8 Limited Formats

A limited format is defined as a tournament format where players may construct their card-pools using limited cards from a specific officially released product or set of products, subject to tournament rules.

8.1 Sealed Deck Format

Players receive booster packs to open for the format. A Player's limited-pool comprises the limited cards they open from their booster packs and any number of basic-rarity cards from the set(s) being used for the format. A Player does not have to open the basic-rarity cards to use them. Extra cards are not part of a player's limited card-pool.

Players must play as a young hero from the set(s) being used for the format. If card-pool registration is required^[3.7], Players must choose and register the hero they will play before the end of deck construction and must play as that hero for the entire format. If card-pool registration is not required, Players may change heroes between games.

A Player's sealed deck card-pool comprises 1 young hero card and all cards in their limited-pool, subject to the class and/or talents of their hero, keywords, and format-specific restrictions. A card-pool may contain any number of copies of each unique card. A Player must start the game with exactly 30 cards in their deck.

The recommended sets to use, the corresponding number of booster packs, the definition of extra cards, and the number of cards that should start the game in a Player's deck are outlined in ^[A.7]. These specifications are subject to any meta-static abilities of the cards in the card-pool (e.g. Specialization, Essence, etc.)

8.1.1 Sealed Deck Registration and Validation (30 minutes total)

If card-pool registration is required, players must complete their card-pool registration before they are given time to construct their decks. The recommended card-pool registration process for the sealed deck format is as follows:

Open and observe (approx. 5 minutes)

• Players are assigned alphabetical or random seating, so that each Player is sitting across from another Player. The Players on one side are Side A and the others are Side B. A Judge may be seated in front of a Player if there is an odd number of total Players.
• Each Player is given their sealed product, but does not open them yet.
• Each Player fills out their information as the "player using pool" on their registration sheet.
• Each Player on Side A opens their sealed product one booster pack at a time, removes the extra card(s)^[A.7], and counts out the remaining cards face-up while the Player on Side B observes. When all of the product on Side A is open, the cards are stacked in a single pile in front of the Player. Repeat with Side B opening and Side A observing. The card-pool of each Player (minus the extra cards) should be a single pile in front of them.

Swap, register, and swap (approx. 15 minutes)

• Players on each side exchange their card-pool and registration sheet.
• Each Player fills out their information as the "player registering pool" on the registration sheet they have received.
• Each Player sorts the received card-pool by class/talent, then by name and pitch (they may alternatively sort by set code). Then each Player registers every card in the card-pool onto received registration sheet.
• The players return the card-pool and registration sheet back to their original side.

Validate (approx. 10 minutes)

• Each Player validates their sorted card-pool against their registration sheet.
• If a Player spots a mistake on their registration sheet, the Player must call a Judge to review and sign off any corrections required.

8.2 Booster Draft Format

Players are arranged into pods of 8 players per pod and are given 3 booster packs each. During the drafting process, Players take (draft) one card from a booster pack and then pass the remaining cards to the next Player in the pod until all of the cards have been drafted. A Player's limited-pool comprises the limited cards they open from their booster packs and any number of basic-rarity cards from the set(s) being used for the format. A Player does not have to open the basic-rarity cards to use them. Extra cards are not part of a player's limited-pool.

Players must play as a young hero from the set(s) being used for the format. If card-pool registration is required^[3.7], Players must choose and register the hero they will play before the end of deck construction and must play as that hero for the entire format. If card-pool registration is not required, Players may change heroes between games.

A Player's booster draft card-pool comprises 1 young hero card and all cards in their limited-pool, subject to the class and/or talents of their hero, keywords, and format-specific restrictions. A card-pool may contain any number of copies of each unique card. A Player must start the game with exactly 30 cards in their deck.

The recommended sets to use, the definition of extra cards, and the number of cards that should start the game in a Player's deck are outlined in ^[A.7]. These specifications are subject to any meta-static abilities of the cards in the card-pool (e.g. Specialization, Essence, etc.)

For all rounds of a booster draft format, Players should only play against other Players within the same draft pod.

If the play-off for a tournament uses the booster draft format, players should be randomly assigned seating, and the play-off bracket should be structured around where players are seated. Players who seated directly across from one another (as shown in the following diagram) will be playing against each other in the first round of the play-off, then the winners will play the winner two to their right/left in the second round, and finally, the two remaining winners will play in the third round.

8.2.1 Draft Procedure (30 minutes)

The recommended draft procedure is as follows:

• Players are allocated into draft pods and are seated in a circular formation. The recommended number of players in a draft pod is 8.
• Each Player is given their draft product, but does not open them yet.
• Each Player in the pod opens one of the draft product booster packs and removes the non-draftable card(s) (i.e. basic-rarity and extra cards).
• Each Player looks at their cards, drafts one card, places it face-down in a single pile in front of them, then shuffles the remaining cards and passes them to the Player on their left. Players pick up the cards passed to them and repeat this process until all of the cards have been drafted this way.
• Between drafting each booster pack, Players may review all of the cards they have drafted, before returning them to a single face-down pile.
• Players repeat the opening, drafting, and reviewing process with the remaining product, alternating the direction that the remaining cards are passed; the first pack to their left, the second pack to their right, and the third pack to their left.
• After all of the product has been drafted, the card-pool of each Player (minus basic-rarity cards) should be a single pile in front of them.

During the draft procedure, Players may not share or seek to gain information about the content of the packs, or the cards that have been drafted. For the avoidance of doubt, Players may not communicate in any way that could influence Players participating in the draft. Additionally, Players may not take notes during the draft procedure.

Examples:

• Looking at the cards another player is drafting or has drafted.
• Saying "Sigh, no good Guardian cards this pack."
• Saying "Wow, a Ninja legendary! Guess what I'm picking."
• Saying "Looks like I'm drafting my favourite hero again."
• Turning cards upside down in a pack before passing it.
• Writing down what cards appear in each pack passed.

If the product contains one or more double-faced cards (DFC), Players may not share or seek to gain information about who has a DFC in their current pack or who has drafted a DFC (including themselves). Instead, Players may start with a basic-rarity card in their face-down pile and when a player drafts a DFC, they must do so by putting it under another card in their face-down pile, to prevent it from being the top card of their pile.

When a Player drafts a card and places it face-down in their pile, their choice is finalized and the cards may not be swapped with another card from the pack.

Players may not look at the face-down pile of cards they have drafted while the drafting of cards is in progress. They must wait for the review period between drafting booster packs.

A called draft, is when the draft procedure is timed and each step is synchronized by a "draft caller". At Professional REL, all booster drafts are called. At Competitive REL, booster drafts are called only if required by LSS or at the discretion of the Tournament Organizer and announced in advance. At Casual REL no booster drafts are called.

If the draft is called, the recommended draft times can be found in ^[A.3]. If the tournament would differ from the recommended time limit, it must be clearly stated before the draft begins and can not be changed mid-draft.

If the draft is not called, Players should draft and pass cards at a comfortable pace that does not adversely affect the overall pace of the draft for other players at the table or extend the draft indefinitely.

8.2.2 Booster Draft Registration and Validation (20 minutes total)

If card-pool registration is required, players must complete their card-pool registration before they are given time to construct their decks. The recommended card-pool registration process for the booster draft format is as follows:

Move (5 minutes)

• Players are assigned seating, so that each Player is sitting across from another Player and is not in proximity to other Players in their draft pod. A Judge may be seated in front of a Player if there is an odd number of total Players.
• Each Player fills out their information as the "player using pool" on their registration sheet.
• Each Player puts their card-pool into a clear zip-lock bag or folds their registration sheet over their card-pool to produce a small package of cards.
• Each Player moves to their new assigned seating. Players must not communicate or exchange cards in their card-pool while moving.

Swap, register, and swap (10 minutes)

• Players on each side exchange their card-pool and registration sheet.
• Each Player fills out their information as the "player registering pool" on the registration sheet they have received.
• Each Player sorts the received card-pool by class/talent, then by name and pitch (they may alternatively sort by set code). Then each Player registers every card in the card-pool onto the received registration sheet.
• The players return the card-pool and registration sheet back to their original side.

Validate (5 minutes)

• Each Player validates their sorted card-pool against their registration sheet.
• If a Player spots a mistake on their registration sheet, the Player must call a Judge to review and sign-off any corrections required.

8.2.3 Booster Draft Self-Registration (15 minutes total)

If the drafted cards are stamped, or there is limited risk for the players to abuse the registration procedure, the following self-registration procedure may be used at the discretion of the Tournament Organizer:

Move (5 minutes)

• Players are assigned seating, so that each Player is sitting across from another Player and are not in proximity to other Players in their draft pod. A Judge may be seated in front of a Player if there is an odd number of total Players.
• Each Player fills out their information as the "player using pool" on their registration sheet.
• Each Player puts their card-pool into a clear zip-lock bag or folds their registration sheet over their card-pool to produce a small package of cards.
• Each Player moves to their new assigned seating. Players must not communicate or exchange cards in their card-pool while moving.

Self-registration (10 minutes)

• Each Player is assigned a new seating area where they are not in proximity to other Players in their draft pod.
• Each Player fills out their information as the "player using pool" on their registration sheet.
• Each Player puts their card-pool into a clear zip-lock bag or folds their registration sheet over their card-pool to produce a small package of cards.
• Each Player moves to their new assigned seating. Players must not communicate or exchange cards in their card-pool while moving.
• Each Player fills out their information as the "player using pool" on their registration sheet, then registers every card in the card-pool onto their registration sheet, and finally calls a tournament official to collect their sheet.
• After the registration sheet has been collected, Players are free to leave the seated area.

8.3 Blitz Preconstructed

Blitz Preconstructed follows the same format rules as Blitz^[7.3], with the following changes:

• Each Player receives a preconstructed blitz deck from the same set.
• A Player's card-pool is determined by the preconstructed blitz deck they receive.

8.4 Crack Shuffle Play

Players receive 3 booster packs each. At the beginning of the first round, they crack, shuffle, and play:

• Crack: Open each booster pack and remove the 2 cards at the back (basic-rarity cards or arena-cards).
• Shuffle: Gather the remaining cards together, shuffle them, and present them as the deck.
• Play: Present the hero, choose who will start, present arena-cards, then play the game.

A Player's card-pool comprises the limited cards they open from their booster packs and any number of basic-rarity cards from the set(s) being used for the format. A Player does not have to open the basic-rarity cards to use them. Extra cards are not part of a player's card-pool. Players must play as a young hero from the set(s) being used for the format.

A Player must start the game every deck-card from their card-pool in their deck.

At the beginning of each new round beyond the first, a Player may choose to crack, shuffle, and play with 3 new boosters at the discretion of the Tournament Organizer and subject to availability. If a Player chooses to do so, their card-pool from their previous 3 booster packs is replaced entirely by the new 3 boosters. A Player makes this decision before opening the new booster packs and observing the cards they contain.

The recommended sets to use are outlined in ^[A.7].