... 1830 ... 1856 .... 1870 and
introducing 1826, 1846, 18EU
This year's event will again include the best-known 18xx games:
1830: (Northeastern US and Southeastern Canada), 1856
(Upper Canada) and 1870 (the American Southwest),
along with an added preliminary round to play three "kit"
18xx games, 1826 (France), 1846 (US Midwest), and 18EU (Europe).
There will be four preliminary rounds, a semi-final, and a final
round. 1830 can be played in any prelim, but 1856
players are encouraged to play in the second preliminary, the
three featured kit games in the third preliminary, and 1870
in the fourth. Emphasis will be placed on making all games four-player
whenever possible, as this will be the format for the semi-final
and final games. [For example, if 23 players appear for a round,
with nine players for 1856 and 14 for 1830, the
games will be apportioned as follows: 1856: a 4- and a
5-player game; 1830: a 4-player and two 5-player games.
If eight of those 23 players want to play 1856, the division
becomes 1856: two 4-player games; 1830: three 4-player
and a 3-player game.] Players will be placed in games at random,
except that players that have met in previous rounds will be
moved where possible.
The top seeded winners, plus alternates, of all preliminary
rounds will advance to the twelve-player semi-finals. If there
are fewer than twelve preliminary round games, enough runner-ups
(seeded by the MESE criteria given below) will advance to make
twelve semi-finalists. Semifinalists will be asked to choose
which game they wish to play from among 1830, 1856,
and 1870. If four choose another game, then at least
one semifinal will play that game instead of 1830. If
more than four choose an alternate game, a drawing will be held
from among those players to put four in that game. All other
semifinals and the final will be played using 1830. Except
for those players choosing games other than 1830, semi-final
groupings will be seeded by the MESE criteria, and placed in
the three semi-final games according to 1st -6th -7th -12th,
2nd -5th -8th -11th, and 3rd -4th -9th -10th. The winners of
the three semi-final games will advance to the four-player final,
with the runner-up with the highest percentage of a winning score.
If necessary, other runner-up semi-finalists can move up (again,
seeded by percentage of the winning total) to ensure a four-player
final.
The WBC Multiple Entry-Single Elimination (MESE) seeding criteria
are: 1) Win in 1st heat entered; 2) Most wins; 3) Win in 2nd
heat entered; 4) Win in 3rd heat entered; 5) Win in 4th heat
entered; 6) brought a copy of the game, if needed for next round;
7) average finish in all heats entered; 8) high dice roll. For
all ties, criteria will be checked in order.
Optional rules in force for each game will be announced by
email to all who inquire, and before the beginning of each round.
The time limit for the first three preliminary rounds, the semi-final,
and the final round is six hours. The time limit restrictions
for the fourth preliminary round will be relaxed, to give opportunity
for beginning players to not be pressured by the clock. In all
other cases, no stock round will begin within 30 minutes of the
round conclusion. In the last 15 minutes of a round, only route
running, revenue collection, and train purchases may be conducted
(tile placement, tile upgrade, or token placement will not be
permitted). Unless there is a player bankruptcy, rounds conclude
at the end of that series of operating rounds.
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