deal one damage to any of your opponent’s units once it comes into play. With the Fanatic, you can choose any of your opponent’s units on the playmat, so you could even play the Fanatic at a different quest than the unit you want to damage. You can’t do that with his closest counterpart, the Barbarian Butcher.

Let’s examine the Fanatic’s drawback -- you have to deal a point of damage to one of your own units. While at first this may seem like a disadvantage, there are several cards that allow you to turn it into a decisive advantage.

Take last week's COTW, Gnoll Soothsayer, for instance. This rare unit will let you draw one card for each point of damage it receives. This means you can play a Gnoll Soothsayer and then hit it for a point of damage with the Fanatic, giving you an extra card right away.

Let’s also not forget units like the Fallen Berserker, who gets +1 damage bonus for each point of damage he has when you are shadow-aligned. Simply deal your damage to the Berserker to increase his damage-dealing power and then attack with your frenzied Fanatic, letting you apply the damage. Similar strategies can be used with the Orc Taskmaster.

If you’re really brave, you can try combining the Orc Fanatic and Orc Taskmaster with Berserk Dwarf, Furious Berserker, and Raging Berserker, giving you some quick damage buff bonuses very quickly. However, you won’t be able to make good use of the Fallen Berserker in such a deck, as his bonus only applies when your avatar becomes evil -- and if that happens, you’ll get damaged every time you play a light-aligned unit.

If it comes down to it, he can always deal that point of damage to himself -- sometimes, desperate situations call for desperate measures.

Overall, Orc Fanatic is a very versatile card and can be put to good use in a wide variety of decks. Feel free to experiment with him -- you might be very surprised with the results.

By Devin Monnens, Game Design Intern

The Orcish Swordmaster is a fairly powerful unit for only 2 power. Those of you who have been playing with the Fighter Starter for awhile now should be fairly familiar with him. He is best played the turn you are going to perform an attack in order to get that +3 attack bonus and can provide a temporary boost to a smaller attack force or an unstoppable juggernaut for a larger force. When coupled with other Frenzy units or units with damage bonus, he can be a pretty formidable boost to a raid. Remember, too, that he can get an additional attack bonus from each Fallen Chieftain present at his quest.

Orcish Swordmaster is also twice as tough as his counterpart, Fallen Orc, who has only 1 HP. So while his attack and defense stats will be the same as those of the Fallen Orc at the end of the turn, this makes him a little bit more useful than your standard Orc.

Because this is something of a one-hit deal otherwise, you can treat him as another Fallen Orc, particularly after he’s absorbed one point of damage. That way, there isn’t much difference between the Swordmaster and a Fallen Orc should you decide to destroy one for Sacrifice.

Orcish Swordmaster actually used to be slightly more powerful than he currently is – in an early version of the card, he used to give +4 attack bonus, making him incredibly powerful for only 2 power. Those of you who find yourselves facing off against an Orcish Swordmaster today may find yourselves pretty thankful that it’s only a +3 attack bonus today!

Orcish Swordmaster’s versatility and strength make him a good staple for any Orc deck. Be sure to experiment with him using different combinations of units.

Look here for the Official Rules to the Legends of Norrath Ethernauts Premier Event.

Pearl Destroyer (6P14) and Crimson Destroyer (6P15) are this month’s two Legends of Norrath promo cards!

The April Legends of Norrath Promo Weekend is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (PT) Friday, April 3, 2009, and conclude at 10 a.m. (PT) on Monday, April 6, 2009.

Legends of Norrath is celebrating Bristlebane’s Day with a devilishly clever scenario offering some great loot! The Bristlebane’s Day scenario will be offered in Legends of Norrath from April 1, 2009 at 2 p.m. PT, through May 4, 2009 at 2 p.m. PT. The first time you win the scenario, you’ll win the Bristlebane’s Bewildering Bangle (6P13) promo card AND either the Pike Ornament of the Void (6EQP10) loot card for EverQuest® or the Painting: Kaltuk (6EQIIP10) loot card for EverQuest® II, depending on your in-game settings. You can receive additional copies of the Bristlebane’s Bewildering Bangle promo card each time you defeat the scenario with a different avatar archetype (limit 4 per account).

Look for two great new Legends of Norrath promo cards dropping this weekend in EverQuest® and EverQuest® II!

Dorvias (6P1 SMILEY and Ashteth (6P19) are this month’s two Legends of Norrath promo cards!

The May Legends of Norrath Promo Weekend is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. PT on Friday, May 1, 2009, and conclude at 10 a.m. PT on Monday, May 4, 2009.

Card of the Week: Alar
by Evan "Heimlich" Lorentz, Game Designer

Alar represents another approach to one of the major design elements of the System Lords set -- putting a focus on teams made up of characters from a single "faction." But rather than calling out the SGC or NID or any other group specifically, Alar isn't particular. At least, not so long as he's working with only one group. If you assign him to a mission with more than just one faction, you're not really getting the right "dividends" for your 3-power investment.

So clearly, the ideal deck build for Alar is to put him with a team of four matching characters, and plenty of support characters from the same group. But are there other approaches that can work?

Well, some decks go all out on a single mission each turn, then pull up stakes and end their turn. Other decks won't give up until at least two missions have been attempted, almost regardless of success or failure. In this latter approach, a player will often try to avoid ever assigning more than two team characters to a mission, using support characters wherever possible. And if you're only going to assign two team characters to a mission anyway, what does Alar care about the other two? That means that if you're careful about your assignments, you can still get the most out of Alar in a "two and two" team set-up, provided most of your other support characters are "generic" too.

Or you could dream big. As of System Lords, the only team characters with no faction are Vala Mal Doran and Narim. That's not enough for a whole team of four, but once again, Alar doesn't care about people who aren't assigned. Could you take a Science mission with just Alar and Narim? With 6 Science, maybe you could! In her Probationary Member of the SGC version, it's not very hard to get Vala to 3 Culture. Could she and Alar handle a Culture mission? With someone like Nicholas Ballard, Nyan, or the Kheb Monk on standby? You bet! It might be a few hoops to jump through, but how often will you get 5 total points of skills for 3 power?

Card of the Week: Kor Mak Joining

by Evan "Heimlich" Lorentz

With the low difficulty numbers of Kor Mak Joining, it's not the sort of obstacle you'll want to play without support from an adversary or another obstacle. (Well, unless you catch an opponent skipping a mission.) Nevertheless, the game text can pack such a massive punch when it hits, it's very much worth considering for your deck.

It's incredibly flexible. Sometimes, you'll care more about where a glyph gets moved, and you won't care if one or both of the characters involved is stopped already. Sometimes, you'll just be looking to stop two ready characters that haven't yet been involved in a mission attempt, and you won't care as much about how the glyph moves. Either situation is great; disabling a glyph-enabled game text is well worth 2 power in most situations, and stopping two ready team characters will usually keep your opponent from even attempting another mission. And occasionally, you'll get to make maximum use of both these penalties at the same time -- a huge bargain for 2 power.

So, how to best shore up those weak difficulty numbers? Borren is a pretty cost-effective adversary choice, offering good numbers in Culture and Science for a low cost. Baal (Charming Villain) works alright as well, though with a higher revive cost. On the obstacle side of things, Language Barrier and Advanced Technology are wonderful combo cards, though each covers only one of Kor Mak Joining's skills. Red Sky is also an excellent choice for a deck packing three copies of Kor Mak Joining.

by Evan "Heimlich" Lorentz, Game Designer

With cards like Lindsay, Cameron Mitchell (both Keen Strategist and Inspiring Influence), and Marshall Sumner (among others) showing how useful it can be to ready a team character -- even when a power cost is involved -- a mission like Avert Bombing is worth some serious consideration. In the late stages of the game, it's not too unusual to have 3 or more power on call as you carry on to the second mission of your turn. If it happens to be Avert Bombing, then you've suddenly got an extra team character ready to work for you. Sure, sometimes this mission will come up first on your turn, and you'll miss out on the chance to use the game text. But at least even in those situations, you're still going after a mission worth 4 experience.

But there are actually few times in the game where you actually won't mind seeing Avert Bombing come up as your first mission of a turn. One is on your first turn, if you're the first player. The odds are against the mission coming up, of course, but when it does -- your opponent's dismay is sweet to behold when the character he stopped for your first turn is suddenly ready again. And with the popularity of villain cards that incapacitate, there's a very real possibility that you'll have a stopped character as you begin other turns of the game too. So Avert Bombing shouldn't be dismissed as a mission that's only good when it comes up second or later during your turn. Its text can buy you out of a nasty Endure the Tests, Blinded, or other such obstacle.

Stargate Online TCG: October Event Calendar 2007

See the /time command in-game for PDT/server time.

Tournaments for October

October 5 (Friday)

5pm PDT
Commons-Only Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck - Players may only use commons and starter cards
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 rounds

October 6 (Saturday)

10am PDT
"Highlander" Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck - Players may have only one of any card title in their deck
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 Rounds

5pm PDT
New Player's Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
You must have an overall rating of 1600 or less to play!
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 Rounds

October 7 (Sunday)

10am PDT
Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 rounds

October 12 (Friday)

5pm PDT
Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 rounds

October 13 (Saturday)

10pm PDT
New Player's Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
You must have an overall rating of 1600 or less to play!
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 rounds

5pm PDT
"Highlander" Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck - Players may have only one of any card title in their deck
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 Rounds

October 14 (Sunday)

10am PDT
Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck
Missed your opportunity to receive a Marshall Sumner, Senior Military Officer (1T4) Promo card? Each player who participates in this event will receive a digital and physical copy.
4-3-3-3-1*-0
4 rounds

October 19 (Friday)

5pm PDT
Commons-Only Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck - Players may only use commons and starter cards
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 rounds

October 20 (Saturday)

10am PDT
New Player's Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
You must have an overall rating of 1600 or less to play!
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 rounds

5pm PDT
System Lords Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck - Players may only use cards from System Lords
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 Rounds

October 21 (Sunday)

10am PDT
"Dynamic Jack" Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck
Each participant will receive a digital Jack O'Neill, Dynamic Leader (1T1) Promo Card
4-3-3-3-1*-0
4 rounds

October 26 (Friday)

5pm PDT
"Highlander" Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck - Players may have only one of any card title in their deck
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 Rounds

October 27 (Saturday)

10am PDT
System Lords Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck - Players may only use cards from System Lords
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 Rounds

5pm PDT
Commons-Only Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck - Players may only use commons and starter cards
4/F-3/F-3-3-1*-0
4 rounds

October 28 (Sunday)

10am PDT
World Championship Online Qualifier
Entry Fee: Free
Format/Deck: Constructed Deck
1st Place: $250.00, a "Bye" into the 2008 World Championships and 2007 Online Championships, a 4-day badge for Gen Con Indy 2008, and a physical copy of their online winning deck.
2nd Place : $125.00, and a "Bye" into the Online Championships
3rd Place: $75.00
4th Place: $50.00
5th - 8th Place: 3 booster packs
Everyone Else: Receives one booster pack
Each player will receive a Marshall Sumner, Senior Military Officer (1T4) digital and physical promotional card.
6-8 rounds
For complete details, visit our Online World Championship Qualifier Rules.

Star Chamber Event Calendar October 2007

See the /time command in-game for PDT/server time.

Tournaments for October

October 5 (Friday)

5pm PDT
New Player's Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes, you must have an overall rating of 1600 or less to play!
Format/Deck: Standard Constructed Decks
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
1st: 6-3-3-3-2*
Winner receives a limited Mengrech, Right Hand of the Leader avatar
4 rounds

October 6 (Saturday)

10am PDT
Chamber Draft
Entry Fee: 2 Event Passes , 1 Maelstrom booster, 1 Descent Booster, 1 ATOK Booster
Format/Deck: Draft with 8 person max per queue. First come - first serve!
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
4-2-2-2-1*
3 Rounds

5pm PDT
Common Ground
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Commons-Only Constructed Decks
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
6-3-3-3-2*
4 Rounds

October 7 (Sunday)

10am PDT
Highlander
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Highlander, Your deck may only contain one of each card title
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
6-3-3-3-2*
4 rounds

October 12 (Friday)

5pm PDT
Construction Junction
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Standard Constructed Decks
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
6-3-3-3-2*
4 Rounds

October 13 (Saturday)

10am PDT
Unleash the Avenger – Constructed
Entry Fee: 10 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Standard Constructed Decks
Map: Random
Prize Pool: Random
10-9-8-7-3*
All participants receive an Avenger promo card (From the End of the Line Maelstrom campaign) and a Battle Readiness promo card.
4 to 7 Rounds

5pm PDT
Highlander
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Highlander, Your deck may only contain one of each card title
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
6-3-3-3-2*
4 rounds

October 14 (Sunday)

10am PDT
Chamber Draft
Entry Fee: 2 Event Passes , 1 Maelstrom booster, 1 Descent Booster, 1 ATOK Booster
Format/Deck: Draft with 8 person max per queue. First come - first serve!
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
4-2-2-2-1*
3 Rounds

October 19 (Friday)

5pm PDT
New Player's Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes, you must have an overall rating of 1600 or less to play!
Format/Deck: Standard Constructed Decks
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
1st: 6-3-3-3-2*
Winner receives a limited Mengrech, Right Hand of the Leader avatar
4 rounds

October 20-21 (Saturday/Sunday)

Draftmania Weekend!
For this weekend, the pack pools for all Harbinger Draft automated tournaments will be increased so that first place and last place receive a bonus pack! Entry fee into these tournaments are 2 Event Passes , 1 Atok booster, 1 Descent booster, & 1 Maelstrom booster. The queues will change at Midnight PDT on September 21st and run until Midnight PDT on September 23rd.

October 26 (Friday)

5pm PDT
New Player's Constructed Tournament
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes, you must have an overall rating of 1600 or less to play!
Format/Deck: Standard Constructed Decks
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
1st: 6-3-3-3-2*
Winner receives a limited Mengrech, Right Hand of the Leader avatar
4 rounds

October 27 (Saturday)

10am PDT
Highlander
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Highlander, Your deck may only contain one of each card title
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
6-3-3-3-2*
4 rounds

5pm PDT
Common Ground
Entry Fee: 5 Event Passes
Format/Deck: Commons-Only Constructed Decks
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
6-3-3-3-2*
4 Rounds

October 28 (Sunday)

10am PDT
Chamber Draft
Entry Fee: 2 Event Passes , 1 Maelstrom booster, 1 Descent Booster, 1 ATOK Booster
Format/Deck: Draft with 8 person max per queue. First come - first serve!
Map: Random
Pack Pool: Harbinger Block
4-2-2-2-1*
3 Rounds

Join us this Saturday and Sunday (October 13th – 14th) for the fourth weekend of major Legends of Norrath tournaments! We will be loading up the tournament queues again this weekend and would appreciate your help. We'll be giving out rewards to those that place well and some even for just participating. Please join us at the two following times this weekend!*

Saturday, October 13th
Legends of Norrath Constructed Stress Test Tournament
11:00 AM Pacific Time (server time)
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
Create your best deck using the cards in your collection and bring it to the tournament.
1st place wins a loot card of their choice!
2nd – 4th place will each receive 3 booster packs
5th – 16th place will each receive 1 booster pack
One random participant out of every ten participants who complete the tournament will also receive a Legends of Norrath booster pack.

Sunday, October 14th
Legends of Norrath Constructed Stress Test Tournament
11:00 AM Pacific Time (server time)
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
Create your best deck using the cards in your collection and bring it to the tournament.
1st place wins a loot card of their choice!
2nd – 4th place will each receive 3 booster packs
5th – 16th place will each receive 1 booster pack
One random participant out of every ten participants who complete the tournament will also receive a Legends of Norrath booster pack.

*You must be registered to play in tournaments. To do this you must purchase at least one booster pack or starter deck in the Legends of Norrath Store.

STAR WARS GALAXIES™ TRADING CARD GAME

OCTOBER LOOT BUNDLE PROMOTION AND TOURNAMENTS
OFFICIAL RULES

TEN (10) EVENT PASSES REQUIRED TO ENTER.

For ten (10) event passes, you will receive a Jan Dodonna (1P3) digital promotional card, a Ewok Vendor (1SWGP5) loot card, three (3) Champions of the Force booster packs, and entry into the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game October Loot Bundle Promotion and Tournaments to compete for additional Champions of the Force booster packs.

Participation constitutes entrant's full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules for the Sony Online Entertainment Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game, Champions of the Force (the “Game”) November Loot Bundle Promotion and Tournaments, sponsored by Sony Online Entertainment LLC, 8928 Terman Court, San Diego, CA 92121 (the “Sponsor”). Sponsor will conduct the tournament as multiple events (each, a Tournament, and collectively, the “Tournaments”), beginning at 7:00 a.m. PT on Saturday, October 25, 2008, and ending at 9:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, October 26, 2008. A Tournament will begin after thirty-two (32) players have joined the Tournament. Each Tournament consists of five (5) rounds.

Eligibility: The Tournaments are open only to natural persons who, for the duration of the Tournaments, are legal residents of a U.S. state (including the District of Columbia) in which participation in such tournaments is unrestricted by law. Rules governing sweepstakes, contests, and tournaments with entry fees and/or prizes are established by individual states. Based on these fifty (50) sets of laws, we cannot offer fee-based tournaments with prizes to residents of the states of Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee and Vermont, so the Tournaments are void in these states. The Tournaments are also void in Puerto Rico, Guam, all other U.S. and all foreign territories and possessions, and wherever prohibited or restricted by law. Only one entry per person per Tournament will be accepted, but a person may enter more than one Tournament. The Tournaments may only be entered from and in eligible jurisdictions. You must be eighteen (18) years of age or older at time of entry in order to participate. Employees (including their immediate family members and persons living in the same household), officers, directors, and agents of Sponsor, Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. and Lucasfilm Ltd., and their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies are not eligible to participate in the Tournaments. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply.

How to Enter: To enter, review the requirements posted here, download the Game application (available at http://starwarsgalaxies.station.son...radingcardgame/ and join the Tournaments at the applicable times designated on the Game’s events calendar website (located at http://starwarsgalaxies.station.son.../tournaments.vm). You must comply with the applicable End User License Agreement, Station Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and all Game rules, regulations, and policies. Entrants who do not comply with these requirements will be disqualified. Any attempt at entry except as above stated is void.

Determination of Winner: The Tournaments will be organized according to Standard Constructed Deck Swiss tournament format (e.g. each player plays each round; winners of each round are awarded three (3) points and losers of each round are awarded one (1) point). The eight (8) players with the highest number of points at the conclusion of the final round of each Tournament will be deemed the potential winners ranked from highest point total to lowest, subject to eligibility verification. If a winner is unable to comply with the terms contained herein, an alternate winner (e.g. the participant with the next highest number of total points) will be designated. (For explanations on official forms of Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game tournaments, visit our tournaments page at http://starwarsgalaxies.station.son.../tournaments.vm). The winners will be displayed (subject to Sponsor guidelines, standards, and practices, and in a manner and location determined by Sponsor in its discretion) on the http://station.sony.com website and/or any other SOE-related website in Sponsor's sole discretion.

Description of First Prize: One (1) first prize winner from each Tournament. First prize is four (4) Champions of the Force booster packs (US$2.99 per booster pack). Approximate retail value of first prize is US$11.96.

Description of Second Prize: One (1) second prize winner from each Tournament. Second prize is three (3) Champions of the Force booster packs (US$2.99 per booster pack). Approximate retail value of second prize is US$8.97.

Description of Third Prize: One (1) third prize winner from each Tournament. Third prize is two (2) Champions of the Force booster packs (US$2.99 per booster pack). Approximate retail value of third prize is US$5.98.

Description of Fourth Prize: Four (4) fourth prize winners from each Tournament. Fourth through eighth prize is one (1) Champions of the Force booster pack. Approximate retail value of each fourth prize is US$2.99.

General Limitations for all prizes: No alternative prize, cash, or other substitution is permitted except by Sponsor in the event of prize unavailability. Prizes are non-transferable. All federal, state, and local taxes are the sole responsibility of each winner. Based upon the criteria listed above, up to eight (8) prizes will be awarded per Tournament. Total approximate retail value of the prizes per Tournament if eight (8) prizes are awarded: US$38.87. The potential winners will be identified upon the conclusion of each Tournament. Each potential winner will have five (5) days from notification to accept the prize by e-mail or by U.S. mail to the address specified in the notification. Prizes will be delivered within approximately six (6) to eight (8) weeks of verification/confirmation of winners.

Requirements of Winner: Each winner may be required to sign and return releases of liability, declarations of eligibility, and where lawful, publicity consent agreements, within five (5) days of acknowledged notification. If a selected potential winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible (under these rules or due to a failure to comply with any of the other applicable policies, licenses, rules, and terms of service), or fails to timely return the completed and executed releases/agreements as required, potential winner status may be forfeited and an alternate potential winner may, at Sponsor’s discretion, be designated.

General Terms and Conditions: By participating in a Tournament, you are granting Sponsor and its licensors an irrevocable and fully sublicenseable right and license to publish, use, edit, copy, distribute, transmit, perform and display any or all of the details of your participation, including your player name, without further approval, without territorial, time, or other limitations, for any and all purposes, including, but not limited to, marketing, advertising, and promotional purposes. By participating in a Tournament, you agree that under no circumstances, including, but not limited to, negligence, shall Sponsor or its licensors, its and their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, agents, successors, and assigns (the “Released Parties”) be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out participation in a Tournament, even if any or all of the Released Parties have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, therefore such exclusions may not apply to you. By participating in a Tournament, you waive any and all rights to bring any claim or action related to your participation in any forum beyond one (1) year after the first occurrence of the kind of act, event, condition or omission upon which the claim or action is based. By entering, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which shall be final. Sponsor and its licensors reserve the right to disqualify any person that Sponsor determines to be in violation of any term contained in these Official Rules. Sponsor, its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, licensors, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies, and legal advisors, and the respective employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, and representatives of each, are not responsible for and shall not be liable for: (i) electronic, hardware or software program, network, Internet, or computer malfunctions, failures, interruptions or difficulties of any kind; (ii) failed, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions; (iii) any condition caused by events beyond the control of the Sponsor that may cause a Tournament to be disrupted or corrupted; (iv) any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising in connection with or as a result from participation in a Tournament or arising from your access to and use of the Internet site http:// station.sony.com (and all related websites of Sponsor), including without limitation, personal injury, death, and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy, to the extent permitted by law; or (v) any errors in any materials associated with a Tournament. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify a Tournament if any problem corrupts the administration, security, or operation of a Tournament, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of a Tournament or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of a Tournament may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Disputes: The Tournaments are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of California. As a condition of participating in a Tournament, you agree that any and all actions or proceedings related to a Tournament shall be exclusively brought in the County of San Diego, State of California (if under state law) or the Southern District of California (if under Federal law), and the parties agree not to raise in connection therewith, and hereby waive, any defenses based upon the venue, the inconvenience of the forum, the lack of personal jurisdiction, the sufficiency of service of process or the like in any such action or suit brought in the State of California.

Winner List and Official Rules: The winners will be displayed (subject to Sponsor guidelines, standards, and practices, and in a manner and location determined by Sponsor in its discretion) on the http://station.sony.com website and/or any other SOE-related website in Sponsor's sole discretion. To obtain a copy of the winner list or a copy of these Official Rules, send your request along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Attn: Marketing Department “Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game Champions of the Force October Loot Bundle Promotion and Tournaments,” Sony Online Entertainment LLC, 8928 Terman Court, San Diego, CA 92121. Requests must be received no later than January 31, 2009.

Neither Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. nor Lucasfilm Ltd. are sponsors of the Tournaments, or responsible for any obligations herein.

Oathbreaker Avatars
By Chuck Kallenbach

Now that we’ve increased the limit on your custom avatars due to popular demand, you’ll have lots of room to experiment with all the new avatar texts for Oathbreaker! We’re adding two new races to bring the total to 12 different races, 24 images and 36 kinds of game text! As we continue to add the player races from EverQuest and EverQuest II, the new ones are Froglok and Erudite.

At long last, the mighty Frogloks, striving to purge villainy and corruption from Norrath, are now available for you to use as avatars. One of the Froglok game texts helps you gain power, and another heals damage on a unit.

This one is designed to help your AvA (avatar-versus-avatar) deck designs. It’s easy to pack a deck with lots of ways to begin combat against an opposing avatar, but the problem comes with subsequent combats on the same turn. When both your avatars are exerted, the combat totals are tied and you both take damage. Here’s a way to boost your attack and make sure you’re dishing out damage without taking any.

You’ll also find as new avatar selections the magical Erudites, accumulating arcane knowledge and mystical power. The Erudite game texts have one that helps your questing decks and another that exerts opposing units.

The third text features a “Whirlwind Attack” kind of effect, with a couple of important differences. Of course, because the game text is on your avatar, it’s always available and reusable. Unlike the Fighter ability, you can’t choose whether you want to use it or not. You’ll have to develop a deck strategy that either doesn’t play any friendly units (like an aggressive quester), or plays units that you don’t mind destroying (like ones that get attack boosts when you play them).

With six new avatar texts in Oathbreaker, you’ll find lots of new possibilities to boost your current decks and maybe even find a few ideas for new ones!

"Flogrush"

After several top-16 finishes, Floggingmollyla finally put the pieces in place and broke through the competition to remain undefeated and win the 648-player event this past Sunday. Playing in what might be the final "Power Elf" tournament, he used this knowledge and an Ogre avatar text with lethal efficiency, the correct tech for the current tournament environment.

"The goal of this deck is to get Collecting Gnoll Bounty out quickly by finishing a quest. That's essential for easy avatar penetration with non-stop damage bonuses, which will constantly put the pressure on the opponent. I have chosen to run both Light and Shadow units -- despite their alignment, as they are quite symbiotic in play."

"So far, many of the Mage decks in this tournament environment use the 'Power Elf,' in which they would 'lag' quests in order to gain power. Instead of having potentially more power, my Ogre avatar's text is very important for my own units to breakthrough the next turn by having the liberty to quest where opposing units exist. The Ogre text seems to scare the opponent’s Igneous Adepts right back into their pocket."

"It's important for units to have high attack rather than relying too much on a card like Pierce. Adding cards like Furious Berserker and Orc Fanatic are good as they have Frenzy, and Thought Defiler gains attack for each of my own Light units. Truth Captain is praised for its text, but the 3 attack is most useful for me, I hardly ever discard cards to keep him alive. The main damage crew would be Igneous Adept and Giant Field Rat, and when Collecting Gnoll Bounty is in play, Thought Defiler becomes one as well."

"A great first turn would be playing Truth Captain and Giant Field Rat, inflicting two damage and having life to spare. With the absence of Pierce, seeing a third-turn victory is less likely. But with my avatar’s text, I am also not likely going to die on turn 2 or 3."

"Strategy does not differ too much from deck to deck I face, but it is very important to use all of my resources (avatar text, Slash, Shock of Fire, Orc Fanatic) to destroy opposing units on a side, in order to attack the opponent's avatar. Don't be afraid to use Roaring Flames while questing."

"Playing Mana Sieve early against an opponent who is questing can get them in trouble. This would be the chance to push through both sides with a raid next turn. Disable should generally be used to destroy persistent abilities such as a Fighter's Focus Rage and Resistant, a Scout's Lethal Resolve and Assail, or a Priest's preemptive Divine Aura and Tranquility."

"Slash is a very nifty card for getting rid of opposing units while questing, combined with avatar damage it is usually sufficient enough to clear a raid zone. If not, Orc Fanatic or Shock of Fire should do the trick. Also do not be shy about using Shock of Fire against a unit if it will allow your raid to potentially do more than one damage, as the card will let you quest and attack enemy units with your avatar next turn."

"I'd like to say that Legends of Norrath is a very fun and balanced game, no card in play goes unnoticed and will bite you back in the end if not dealt with. The stratagies are very open-ended, and the game has much potential with multiple raiding zones and avatar combat texts. Many times it becomes more intense than any PvP duel in EverQuest 2."

Draw Deck (51):
3x Furious Berserker 1U306
3x Giant Field Rat 1C308
4x Truth Captain 1C342
4x Orc Fanatic 1U329
3x Thought Defiler 1R340
3x Dwarven Soldier 1C297
4x Intensify 1C74
2x Disable 1U242
4x Shock of Fire 1C81
4x Reclaim 1C249
4x Roaring Flames 1C104
2x Steel Dagger 1C262
3x Igneous Adept 1C109
3x Sidestep 1C271
1x Wandering Spirit 1U348
2x Slash 1C272
2x Mana Sieve 1C102

Quests (4):
Note to Neclo 1U61
Collecting Gnoll Bounty 1U227
Seek the Adventurer's Stone 1U234
Spokes of Tarton's Wheel 1U64

Avatar (1):
Avatar Name: Bassogre
Attack: 1
Defense: 2
Health: 10
Race:Ogre
Game Text: Each time this avatar loses a combat against a unit, deal 1 damage to an opposing combatant.

Floggingmollyla’s character Dirge Rainsong -Semper Fi- Nagafen – riding his new Warg

Arge, the current number one rated player, defeated all opponents this past Saturday to win a 757-player event. The deck he used has peaked the curiosity of many, many players and Arge was kind enough to give some insight into his deck, why he chose certain cards, and what he was trying to accomplish in each game.

”Because of the different types of decks currently in tournament play (i.e. “fighter-Fiery Avenger”, scout or priest “Lockdown”), I choose mage because of the tactical advantages. Many decks have a tendency of doing 8+ damage per turn if they have the power to do so. A mage build allows me to have a card that can drain power (i.e. Mana Sieve) which is quite effective vs. the fighters and scouts. Also, many mage abilities can do direct damage which is extremely helpful in finishing off opponents or opening an avenue of attack for your units. Because mage is such a versatile archetype it was only a matter of putting the right cards together to form a successful deck.

”This deck’s layout is mostly creatures (40%) with abilities (34%) and tactics (26%). The deck was designed to be a “unit rush” to maximize damage through any means possible. It also has many ways of eliminating opposing units to raid the opponent’s avatar. A few of the effective cards at maximizing damage or eliminating opposing units are:

Decoy: This card has won so many games for me. Many people place a single unit at a quest and think they are safe. By moving that unit and allowing your units to attack the “safe” avatar you can inflict massive damage.
Roar of Flames: A card that adds +1 attack and +1 damage for a lowly cost of 1. This card can win games by itself.! It’s great for questing to clear multiple units at that quest. It’s also great to attack an exhausted avatar with a unit to get extra damage. This card has many uses.
Sacrifice: Most people get thrown off by this card and don’t use it because of needing to sacrifice a creature to play it. This card can make the opposing player waste tactics or can just kill them before they have a chance to place that dreaded Divine Aura.
Orc Fanatic: If you play this card right you can almost always kill two units with this guy!

”In the current tournament setting this deck can win against any deck. Sidesteps and Mana Sieve need to be saved for certain scenarios when faced against a fighter or scout - or you will lose. And Disable is almost required vs. a “Lockdown Priest” deck. When faced versus other mages you need to always be wary of the Igneous Adept that can pop up… ideal defense is just to keep creatures on both sides of the playing field.”

Arge’s winning deck from the 757-player tournament on 9/29

Draw Deck (50):
4x Shock of Fire 1C81
4x Roaring Flames 1C104
4x Igneous Adept 1C109
4x Thought Defiler 1R340
4x Gnoll Runner 1C313
2x Sacrifice 1C270
4x Sidestep 1C271
4x Gnoll Scout 1C314
4x Assault 1C237
3x Disable 1U242
4x Reclaim 1C249
3x Mana Sieve 1C102
4x Orc Fanatic 1U329
2x Decoy 1C241

Quests (4):
Spokes of Tarton's Wheel 1U64
Exterminate the Vermin 1U229
Gharin's Note 1U231
Collecting Gnoll Bounty 1U227

Avatar (1):
Avatar Name: Argeey
Attack: 1
Defense: 2
Health: 9
Race:Wood Elf
Game Text: At the beginning of your main phase, you get +1 power for each quest where you have at least one level token.

Arge -Valhalla- Oasis

"Vapor Trail"

Vapor broke the mold and carefully "teched" against the current tournament field -- rife with Mage rush decks -- to win a 547-player event this past Saturday. As the first major win for the Fighter avatar and questing deck, Vapor describes the thought processes involved with his strategy:

"After the previous test tournaments, and all of the talk during the week was about 'Power Elves' and swarm decks, I decided to give my quest deck one more chance. I replaced cards like Disable and added defensive cards under the assumption that there wouldn't be many quest decks at the tournament. None of my opponents were 'questers' so it worked out, and removing Disable meant the deck was back to its normal speed. For defense, I took the advice from the boards and added Holy Aura (which meant the difference in several games). Going with heavy defense and the Ogre avatar is a good counter to the swarm decks which many were playing. It also worked pretty well against the Sunstrike/Igneous Savant decks. That said, many of the games were close and there were some great decks running. I was down to 1 health left in 3 different games. Questing is all about taking the small damage and stopping the large damage bursts."

"Shield Slam makes the deck work. You can start a quest with Reclaim or Displace out on a quest with an enemy unit and play Shield Slam during the quest phase and apply that instead. This gets around 'Disable-happy' players somewhat. If you have a shield in play, you can also use it as you would an Outwit. The fact that it is the highest-level Hidden ability is why I use it in my deck, though. It might cost more than Forge Ahead, but it has more uses."

"The ideal starting hand is Reclaim, Forge Ahead or Bob and Weave, and Shield Slam. From that you can win in 5 turns every single time if your opponent doesn't complete a quest. The deck's design is based upon completing a quest when it is attempted. If it will take more than one attempt, it's usually better to hold abilities in your hand until you can one-shot the quest (especially early). Or use them to set up Shield Slam or used with defense care of Soul Shield."

"To get around Protectors, use Outwit or Shiny Brass Shield. The shield takes 2 power to use, but a permanent Outwit is worth it."

"Mutilate is like a 'boosted' Kick that can be used in defense. Most of the time they can be saved in your hand until you have two or three quests completed and you can take out all the Protectors in one shot (except Vigilant Dwarf which takes 2), as well as units like Fippy Darkpaw."

"For healing, I was only using Greaves of the Pious. I felt a lot safer when I had a Warlord's Breastplate and Drain of Blood in the deck. However, with the short nature of games, its hard to rely on those cards when you are the only player generating power. Throughout the 10 games of the tournament, only 2 of my opponents completed a quest. The rest sat on one level token at each quest for the power boost to due to the Wood Elf avatar. Countering this was easy, as I one-shot quests whenever possible, robbing them of that power. When you quest you are going to take a lot of damage. All you need to do is fend them off long enough to complete quests. Take the small damage when you can and save your defense cards for times you will take more than 1 damage."

"Overall this deck, or previous incarnations, is sitting at a 56-5 record for me. (It has lost to two quest decks and 3 avatar-killer decks.) The hardest matchup I have seen is the avatar vs. avatar decks. When I saw Lint was playing one in the final match, I was pretty nervous."

"Comments on the tournament: I was Disabled about 16 times throughout the 10 games of the tournament. In one game, someone used Disable on my two abilities that were out in the same turn. While it did make the game go longer, the fact that none of those were Priest quest decks that could play Disable every turn meant it was only an annoyance. The longest game I had was completed on round 17. (I was hit with Disable three times in the first three turns.) I had four games that could have gone either way, and went down to either someone forgetting to do something or not drawing a Sunstrike or Shock of Fire, or playing a Disable. If I had less than 10 health or if I redrew my hand I would have lost 5 games. Seven to nine health doesn't really cut it for questing."

"I had a lot of fun, and was glad a quest deck could place well. I think a lot of it had to do with the decks that were played today. A Fighter quest deck with the Ogre text is a pretty good counter to a swarm deck using the Wood Elf power avatar."

Draw Deck (50):
2x Bob and Weave 1C13
1x Sap Strength 1U25
4x Shield Slam 1R27
2x Foolhardy 1R244
4x Forge Ahead 1U245
4x Reclaim 1C249
3x Mutilate 1C53
2x Soul Shield 1U55
3x Wind Walk 1C56
3x Outwit 1C267
1x Greaves of the Pious 1U36
1x Shiny Brass Shield 1U43
2x Flowing Black Silk Sash 1R258
1x Journeyman's Boots 1R259
1x Steel Dagger 1C262
2x Hoard Hound 1U320
4x Gnoll Soothsayer 1R316
1x Switch 1P2
2x Displace 1R243
2x Sidestep 1C271
3x Holy Aura 1C50
2x Dwarven Sentry 1C296

Quests (4):
1U7     Slayer of Gnolls
1U230   Find the Frozen Crystal
1U232   Recovering Ivan's Remains
1U234   Seek the Adventurer's Stone

Avatar (1):
Avatar Name: asdfcv
Attack: 2
Defense: 1
Health: 10
Race:Ogre
Game Text: Each time this avatar loses a combat against a unit, deal 1 damage to an opposing combatant.

I'm in the Innoruuk lobby hosting matches if any of you want to come beat up on me.

Competing at the top level in both EverQuest and Legends of Norrath, Wiznut is truly a master player. He bested a field of 752 players this past Sunday, including a head-to-head match with the top rated player in the world! After his victory he agreed to share with you the strategy behind his winning deck.

"The main premise behind my tournament deck is to kill off the opposing avatar with creature zerg. This is best done with either 0 quests or 1 completed at the most. It is not uncommon to get 2-3 round kills with this deck."

"The ideal draw on this deck consists of a Reclaim, Intensify, Igneous Adept, Terror Wraith, Thought Defiler, and a Pierce. Whether I get the first turn or not, I will play the Reclaim and Intensify to get 2 abilities out and have 3 power to spend still. This guarantees me 4 power on the next turn, and 6 power on the third (baring Disables)."

”If I do not draw Reclaim and Intensify, I will either play Igneous Adept with a Pierce for 4 damage first turn, or a Thought Defiler unexerted to build up a defense on one side of the board. My goal within the first couple turns is to have all of my creatures that I play live through each round, unless I see the possibility of 2- or 3-rounding an opponent."

”Within the main strategy there are multiple, simple combos built in. Dealing Orc Fanatic damage to Gnoll Soothsayer in order to draw a card, continually exerting Depart to attack twice every turn for 3 initial power, etc. All the cards included in this build are meant to work with one another; no single card is the beat all. Such as 3 Fallen Chieftan, and a Thought Defiler played to the Collecting Gnoll Bounty quest, yield a 5 damage bonus Thought Defiler!"

”Although for its strengths, this deck does have weakness. The Wood Elf avatar has an extremely weak defense and can fall easily to a well built avatar assault deck. A well built defensive deck that can buy time to build up power while taking away my level tokens at quests can be equally difficult to overcome."

”I’d just like to add that my experience in Legends of Norrath tournaments have been some of the most exciting days I’ve spent in EverQuest. Between raiding with my guild, Final Horizon on one screen (and beating Beltron for a Stromm first!), and being on the edge of my seat over which card my opponent is going to play next on my other screen, I can’t say my heart has ever beat so hard!”

Wiznut’s winning deck from the 752-player tournament on 9/30

Draw Deck (50):
4x Fallen Orc 1C304
2x Sunstrike 1R85
2x Roaring Flames 1C104
4x Pierce 1C268
2x Sidestep 1C271
2x Gnoll Scout 1C314
3x Fallen Chieftain 1R303
2x Terror Wraith 1U339
1x Orcish Swordmaster 1U332
4x Igneous Adept 1C109
3x Shock of Fire 1C81
4x Reclaim 1C249
1x Steel Dagger 1C262
2x Sacrifice 1C270
2x Orc Fanatic 1U329
1x Depart 1R68
4x Intensify 1C74
1x Sunder 1U274
3x Thought Defiler 1R340
1x Rotting Ghoul 1R335
2x Gnoll Soothsayer 1R316

Quests (4):
Gharin's Note 1U231
Seek the Adventurer's Stone 1U234
Beware of Ogres 1U226
Collecting Gnoll Bounty 1U227

Avatar (1):
Avatar Name: Wiznut7
Attack: 1
Defense: 2
Health: 9
Race:Wood Elf
Game Text: At the beginning of your main phase, you get +1 power for each quest where you have at least one level token.

Wiznut Lagg -Final Horizon- Stromm – Riding his new Chimera mount he won!

In order to play Legends of Norrath outside of EQ and EQ2 you will need the Stand Alone Client, which will not be available till Sept 12th.

It's Talk like a Pirate Day! YAR Matey's! The community team found a fun little translator... Tell us a pirate story by using the translator:

http://nifty.stanford.edu/2004/Talk...te/pirate2.html

NO FEE REQUIRED TO ENTER.

Participation constitutes entrant's full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules for the Sony Online Entertainment Legends of Norrath (the “Game”) Premier Event (the “Tournament”), sponsored by Sony Online Entertainment LLC, 8928 Terman Court, San Diego, CA 92121 (the “Sponsor”). The Tournament will begin on November 1, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. PDT. If the Tournament is not completed by 12:00 a.m. PDT on November 2, 2008, as determined by Sponsor, the Tournament is cancelled, and no prizes will be awarded. The Tournament is limited to 256 entrants.

Eligibility: The Tournament is open only to natural persons who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia) for the duration of the Tournament. Void in Puerto Rico, Guam, all other U.S. and all foreign territories and possessions, and wherever prohibited or restricted by law. Only one entry per person per Tournament will be accepted. The Tournament may only be entered from and in eligible jurisdictions. You must be eighteen (18) years of age or older at time of entry in order to participate. Employees, officers, directors, and agents of Sponsor, its parent company, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies, their immediate family members and persons living in the same household, are not eligible to participate in the Tournament. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply.

How to Enter: To enter, review the requirements posted here, download the Game application (available at http://legendsofnorrath.station.sony.com/ and join the Tournament at the applicable time designated on the Game’s events calendar website (located at http://legendsofnorrath.station.son.../tournaments.vm). You must comply with the applicable End User License Agreement, Station Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and all Game rules, regulations, and policies. Entrants who do not comply with these requirements will be disqualified. Any attempt at entry except as above stated is void.

Determination of Winner: The Tournament will be organized according to Standard Constructed Deck Swiss tournament format (e.g. each player plays each round; winners of each round are awarded three (3) points and losers of each round are awarded one (1) point). The sixteen (16) players with the highest number of points at the conclusion of the final round of the Tournament will be deemed the potential winners, subject to eligibility verification. If a winner is unable to comply with the terms contained herein, an alternate winner (e.g. the participant with the next highest number of total points) will be designated. (For explanations on official forms of Legends of Norrath tournaments, visit our tournaments page at http://legendsofnorrath.station.son.../tournaments.vm). The winners will be displayed (subject to Sponsor guidelines, standards, and practices, and in a manner and location determined by Sponsor in its discretion) on the http://station.sony.com website and/or any other SOE-related website in Sponsor's sole discretion.

Description of First Prize: One (1) first prize winner. First prize is one (1) 46" Sony Bravia V-Series LCD Flat Panel HDTV. Approximate retail value of first prize is US$1799.99.

Description of Second Prize: One (1) second prize winner. Second prize is Two Hundred Dollars (US$200.00).

Description of Third Prize: One (1) third prize winner. Third prize is One Hundred Dollars (US$100.00) and fourteen (14) Legends of Norrath Ethernauts booster packs (US$2.99 per booster pack). Approximate retail value of third prize is US$141.86.

Description of Fourth Prize: One (1) fourth prize winner. Fourth prize is One Hundred Dollars (US$100.00) and ten (10) Legends of Norrath Ethernauts booster packs (US$2.99 per booster pack). Approximate retail value of fourth prize is US$129.90.

Description of Fifth Prize: Four (4) fifth prize winners. Fifth prize is Fifty Dollars (US$50.00) and two (2) Legends of Norrath Ethernauts booster packs (US$2.99 per booster pack). Approximate retail value of each fifth prize is US$55.98.

Description of Sixth Prize: Eight (8) sixth prize winners. Sixth prize is two (2) Legends of Norrath Ethernauts booster packs (US$2.99 per booster pack). Approximate retail value of sixth prize is US$5.98.

General Limitations for all prizes: No alternative prize, cash, or other substitution is permitted except by Sponsor in the event of prize unavailability. Prizes are non-transferable. All federal, state, and local taxes are the sole responsibility of each winner. Based upon the criteria listed above, sixteen (16) prizes will be awarded. Total approximate retail value of the prizes awarded: US$2,543.51. The potential winners will be identified upon conclusion of the conclusion of each Tournament. Each potential winner will have five (5) days from notification to accept the prize by e-mail or by U.S. mail to the address specified in the notification. Prizes will be delivered within approximately six (6) to eight (8) weeks of verification/confirmation of winners.

Requirements of Winner: Each winner may be required to sign and return releases of liability, declarations of eligibility, and where lawful, publicity consent agreements, within five (5) days of acknowledged notification. If a selected potential winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible (under these rules or due to a failure to comply with any of the other applicable policies, licenses, rules, and terms of service), or fails to timely return the completed and executed releases/agreements as required, potential winner status may be forfeited and an alternate potential winner may, at Sponsor’s discretion, be designated.

General Terms and Conditions: By participating in a Tournament, you are granting Sponsor and its licensors an irrevocable and fully sublicenseable right and license to publish, use, edit, copy, distribute, transmit, perform and display any or all of the details of your participation, including your player name, without further approval, without territorial, time, or other limitations, for any and all purposes, including, but not limited to, marketing, advertising, and promotional purposes. By participating in a Tournament, you agree that under no circumstances, including, but not limited to, negligence, shall Sponsor or its licensors, its and their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, agents, successors, and assigns (the “Released Parties”) be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out participation in a Tournament, even if any or all of the Released Parties have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, therefore such exclusions may not apply to you. By participating in a Tournament, you waive any and all rights to bring any claim or action related to your participation in any forum beyond one (1) year after the first occurrence of the kind of act, event, condition or omission upon which the claim or action is based. By entering, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which shall be final. Sponsor and its licensors reserve the right to disqualify any person that Sponsor determines to be in violation of any term contained in these Official Rules. Sponsor, its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, licensors, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies, and legal advisors, and the respective employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, and representatives of each, are not responsible for and shall not be liable for: (i) electronic, hardware or software program, network, Internet, or computer malfunctions, failures, interruptions or difficulties of any kind; (ii) failed, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions; (iii) any condition caused by events beyond the control of the Sponsor that may cause a Tournament to be disrupted or corrupted; (iv) any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising in connection with or as a result from participation in a Tournament or arising from your access to and use of the Internet site http:// station.sony.com (and all related websites of Sponsor), including without limitation, personal injury, death, and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy, to the extent permitted by law; or (v) any errors in any materials associated with a Tournament. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify a Tournament if any problem corrupts the administration, security, or operation of a Tournament, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of a Tournament or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of a Tournament may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Disputes: The Tournament is governed by the laws of the United States and the State of California. As a condition of participating in a Tournament, you agree that any and all actions or proceedings related to a Tournament shall be exclusively brought in the County of San Diego, State of California (if under state law) or the Southern District of California (if under Federal law), and the parties agree not to raise in connection therewith, and hereby waive, any defenses based upon the venue, the inconvenience of the forum, the lack of personal jurisdiction, the sufficiency of service of process or the like in any such action or suit brought in the State of California.

Winner List and Official Rules: The winners will be displayed (subject to Sponsor guidelines, standards, and practices, and in a manner and location determined by Sponsor in its discretion) on the http://station.sony.com website and/or any other SOE-related website in Sponsor's sole discretion. To obtain a copy of the winner list or a copy of these Official Rules, send your request along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Attn: Marketing Department “Legends of Norrath Premier Event,” Sony Online Entertainment LLC, 8928 Terman Court, San Diego, CA 92121. Requests must be received no later than January 31, 2009.

It's Talk like a Pirate Day! YAR Matey's! The community team found a fun little translator... Tell us a pirate story by using the translator:

http://nifty.stanford.edu/2004/Talk...te/pirate2.html

It's Talk like a Pirate Day! YAR Matey's! The community team found a fun little translator... Tell us a pirate story by using the translator:

http://nifty.stanford.edu/2004/Talk...te/pirate2.html

Hello Everyone,

As most of you know I have been filling in as the temporary Strategy Games Community Relations Manager until your new Community Manager could start up in Denver. Lucky for you that day has arrived, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Minerva as your new Community Relations Manager.

Minerva's background includes thirteen years in the online gaming business, experience playing table top card games and we are very lucky to have her.

Please join me in welcoming her to our Strategy Game family.

Hello Everyone,

As most of you know I have been filling in as the temporary Strategy Games Community Relations Manager until your new Community Manager could start up in Denver. Lucky for you that day has arrived, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Minerva as your new Community Relations Manager.

Minerva's background includes thirteen years in the online gaming business, experience playing table top card games and we are very lucky to have her.

Please join me in welcoming her to our Strategy Game family.

Hello Everyone,

As most of you know I have been filling in as the temporary Strategy Games Community Relations Manager until your new Community Manager could start up in Denver. Lucky for you that day has arrived, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Minerva as your new Community Relations Manager.

Minerva's background includes thirteen years in the online gaming business, experience playing table top card games and we are very lucky to have her.

Please join me in welcoming her to our Strategy Game family.

As part of the grand prize for each monthly Legends of NorrathTM Championship Qualifier, the winner will be immortalized with their likeness on an upcoming Legends of Norrath card. The likenesses of three winning players, Lacein, Fatchoy, and Quaker, will be showing up on Oathbreaker cards on June 19th.

Lacein - February Legends of Norrath Championship Qualifier Winner:

Fatchoy - March Legends of Norrath Championship Qualifier Winner (Fatchoy instead wanted his EverQuest character from the guild <Debeo Amicitia> pictured on his card):

Quaker - April Legends of Norrath Championship Qualifier Winner:

Would you like to become a true denizen of Norrath? Get your Legends of Norrath deck together and play in the next monthly championship event this Saturday, June 14, 2008!!

Congratulations to Lacein, Fatchoy and Quaker, we'll see you at the Championships at Gen Con Indy this August!