Guide to the Champions League
Introduction to the Champions League (CL)
The Champions League, Japan's counterpart to regional or international championships, occurs five times a year. The tournament venues vary annually, spanning across Japan. Divided into Junior, Senior, and Masters divisions based on age, it draws thousands of players.
Entering the Champions League
To participate in the Champions League, one must possess a Player's Club Account. Applying for entry is done approximately a month before the event, and due to limited venue space, entry is determined by a lottery system. Results are typically announced on the Players Club Account event page two weeks before the tournament. Players should prepare by building their deck using the Players Club Account deck builder and registering it for the tournament on their event page.
Rules and Tournament Structure
The rules of the Champions League are the same as City Leagues.
Keep in mind the following:
- All matches are best of 1 and have a 25 minute time limit.
- In case of a time out there are no ties and both players may lose.
- Upon time out, a judge is called and an extra turn may be conducted depending on who went first or second and whose turn the time ran out on.
- If the battle is not concluded after those extra turns the result is a loss for both players.
For the Masters division, due to a growing number of entrants in recent years, the tournament now spans across two days. The first day is the preliminary bracket and consists of up to 9 matches. To advance to the second day of the tournament it is necesssary to win 7 out of the 9 matches. Losing 3 matches results in being knocked out of the tournament.
Day 2 starts off with another preliminary bracket to decide top 16. This bracket consists of 8 matches and to advance to top 16 requires 6 wins.
Top 16 is a single elimination bracket that decides the winner of the tournament.
Ranking and Prizes
Prizes vary by year and division. In the Masters league for 2024, participants receive the following:
| Ranking | Prizes |
|---|---|
| Participation prize |
|
| 5 Wins |
|
| 7 Wins |
|
| Top 32 |
|
| Top 4 |
|
I recommend consulting the official Champions League page for comprehensive details, as some information may vary by division and could change in the future.