Oktoberfest 2021
Event Overview
Day 1 - Group Stage
Date: October 23rd.
Duration: 11:00 AM EDT to 7:00 PM EDT (Time Zone Conversion).
Round Length: 75 minutes.
Tournament Structure: Fluid Rounds. (FAQ at bottom)
Platform: Cockatrice. (FAQ at bottom)
Day 2 - Playoffs
Date: October 24th.
Duration: 11:00 AM EDT to 5:00 PM EDT (Time Zone Conversion).
Round Length: Untimed.
Tournament Structure: Top-64 Single Elimination.
Platform: Cockatrice. (FAQ at bottom)
Both days will be streamed live on Monarch's Twitch starting at 10 AM EDT for the Pregame Show.
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Rules and Policy
Prizes
The following prize distribution will be used for Oktoberfest:
1st place - LP Revised Plateau & $100 USD via PayPal
2nd through 4th place - $100 USD via PayPal
Additional prizes TBD
Player Timeliness and Group Stage
All players are expected to attend the Players Meeting at 10:30 AM EDT on Saturday, October 23rd.
From 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM, players will be able to "!lfg" for a game. This will add players to the queue, and pair them at the next available opportunity. During the eight hour group stage, you will be allowed to play any number of games. (FAQ below)
Fluid rounds allow players to take breaks when it best suits them. Thus, there are no fixed rounds you must be present for. Once you have queued for a game, we expect you to attend that game. It is possible to use the !leave-lfg command if you type !lfg by accident, but the bot may find a match for you too quickly to leave the queue. Players may be dropped from the tournament if they miss a match they have queued for.
To qualify for Day 2 (Playoffs), you must play at least five games, and no more than seven games in the group stage.
Decks
Players will be allowed to submit two decks to use in Day 1 of Oktoberfest. Players may choose either deck before each game. All players decide their decks at the same time before beginning the game.
Players who make the playoffs will "lock in" a deck to be used for Day 2 before 9 PM (EDT) on October 23rd. A Google Form will be published allowing qualified players to complete this action efficiently. The chosen deck is the only one allowed to be used for Day 2.
Day 2 matches are open decklist.
These will be provided ASAP following the 9 PM deadline.
Scoring and Standings
The following scoring will be used for the Group Stage (Day 1)
Win: +3 points.
Draw: +0.5 points.
Loss: -1 point.
Byes cannot occur during fluid rounds.
When Day 1 is complete, the top 60 players qualify for Day 2 of Oktoberfest. The remaining four slots have been issued to the winners of Monarch's Summer Event, Summer Bloom. If a player who qualified for Day 2 is unable or unwilling to arrive to Day 2, they will be dropped from the tournament and the next highest ranked player will take their place. As a courtesy to players who have studied their opponent's decklists, any change in the seed order will result in an 15 minute review period of decklists before the group stage begins.
Players will be scored based on the following scoring methods and tiebreaks during the Group Stage.
Points
Win Percentage
Opponent's Win Percentage
Day 2 Bracket
Quarterfinals:
The top 64 players will be seeded into their pods as follows:
Pod 1: Seed 1, 32, 33, and 64.
Pod 2: Seed 2, 31, 34, and 63.
Pod 3: Seed 3, 30, 35, and 62.
Pod 4: Seed 4, 29, 36, and 61.
Repeat through Pod 16.
Players will be seated in clockwise order, beginning with the highest group stage seed and ending with the lowest seed.
The highest seed will play first.
Semifinals:
The top 16 players will be seeded into their pods as follows:
Semifinal 1: Pod 1, Pod 8, Pod 9, Pod 16.
Semifinal 2: Pod 2, Pod 7, Pod 10, Pod 15.
Semifinal 3: Pod 3, Pod 6, Pod 11, Pod 14.
Semifinal 4: Pod 4, Pod 5, Pod 12, Pod 13.
Players will be seated in clockwise order, beginning with the highest group stage seed and ending with the lowest seed.
The highest seed will play first.
Grand Finals:
The four semifinal winners will be seated in clockwise order, beginning with the highest group stage seed and ending with the lowest seed.
The highest seed will play first.
Recording/Streaming
Are players allowed to record their games?
Yes, players are permitted to record their games as long as all participants in the game agree to being recorded. You must notify judges and tournament organizers if they enter the match that they are being recorded.
Are players allowed to stream their games?
The same rules applicable to recording games also apply to streaming. In addition, you must provide the stream link to all players in your match. Stream at your own risk. Judges and tournament organizers will not be held responsible for "stream sniping", the act of players viewing the stream to gain additional information about your hand or decisions. We strongly recommend that players do not stream their games.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I register?
Registration for Oktoberfest 2021 is now open!
Registration is handled directly through our Discord , using the !register command in the #registration channel.
Once registered, use the !add-deck command to add your decklist.
What is "Fluid Round" pairing?
"Fluid Round" pairing is a type of group stage matchmaking pairing system, similar in nature to the more popular Swiss pairing system. The key difference is that rather than a set number of games each player will play, we allow players to play as many games as they want while the group stage is open. This offers some key benefits to cEDH that aren't present in standard 60-card.
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Q: Why did you choose fluid pairings instead of standard Swiss?
A: cEDH has some of the greatest format variance in terms of game length. As a player, playing a 20-minute game and then waiting 70 minutes before you could play again really sucks. Fluid pairings eliminate this problem. Fluid rounds also allows players to take as many or as few breaks as they want, as you join the queue when you're ready.
In terms of scoring, fluid pairing allow a zero-bye environment. If a player may only play 4 games in a day, (as is often the case in Swiss cEDH tournaments), byes are weighted too much. This system also handles dropouts really effectively.
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Q: Doesn't this system reward fast decks that can play as many games as possible?
A: No. We've custom built our system from the ground up to address these concerns. We want players to focus on curating the best score line, not accumulating the greatest number of wins. The game cap present in Oktoberfest is a testament to this effort.
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Q: What happens if I queue at the same time as someone I just played a game with?
A: Once you have played with a player, you cannot be paired against them again. You will always play new players with new decks in every round. We do not seed games based on score.
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Q: Won't players just play one game and wait for finals if they win?
A: You must play at least five games to qualify for the playoffs.
What is the full tournament schedule?
All times are in Eastern Dayligh Time (EDT) (UTC-4)
Day 1
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM: Players Meeting.
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM: Group Stage (LFG ends at 6:30 PM)
Day 2
Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Grand Finals are untimed. The below is a schedule approximation.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM: Players Meeting.
11:00 AM - 1:30 PM: Quarterfinals
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM: Semifinals
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM: Grand Finals
What is Cockatrice?
Cockatrice is a 100% free 3rd party application used to play Magic: the Gathering. While unaffiliated with Wizards of the Coast, the free nature of this program allows us the ability to charge no entry fee while also enabling users to play with the best cards. We believe cEDH is best without budget limitations, and Cockatrice enables that functionality.
Cockatrice, unlike Magic: the Gathering Online, does not have rules enforcement. While games are played with "the honor system", all game actions are recorded in the chat window for all players and spectators to view. Furthermore, Cockatrice allows Judges to operate in a manner even more effective than in regular tournaments. This chat window records all game actions. Judges can then issue rulings based on exactly what happened, rather than their best understanding of the situation.
Where can I watch the tournament?
Coverage will be provided the day of the event by our own in-house stream.
We've partnered with some of the finest Magic creators to bring you informative, entertaining, and interesting commentary.
Created, edited and maintained by:
Nicholas “Joking” Hammond
Landon “Libby” Liberator