New to MTG Melee? Watch their how-to video. Note that we are using Magic Online, not MTG Arena.
Event Details
Date: Sunday, December 20, 2020
Decklists Due & Check-in Time: 10:20 AM CDT
Event Start: 10:30 AM CDT
Entry Fee: $25 (plus MTG Melee platform fees)
Platform: Magic Online
Format: Legacy & Modern. Decklists are Open.
Structure: 8 Rounds of Swiss (4 Legacy & 4 Modern) + cut to Top 8 (Modern)
Rent your deck with Cardhoarder!
You can rent a deck for the weekend by taking part in the NRG Series Weekend Pass exclusively for NRG Series competitors. Here's how it works:
- Register for the Cardhoarder rental program sometime between now and the event. This process will take approximately 15 minutes, so please leave yourself enough time.
- Decks valued up to 500 tickets will cost $10 to rent
- Decks valued up to 800 tickets will cost $15 to rent
- Borrow your cards from Cardhoarder anytime beginning Friday (12/18) morning. You can borrow and return cards until the end of the rental period.
- Return all cards by Monday (12/21) morning.
You can apply for the NRG Series Weekend Pass via Cardhoarder here. Note that you must be at least 18 years old to apply.
Thanks to our sponsor, KMC
KMC Sleeves is the official sponsor of the 2020 NRG Series. Top 8 competitors will each receive a set of KMC Hyper Mat sleeves and perfect fits! Check out KMC at kmcsleeves.com!
Multi-Format Decklist Submission
As this is a multiformat event, you will be required to submit 2 decklists, one for Legacy (Rounds 1-4) and one for Modern (Round 5-8 and Top 8). Both decklists must be submitted before Round 1 begins and cannot be modified once the tournament has begun. Players are responsible for ensuring they have access to all cards from both of their decklists. Intentionally playing a decklist that is different than your registered deck is grounds for disqualifiaction, and "the rental service was out of the card I registered" is not a valid excuse for modifying a decklist.
Pairings
Decklists are open and will be automatically provided by MTG Melee at the start of each round. Players will have 5 minutes to check in for their match once pairings are posted. Pay attention to audio and SMS notifications (set this up on your profile!) for new pairings.
Pairings will be done using the Direct Challenge feature on Magic Online. Note that the Direct Challenge feature defaults to 40 minute timers for each player. However, for the Swiss phase of this tournament, each player has a 25-minute timer to take their actions. Should a player's clock fall below 15:00, that player loses the match, regardless of the game score of the match. Please screenshot and report the result as a match loss.
Players are allowed to intentionally draw, but Top 8 will use the High Seed Play/Draw rule. Top 8 matches will use the full 40-minute clock.
Byes
5 Players have earned Round 1 byes due to their performances in the NRG Series Online Trials. These players are: Will Krueger, Andrew Fiedler, Dylan Simpson, Ricardo Sánchez, and Fabrizio Anteri. Players with byes must still check in on MTG Melee and submit decklists before Round 1 begins.
Match Recordings & Coverage
Recording your matches with screen recording software is HIGHLY recommended. If there are any disputes about deck contents, deck legality, or unsporting conduct during your match, we may request video evidence to aid in our investigation.
Additionally, LIVE video coverage of this event will be provided by the NRG Series with a 10-minute delay. Players may be asked to share their screen in the NRG Series discord to enable us to find matches for coverage. Please make sure you are a member of the NRG Series discord.
You ARE allowed to stream this event! We recommend using a 10-minute delay and switching your chat to emote-only to avoid any outside assitance. Players who are found to be ghosting the official NRG Series stream or individual players' streams will be disqualifed from the event. Players are not allowed to use Twitch chat, Discord, or any other form of communication to give or recieve advice during a match.
Connectivity & Bugs
Players are responsible for ensuring they have a stable internet connection. To ensure event integrity, game crashes and restarts will not cause a match in progress to restart. Other issues will be dealt with based on the Magic Digital IPG if possible. All final decisions are based on the sole discretion of the tournament organizer.
There are a few known bugs on Magic Online right now affecting Legacy & Modern. The intentional exploitation of any Magic Online bug during the tournament is considerded cheating and is grounds for removal from the event without prize.
Legal Stuff
By particpating in this event, you agree to the Nerd Rage Gaming Ltd. Camera and Video policy. Additionally, you consent to any recordings of your match being edited and used by NRG Series coverage.
Per Wizards of the Coast Policy, players must be at least 18 years of age to paricipate in digital Magic events that are supported by Wizards of the Coast. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Attendance Minimum
This tournament needs 65 or more players when registration closes in order to launch. In the case the tournament does not have 65 or more players, the tournament will be canceled and all entry fees will be refunded.
Cardhoarder Weekend Rental Program Opens: Friday, Dec 18th @ 12:00 AM CDT. Apply for the NRG Series Weekend Pass here.
Decklists Due & Check-in Time: Sunday, Dec 20th @ 10:20 AM CDT
Event Start: Sunday, Dec 20th @ 10:30 AM CDT
Swiss Phase (8 Total Rounds):
- 4 Rounds of Legacy
- Upon the conclusion of Round 4, we will take a 30-minute break to allow players time to return Legacy cards to rental servies and rent their Modern decks.
- 4 Rounds of Modern
Elimination Phase: Cut to Top 8 after Swiss. Top 8 will use high-seed play/draw rule. Top 8 matches can use the full 40-minute match timer on MTGO. Top 8 will paly the Modern format.
Cardhoarder Weekend Rental Program Ends: Monday, December 21st @ 12:00 PM CDT. All rented cards must be returned by this time.
Prizes to be paid via Paypal 7-10 days upon the conclusion of the event. Players must have a PayPal account in order to receive cash prizes from this event. Players without a Paypal account may choose to receive payment in the form of MTGO TIX with a rate of $1 USD = 1 TIX
Total Prize Pool: $2,500 USD
- 1st: $800 + Invite to Kaldheim Championship
- 2nd: $500
- 3rd/4th: $300
- 5th-8th: $150
Top 8 players also recieve entry into the January 16-17 Kaldheim Qualifier Wekeend on MTG Arena. More information about Qualifier Weekends on MTG Arena can be found here.
Top 8 players will also receive a free pack of KMC Hyper Matte sleeves thanks to our sponsor, KMC Supplies!
/nrgseries