In case you're not aware, the Pokemon National Championships are coming up on Sunday the 5th June at Mercure in Auckland City. It is a free event and registration starts from 8am and closes at 9am. You will need a full 60 card deck from the standard format (so can only contain cards from the XY sets) and you will need a deck list, if you're not sure what this is, turn up early and get someone to help you at the event.
There are 3 age groups, so people will play against people roughly the same age as themselves. The prizes include lots of boosters and invites to the World Championships.
Here's some things that will help you get prepared for the event.
Before the day
It's important to be prepared, so make sure you have all of this ready before you go.
- Pack your bag the night before so you have everything
- Write your deck list
- Have your deck ready to go in new sleeves
- Have a plan of how you're going to get to the venue. There's nothing worse than panicking when you're running late.
- Get plenty of sleep the night before. It's tempting to stay up the night before to practice, but take it from a long-time TCG player, you're much better off getting some sleep.
- Make sure you know what time to be there! You should aim to be there an hour before registration closes.
On the day
- Get there early to register
- Double check your deck to make sure you have all your cards
- Have breakfast. You won't be able to focus if you're hungry
- Bring a bottle of water. These events can go on for quite a while so it's important to keep hydrated. This will keep you healthy and also keep your mind at its peak.
- Bring snacks. There sometimes isn't time for a lunch break, so you sometimes have to eat between rounds. Fruit and museli bars are great options that most players pack.
- Go to the toilet at least every second round. You can't get up to go to the toilet in the middle of the round. If you do suddenly need to go, this can greatly affect your concentration and can stop you from playing well.
- Wash your hands regularly. This can stop your card sleeves getting sticky. Sticky and damaged sleeves can get you penalties, so it's important your hands are clean
- Wear comfortable clothing. Tight / uncomfortable clothing can affect your playing and can also cause you to sweat more. This makes you even more uncomfortable and means you can't focus on your game.
- Bring a friend. It's a lot more fun with a mate and you can help support each other after rounds. Even if your friend doesn't play, just get them a theme deck and encourage them to come. It's a lot of fun meeting everyone else but is a little scary when you're on your own. Having a friend there will help.
- Know who to talk to and who to leave alone. The more competitive players often like to be left alone between rounds so they can focus on their game. Find a group of people laughing and talking and talk to them, they'd probably love having a new person to talk to!
- If you win a match, you should make sure the match slip is handed in correctly. As much as we'd all like to believe everyone is honest, there are a small fraction of people who aren't. If you win a match, make sure you hand in the piece of paper that says that (or go with the other person). This way the paper can't be tampered with in any way.
Game Play
At large events, a higher standard of play is expected from players. Most players are generally pretty friendly so as long as you follow the rules you should be fine. There are a few things you do need to know.
- NEVER take back a play without asking your opponent first. Most judges say a play has been made when you put the card on the table and take your hand off it. Clarify with a judge what exactly counts as making a move if you're not sure.
- If your opponent says you cannot take back a move, don't complain, it's all a part of the game. It's nothing personal against you so don't take it to heart, just remember the mistake and learn from it
- Call for a judge if you have a question. Judges are there to help, you're not bothering them by asking many questions, that's what they're there for. If you or an opponent calls for a judge, stop play immediately and don't make any more moves until a judge arrives. Don't hesitate to call a judge, it's better to check things.
- You can ask for the head judge. If you're not happy with your judges ruling because you think they got it wrong, ask for the head judge. Keep in mind that what the head judge says is like law. Accept their ruling and continue play.
- Take your time to make moves but don't stall. Make sure you think through a move, but also make sure you keep making moves at a reasonable pace. If you take 5 minutes to make a single move, you may be penalized for it.
- Say the name of each card you're playing as you play it. Don't assume your opponent knows what you're doing, you must state every move. Doing this helps ensure there isn't miscommunication
- Be aware the rounds are timed. This means you only have a certain amount of time to get through the 3 games, so try to reduce wasted time by practicing your shuffling before the event so you get faster at it.
The most important thing to remember is that you should have fun! It is just a game so try not to get too upset if you don't do as well as hoped. There's always next year and this is just a chance to test out your skills against others, many players practice for months, so they can be very good at the game, don't get disheartened if you don't do as well as you thought.
Unfortunately no one from the Card Merchant crew will be at Nationals this year as we'll be in Wellington for Armageddon, but if you have any questions before the day, flick us an email or Facebook message, or pop into the store and Chloe will try to help you out as much as possible.
Good luck, trainers!
