I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t Geek & Sundry just post an April Fool’s article about thisOpens in a new tab? And didn’t you then highlight it as an April Fool’s article a couple days laterOpens in a new tab? Well…yes. But that doesn’t make this announcement any less exciting or true. Joining the likes of Think Geek’s Tauntaun sleeping bagOpens in a new tab, this April Fool’s joke has transcended the gag and become real.
OombaOpens in a new tab is launching the Unrivaled Tournament Series 2017Opens in a new tab. This series consists of 3 rounds running from April through October. The Satellite qualifiers take place at registered game stores between April and June (click here to find a participating venueOpens in a new tab). Regionals will take place between July and September (locations still TBD), with the first place winner of each Regional receiving a paid trip to the Grand Finals in Las Vegas on October 27 – 29. Finals are boasting some incredible prize supports with the winner of each game being crowned National Grand Champion and receiving a prize package including $10,000, with an additional $10,000 going to the winner’s official sanctioned venue (where they played their Satellite round).
For this inaugural season of the Unrivaled Tournament Series 2017, there are 6 games that can be played. The games are:
- MunchkinOpens in a new tab
- Ascension Deck Building GameOpens in a new tab
- Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Rumble at Castle TentakillOpens in a new tab
- NevermoreOpens in a new tab
- King of TokyoOpens in a new tab
- Villagers & VillainsOpens in a new tab
What makes this tournament series stand out is that there are prizes at every level, including paid trips to the finals in Las Vegas, and that the tournament series is rewarding both players and the stores they start their journey in. In order to entice more stores to sign up for Satellite rounds, they are offering packages including the board games needed for the series and some sweet swag (interested stores can check it out hereOpens in a new tab). This recognition of the importance of the FLGS when it comes to tabletop gaming is refreshing and demonstrates a fluency of the industry that outsiders might miss entirely.
The Unrivaled Tournament Series 2017 has also released a rulebook, coming in at a very manageable 24 pages. The rulebook contains all of the rules a store needs to follow in terms of player eligibility, procedures for registering with Oomba, as well as pairing and event running. For players, the really relevant stuff starts on page 15 as each of the 6 games has a quick breakdown of the rules to be used in the event. Each game has scoring that is relevant to its core rules but the interesting part is that all 6 games will be using only the base game set and are not using any of the games’ (in the case of Munchkin, MANY) expansions.
The last thing to note is that the rulebook contains some guidelines on the format. A tournament requires a minimum of 4 players to happen, with the top 3 players earning invitations to the next round. The Oomba app itself, a requirement for stores running around of the event, will calculate the number of rounds needed to be played in order to find a winner of that particular tournament. An FLGS who is participating in the series, will run only as many games as they have players; being the best King of Tokyo player won’t help you if no one else is interested in the game.
So dust off those dice, grab your lucky card sleeves and order that jersey from Think GeekOpens in a new tab. The ultra competitive gamer in your circle who has always played like there is money on the line, can now make their dreams a reality.
Are you interested in playing tabletop games for high cash prizes? Let us know in the comments!
Image Credits: Oomba Inc. & IELLO USA
Featured Image Credit: IELLO