The Masters Format is the premier Bushido Tournament. This allows players to show their mastery of the game as it should be played with competitive players fighting for scenario points, with sportsmanship a primary concern.
This format requires the most player skill and knowledge of the various scenarios, but should be accessible for newer players to join in and not feel overwhelmed.
Some Masters events attended by GCT Studios are designated Grand Masters. These large events allow for the top players to compete for the most coveted prize: the chance to work with GCT to design their own Bushido model and have it released as a new character to recruit in the game.
Rice Limit
We have three suggested limits but really any value is valid as suits your community or event.
| Game Size | Rice Limit | |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 40 Rice | Usually just three models from a starter set. |
| Medium | 70 Rice | Starter set tournaments. |
| 75 Rice | Allows more customisation, including of starter sets. | |
| Standard | 100 Rice | Most games are played at this size. |
Number of rounds
We suggest that the TO adjusts the rounds to the number of players, but a tournament should have at least 8 players to be considered official, and should run for 3 rounds in order to establish a winner.
The main determiner is the time you have available, of course.
| Players | Rounds |
|---|---|
| 8-15 | 3 |
| 16-31 | 4 |
| 32-63 | 5 |
| 64+ | 6 |
Round timings
The length of each round should be adjusted dependant on the Rice Cost of the Warbands for the tournament.
| Game Size | Round Length |
|---|---|
| Small/Medium | 75 min. |
| Standard | 120 min. |
First round pairings
The first round pairings should be determined at random and where possible not pairing players who regularly play against each other i.e. from the same town, club or store.
Subsequent pairings
Pairings after the first round should be using the Swiss Pairing system.
Players’ Tournament Points, derived from the Victory Points scored in each scenario, determine their rank at the tournament.
After each round, the player ranked first plays the player ranked second, third plays fourth etc.
Byes and odd numbers
If possible, the TO should have a stand-in - either a helper or themselves - to ensure even numbers of players in each round.
If, however, there is an odd number the bottom-placed player should receive a bye and 7 Tournament Points for that round.
Player Timings
Each player has 2 minutes to declare their activating model and the action it will take.
After 2 minutes, if a player has chosen a model but has not declared an action, that model loses an activation counter.
If the player has not chosen a model, their opponent removes an activation counter from any enemy model.
Play passes to the opponent.
In case of a rules question, difficult measurement, or similar delay, a judge may pause this clock while the correct result is determined.
Terrain and table setup
The TO should decide what terrain is placed on each table, how it is set up, and clearly explain to the players of the tournament how each piece should be interpreted.
Players should not move the terrain during a game or in between rounds.
At the start of each round players should still make a Tactical Test to determine who chooses the deployment zone and then deploys their Warband.
Scenario Points and Victory Points
In Masters games neither scenario Points (SPs) nor Victory Points (VPs) can be scored before the first turn of the game.
Game results
A game ends when the time for the round has elapsed, the game has played through all the turns required for the scenario, or one of the players’ Warbands has been entirely Killed or Removed From Play.
In any case, the game ends at the end of the current turn once the End Phase has been resolved. Only Victory Points scored before and during this turn count towards the final Tournament Points for each player.
Each player should then complete the details of the game on their Warband Record Sheet and hand it to the TO.
| Victory Points | Tournament Points |
|---|---|
| 3-0 | 9 |
| 2-0 | 8 |
| 2-1 | 7 |
| 1-0 | 6 |
| 1-1 | 5 |
| 0-0 | 4 |
| 0-1 | 3 |
| 1-2 | 2 |
| 0-2 | 1 |
| 0-3 | 0 |
Final standings
After the predetermined number of rounds, the player with the highest Tournament Points wins the tournament. If players have the same Game Score then suggested tie breakers are:
- Games won
- Strength of Schedule
- SPs Scored
- Lowest turn number when an enemy VIM was removed from play. Other tie-breakers may be used. If they are not on the above list, they must be published prior to the event.
Calculating strength of schedule (SoS)
To do this, sum the Tournament Points scored by each opponent of the tied players. Between two tied players, the player whose opponents have the highest total score has the best Strength of Schedule score and earns the higher rank.
Example
Ben and Andy both have 29 Tournament Points. To see who wins the event, we look up their opponents total scores. Ben’s opponents have 7, 12, 23 and 23 Tournament Points, giving an SoS of 65. Andy’s opponents have 3, 5, 26 and 28 Tournament Points, giving an SoS of 62. Ben has the higher SoS and so wins the Event.
This can be a time consuming procedure at an event so we recommend some tournament software. All GCT Grand Masters are currently run using the Longshanks web-based tool.
Scenario Selection
The TO should choose the scenarios to be played prior to the start of the tournament, but players should only find out as each round begins. It is usual to choose at least one circle objective scenario, one centre objective scenario, one zone control scenario and, if you have 4 or more rounds, one VIM scenario. GCT or TOs may use scenarios other than those listed here. If there is a discrepancy between this document and the scenario sheet provided, always use the provided sheet as the differences are likely to be intentional.
NOTE
GCT are always willing to discuss new scenario ideas for your event and we will attempt to publish any variants used in another document for everyone to try.
Some scenarios are labelled Advanced. Decide if your event will use these, as they are more complex and may be unsuitable for new players.