DREAMBLADE® FLOOR RULES

Effective 8/10/2006

Introduction

The Dreamblade(tm) DCI(r) Floor Rules work in conjunction with the DCI Universal Tournament Rules (UTR), the Dreamblade Penalty Guidelines, and the Dreamblade game rules. Current versions of the UTR and the Penalty Guidelines can be found at thedci.com/docs. Players, spectators, and tournament officials must abide by the rules in these documents while involved with DCI-sanctioned Dreamblade tournaments. Individuals who violate provisions of these documents will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

See Appendix A for a list of the changes from previous versions of this document.

See Appendix B of the DCI Universal Tournament Rules for definitions of terms in this document.

This document is updated regularly. Please visit thedci.com for the most current version.

100.GENERAL DREAMBLADE MINIATURES TOURNAMENT RULES

110.FORMATS

The DCI sanctions the following formats for Dreamblade tournaments:

Constructed

  • Constructed

Limited Formats

  • Sealed-Box
  • Draft

120.DREAMBLADE DCI RATINGS

The DCI provides one single rating category for each player, calculated from that player’s totalDreamblade tournament performances; this is known as a player’s Dreamblade DCI Rating. All games played under the following formats shape a player’sDreambladeDCI rating:

  • Constructed
  • Limited (includes all Sealed-Box and Draft event matches)

121.Dreamblade DCI Ratings (Explained)

Dreamblade DCI rating points are awarded to players based on:

  • Individual match results from DCI-sanctioned Dreamblade tournaments
  • Finishes at certain Premier Events.

The sum total of all points received in a tournament season constitutes a player’s Dreamblade DCI Rating.

DCI Rating Points from Sanctioned Tournaments

Players receive DCI rating points for each match played in DCI-sanctioned Dreamblade tournaments as follows:

Match Result / DCI Rating
Points
Win / 2
Loss / 1
Draw / 1
Bye / 2

Players also receive bonus rating points for their finishes at certain Premier Events. Please see the Dreamblade Premier Event Invitation Policy for details.The Dreamblade Premier Event Invitation Policy can be found at

Player’s DCI Dreamblade ratings can be viewed online at

130. New Releases:

Dreamblade miniatures can be used in DCI-sanctioned Constructed tournaments two weeks after the release date of the expansion they appear in.

Dreamblade miniatures can be used in DCI-sanctioned Limited tournaments the same day the expansion that they appear in is officially released by Wizards of the Coast.

The following Dreamblade sets are scheduled for release during 2006and 2007. They become tournament legal for DCI-sanctioned tournaments on the dates listed:

(*Note: dates are tentative and subject to change)

Set Name: / Limited Formats: / Constructed Formats:
Base Set / August 9, 2006 / August 23, 2006
Set 2 / October 27, 2006 / November 10, 2006
Set 3 / January 19, 2007 / February 2, 2007
Set 4 / April 20, 2007 / May 4, 2007
Set 5 / July 27, 2007 / August 10, 2007
Set 6 / October 19, 2007 / November 2, 2007

200.AUTHORIZED GAME MATERIALS

210.Necessary Tournament Materials:

Each player must have the following items to participate:

  • A tournament-legal dreamscape battle map
  • No less than 8 Dreamblade battle dice.
  • No less than 1 standard six-sided die. These die must not be especially large or small, or weighted.
  • Tokens or pen and paper for tracking damage, victory points, and other effects.
  • A Dreamblade warband consisting of no more than 16 miniatures (for Constructed events).

220.Dice

Battle dice can either be official Dreamblade dice produced by Wizards of the Coast, or Dice approved by the DCI for the Dreamblade game.

230.Miniatures

All Dreamblade miniatures released by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. are legal for DCI-Sanctioned tournament play.

231.Conversions:

Conversions (customization of a miniature’s physical appearance) are allowed in Dreamblade DCI-sanctioned tournaments, but must adhere to the following rules:

  • The originalminiature (the miniature being converted) must be a Dreamblademiniature.
  • Miniatures must remain easily identifiable. A player must be able to tell what each miniature is at first glance on the dreamscape battle map.
  • Miniatures must remain attached to their original bases.
  • All decisions relating to a miniature being easily identifiable will be made by the event’s head judge.

232.Repaints:

Repaints (customization of a miniature’s original colors) are allowed in Dreamblade DCI-sanctioned tournaments, but must adhere to the following rules:

  • The originalminiature (the miniature being repainted) must be a Dreamblade miniature.
  • Miniatures must remain easily identifiable. A player must be able to tell what each miniature is at first glance on the dreamscape battle map.
  • The original aspect color of the miniature’s base cannot be changed, and must be easily identifiable to all players.
  • All decisions relating to a miniature being easily identifiable will be made by the event’s Head Judge.

240.Dreamscape Battle Maps:

All Dreamblade dreamscape battle maps released by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., or battle maps approved by the DCI for the Dreamblade game are legal for tournament play.

All Dreamblade dreamscape battle maps produced by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. are legal for use in DCI-sanctioned tournaments as soon as they go on general sale.

300.DREAMBLADE TOURNAMENT MECHANICS

310.Participation Minimums:

A minimum of four people must participate in a Dreamblade DCI-sanctioned event. If this minimum is not met, the event is no longer considered DCI-sanctioned, and will not be included in DCI ratings. If participation minimums are not met for any DCI-sanctioned event, the tournament organizer must report the event as cancelled.

320.Match Structure

Dreamblade matches consist of one game per match.

321.Playoffs

If a tournament organizer chooses, he or she may run single-elimination final rounds as best two games out of three. This choice must be announced before the tournament begins. The DCI recommends that all Dreamblade tournament playoffs consist of the top four tournament players of that particular event.Match results, not individual game results, are reported to the DCI for the purpose of inclusion in worldwide ratings and rankings.

330. Draws

Draws are worth zero points in all Dreamblade Tournament Formats.

Intentional Draws

Players may mutually agree to accept an intentional draw at any time before the match or game result of a Swiss round is submitted. Declaring an intentional draw has the same results for competitors as playing to a draw.

Unfinished Games

The DCI understands that games may naturally end in a draw (i.e. a tie) when playing in a structured tournament environment. Because of that reason, the DCI has created a detailed procedure for handling tiebreakers in a Dreamblade tournament. For a full description of the end-of-match procedure please see section 420.

340. Match Time Limits

The required minimum time limit for any Dreambladematch is 40 minutes.Fifty minutes are recommended for each tournament round of a Dreamblade tournament.

Warband-Construction Time limits (Limited Formats)

Twenty minutes are recommended for the warband-construction portion of all Limited Dreambladetournaments.(Note: The Limited formats are Sealed-Boxand Draft.)

350. Warband Registration

The head judge or tournament organizer may require players to register their warbands upon arrival at a tournament. Registration records the composition of each warband. Once a tournament official receives a player's warband registration list, the warband may not be altered. Failure to properly register a warband will result in the head judge applying the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

400. DREAMBLADE TOURNAMENT PROCEEDURES

410.Pregame Procedures

Players are given 3 minutes to complete all of the following pregame procedures.

Decide upon a Battle Map:

The two players must decide which player’s dreamscape battle map will be used for the current round. Rolling a dice is the recommended procedure to determine who chooses which dreamscape battle map will be used.

Arrange Miniatures:

Players are required to keep the miniatures in their reserves zone easily identifiable and in full view of all players. (Note: The DCI recommends that players arrange the miniatures in their reserves zone into a line by cost, from, lowest to highest.)

Miniature Facing:

Players must agree on miniature facing directions. (See section 440 for additional information about miniature facing requirements)

Warband Inspection:

After each player has clearly organized his or her miniatures in their reserve zone, players are then allowed to perform the pregame miniature inspection of their opponent’s Dreamblade warband. During this inspection period, players are allowed to do the following:

  • Read a miniature’s base text.
  • Confirm a miniature’s identity.

420.End-of-Match Procedures

Determining a Winner

If the match time limit is reached before a winner is determined, players must finish the current round of the game to determine a match winner. If no player has clearly won the game after finishing this round, the player that has earned the most victory points for the match is considered to be the winner.

Handling Ties (Swiss Events)

If both players have the same amount of victory points at the end of the final round when time is called, follow the procedure listed below to determine the match’s outcome.

  1. Play one additional round. At the end of this round, the player with the most victory points is the winner. (Note: if victory points are still tied, go to step 2.)
  2. Players add up the spawn costs of all their miniatures currently in the dreamscape zone. The player whose miniatures in the dreamscape zone have the highest total spawn cost is the winner.(Note: if both player’s spawn-point totals are tied, go to step 3.)
  3. The game is considered a draw.

Handling Ties (Single-Elimination Events)

If both players are have the same amount of victory points at the end of the final round when time is called in a single-elimination event using a match time limit, follow the procedure listed below to determine the match’s outcome.

  1. Play one additional round. At the end of this round, the player with the most victory points is the winner. (Note: if victory points are still tied, go to step 2.)
  2. Players add up the spawn costs of all their miniatures currently in the dreamscape zone. The player whose miniatures in the dreamscape zone have the highest total spawn cost is the winner. (Note: if both player’s spawn-point totals are tied, go to step 3)
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until a winner is determined.

Time Extensions

If a judge assigned a time extension to the match, the end-of-match procedure does not begin until the end of the time extension.

430. Special Initiative Phase Rule for Tournaments

Skipping Spawn Phases:If either player rolled a 1 during the previous turn’s Initiative Phase, re-roll all 1’s rolled during the current turn’s Initiative phase.

(Example: On the previous turn Scott and Andy skipped the Spawn Phase. During their current Initiative Phase, Scott rolls a 1 and Andy rolls a 4. Since they skipped their last spawn phase, Scott re-rolls his result of 1, and ends up rolling a 3. Scott and Andy then proceed to complete their Spawn Phase spawning miniatures normally this turn, and have 7 spawn points to spend)

440.Miniature Facing Requirements

Players must agree upon a unique direction for their miniatures to face during the current match. Both players’ miniatures cannot face the same direction during a match. A player’s miniatures are required to always face the agreed upon direction while in the dreamscape zone. (Example: Victor and Colleen are opponents for the current round of a Dreamblade miniatures event. While performing their pregame procedures, Victor asks Colleen if it’s okay that his miniatures face to the East during the match. Colleen accepts and then decides to face her miniatures to the West. As a result, both player’s warbands are facing different directions and are easily identified as different warbands.)

450.Picking up Miniatures in the Dreamscape Zone

During a match, players may need to pick up miniatures that are in play to either Shift them or look at the rules text on the bottom of their bases; players may only pick up one miniature at a time when doing so.

460.Shifting Dreamblade Miniatures

Both players are responsible for tracking which miniatures have shifted during any shift action (yours and your opponent’s).

Note: To help prevent confusion when moving miniatures during a shift action, the DCI recommends the following procedure:

Once a player has announced that he or she will be performing a shift for his or her current action phase, that player may begin shifting their miniatures in the dreamscape zone. To do this, and to help prevent confusion during a complicated shifting phase, players should put each miniature to be moved a quarter of the way into the cell that it is moving into, so that three quarters of the miniature is still in the cell it was moving from. This process should be repeated for each miniature moving during that shift action. Once the player has indicated in this way each miniature that he or she wants to move during that shift action, he or he should then move those miniatures completely into their new cells to complete the action.

470. Striking

When a player has announced that he or she will be performing a strike for his or her current action phase, that player chooses a cell and then which miniatures in that cell will be attacking. If a player fails to announce which miniatures are attacking in that cell, it is assumed that all the miniatures in that cell will be attacking.

(Example: Bryan announces that she will be performing a strike for her current action phase. She has four miniatures in the first cell that she wants to attack in, but only wants to attack with three of them. Bryan announces which three miniatures she will be attacking with before she rolls the dice so that her opponent is clearly aware of which miniatures are actually involved in the current combat.)

480. Handling Destroyed Miniatures

Destroyed miniatures must be in an area clearly separate from the reserves zone, and must be easily identifiable to all players. All players are responsible for tracking bonus spawn points awarded for destroyed miniatures.

490.Dice Rolling

Random Rolls

Rolling dice is strictly a means of obtaining random numbers; any other use violates the rules and the spirit of the Dreamblade game. A legal roll consists of shaking the dice vigorously and then simultaneously tossing them out at a discernible height above the dreamscape battle map, allowing them to bounce and roll freely.

Valid Rolls

All rolled dice must come to rest flat (not cocked) on the playing surface; otherwise they must be rerolled. All decisions relating to whether or not dice are cocked will be made by the event’s head judge.

Rolling the Correct Number

If a player needs to roll more dice than are available, that player rolls as many dice as are currently available, tracks the results, and then rerolls dice until the correct number of dice have been rolled for the current attack.

Dice Rolling off the Table

Any dice that fall off of the playing surface are considered to be invalid rolls, and must be rerolled.

(Example: Victor rolls 12 dice during an attack, and 3 of the 12 dice accidentally fall onto the floor. Victor must pick up the 3 dice that fell onto the floor and reroll them to complete his attack.)

500.RULES FOR CONSTRUCTED TOURNAMENTS

510.Warband Construction

When creating Constructed warbands, players must follow the warband rules as described in the Dreamblade Rulebook.

600.RULES FOR LIMITED TOURNAMENTS

610.Limited Warband Construction

When creating Limited warbands, players are limited to no more that sixteen miniatures, but are not restricted by the three-copy limit rule.

There are two types of Limited tournaments: Sealed Box or Booster Draft.

620.Rules for Sealed Box

Once players are seated, tournament officials provide each player with

  • One Starter Set and one Booster Pack, or
  • Three Booster Packs

For example, if a player receives a Base Set Starter and a Base Set Booster Pack; all players must receive a Base Set Starter and a Base Set Booster Pack.

630. Rules for Booster-Pack Draft Tournaments

Players are seated randomly in drafting circles, called pods, of roughly equal size. Pods may not contain less than three or more than five players, and tournament officials must maximize the number of four-person pods. For example, if nine players are registered for a draft tournament, they should be seated in two pods: one with four players and one with five, not three pods of three people.

A tournament official then distributes three new Booster Packs to each player. Each player must receive same product. For example, if one player receives two Base Set Booster Packs and one Set 2 Booster Pack; all players must receive two Base Set Booster Packs and one Set 2 Booster Pack.