Unmatched Tournament Rules - ALL ABOARD EXPO 2025

Prepare for an epic clash as warriors from across the multiverse step into the arena! Whether you’re outwitting foes with Sherlock Holmes or striking fast with Medusa, only the sharpest minds and boldest fighters will claim victory. Do you have what it takes to become the ultimate champion?

Minimum Players: 12

Maximum Players: 48 

Time Limit per game: 40 mins

 

REGISTRATION & TABLE ASSIGNMENTS:

Players must register before the first game at the registration booth from 11 AM to 1120 AM. You must then proceed to your assigned table, where a Judge will confirm your presence via roll call. Absence in the assigned table during roll call will mean an automatic loss.

*The schedule is subject to change as matches may finish earlier than anticipated. 

GAME RULES

The tournament follows the official rules, which are found in the Unmatched Core Rulebook and Unmatched Special Rules (Version 8.2 from BGG). Gaming Library rulesets are in effect for this tournament. Before the tournament begins, Gaming Library will publish a bracket on Challonge, showing the route to the final. On arrival, players register and have their roster recorded. Players must bring five (5) different official playable fighters.

Only characters and maps from the following sets will be allowed:

• Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Vol. 1
• Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Vol. 2
• Unmatched: Cobble & Fog
• Unmatched: Slings & Arrows
• Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze
• Unmatched: Little Red Riding Hood VS Beowulf
• Unmatched: Robin Hood VS Bigfoot
• Unmatched: Houdini vs.The Genie
• Unmatched: Sun’s Origin
• Unmatched: The Witcher – Steel and Silver
• Unmatched: The Witcher – Realms Fall

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: SWISS

Preparation

1. Players will bring and declare five different characters at the start of the tournament.

Match Set-up

A map is randomly selected for the match. It is revealed. Players will then proceed to the drafting phase: Players will flip a coin. The winning player MUST go first. Both players will lay their 5 characters on the table. Then the banning and picking start in this order:

1. The first player bans 1 character from their opponent. 

2. The second player bans 2.

3. The first player bans 2.

4. The second player bans 1.

5. They will choose the fighter they want to use from the two remaining fighters from the draft. If fighters are mirrored, both players use their unassigned fighters. (If these are also mirrored, both players randomly pick from their banned fighters until unmirrored).

Match Rules

1. Players may take a single full mulligan by shuffling their hand back into their deck and drawing 5 new cards. 

2. The following information is public knowledge and cannot be hidden. 

1. Deck count;

2. Cards in the discard pile (Discard layouts are optional);

3. and number of cards in hand. 

3. Players must call for a referee if rules are broken at a table. The referee’s ruling is final. If a rule is broken and players do not report it immediately, this is considered “normal” play, and its effect on the final game results must be accepted.

Time Limit

1. Each match is 40 minutes. 

2. Players are only allotted Bronstein 5 minutes - 1 minute extra time to play out their entire turn. 

3. The official timer will be chessclock.org, and one player can set it before the match starts, with the other player's approval.

4. Pause the timer during combat interactions and card resolutions that include the opponent’s decisions (ex: 3 wishes discard, Kinshasa Directive)

5. Players are encouraged not to abuse this pause time and try to keep thinking during this time, around 30 seconds max. Penalties may be dished out for players found to be consistently stalling for time. (See Sportsmanship Disqualifications)

6. For rule clarifications, a player’s timer will be paused, but the overall match time limit will continue.

7. If a player exceeds their allotted turn time, they end their turn and are forced to maneuver in place for their remaining actions (and discard random cards from their hand if they overdraw). The offending player is now in overtime.
   

Overtime: Call a judge, and take note of the offender and the other player’s final time. The offender will play only the delay time, with one minute on their clock. The other player maintains the current time.

1. If a match exceeds 40 minutes, complete the current game round so that each player has played the same number of turns. Then, Sudden Death is declared. Players are now only allotted Bronstein 1 minute. Players will now be allowed to take 5 additional turns only. After 5 turns, the match is over.

2. In sudden death, players who overtime immediately lose.

There are no breaks during the matches. The 20 minutes between matches are for overtime or sudden death. Players should take breaks before the tournament starts and during the 1-hour scheduled break.

Punctuality

Players are expected to be punctual to the tournament. Rulings on punctuality are strictly enforced by the tournament organizers.

Players have a grace period of 10 minutes to arrive at their table after matchup announcements have been made. At the 8-minute mark, judges will assist the present player in a simulated draft. After the grace period expires, the present player must inform a judge to begin the match. 

Simulation: 

1. During the Pick phase, randomly ban 3. During the Assignment phase, randomly pick 1. 

2. The judge will draw 5 on behalf of the opponent. Proceed as usual with the absent player’s clock running during their turn. Absent players must approach a judge or Gaming Library staff the moment they arrive at the venue. 

1. If the absent player’s timer expires before they arrive, they are disqualified. 

2. If the absent player arrives before their timer expires, pause their timer for a maximum of 3 minutes for set up and strategizing.

 

PRIZE:

1st Place: 10K worth of games and a Finals seat to the Unmatched Nationals!

2nd Place: 5K worth of games

3rd Place: 3K worth of games

4th Place: 2K worth of games

* Top 4: Acyrlic Sidekicks

* Participation: Foil Cards/Pins

 

If you have questions, you can comment below, chat here or in the send a message in the Gaming Library FB page :D

 

About Gaming Library

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