Pre-Con Bound
This year's event will again include the best-known 18xx games:
1830: (Northeastern US and Southeastern Canada), 1856
(Upper Canada), 1861 (Russia), and 1870 (the American
Southwest), along with two other 18xx games, 1846 (US
Midwest), and 18EU (Europe). For the first time, the 18xx
event will be held on Saturday and Sunday during the pre-convention
weekend. There will be four preliminary rounds (three on Saturday),
a semi-final, and a Final round (on Sunday). All games can be
played in any prelim, but the suggested games for each round
are: 1-1830, 2-1856, 3-1870, and 4-the other
three choices. Emphasis will be placed on making all games 4-player
whenever possible, as this will be the format for the semi-final
and Final. [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 16-player semi-finals. If there are
fewer than 16 preliminary round winners, enough runner-ups (seeded
by the MESE criteria given below) will advance to make 16 semi-finalists.
Semi-finalists and finalists will be asked to choose which game
they wish to play from among 1830, 1856, 1861, and 1870.
If four choose another game, then at least one semi-final 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. 1830 will be the default game
for the semi-final and final. Except for those players choosing
games other than 1830, semi-final groupings will be seeded
by the MESE criteria, and placed in the four semi-final games
according to 1st -8th -9th -16th, 2nd -7th -10th -15th, 3rd -6th
-11th -14th, and 4th - 5th -12th -13th. The winners of the four
semi-final games will advance to a 4-player Final. If necessary,
semi-finalist runners-up can move up (again, seeded by percentage
of the winning total) to ensure a 4-player Final.
The WBC Multiple Entry-Single Elimination (MESE) seeding criteria
are: 1) Most wins; 2) Win in first heat entered; 3) Win in second
heat entered; 4) Win in third heat entered; 5) Win in fourth
heat entered; 6) percentage of winning score; 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 five hours. 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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