Talking before finals?

No way!
If one or two tries to manipulate, then there are also one or two who will call their BS (assuming that there is just one newbie).

Deciding seating for finals is still part of the game.
People still try to manipulate everyone during the games too...


Also, for example Swedish information network is quite effective in gathering info on who plays what during EC's tournaments. Not everyone else can be as efficient. Not talking during the seating would leave those who are unable to tap into this network at disadvantage -now they can at least try to get other finalists to talk about the decks in finals before making their decision.

And how long in your opinion this "manipulation and information gathering phase" should take? IMHO to gather information right at the seating in a tournament actually makes you a victim of manipulation and misinformation, as everybody tries to influence you to make decisions in their favour.

In addition do you really like to open that game phase to deal discussions, such as "let us focus on the heavy bleeder with our two combat decks as predator and prey, take care of the rest of the table and fight it out then" or the like? If talking is allowed in the seating nothing would forbid this kind of table talk. I think this would be annoying.

There are no time limits in the tournament rules for organizing seating for finals.

There is, however, play to win clause for the finals and all non-winners tie for 2nd place (4.8. Play to Win: During the finals, playing to win means playing to finish as tournament winner (as defined in 3.7.5).) which might cause problems for players who act in the way Joscha just decribed.


My point was, some people might have access to some solid information on who are going to be in the finals before the seating for the finals is being decided. Thsu they will have a chance to talk about the seating beforehand which mean that it'll be absolutely impossible to oversee that no such discussions are taking place (compare it to herding cats...).

Hence, if talking will be prohibited during the seating, then some people will probably be at disadvantage.

Disadvantage + impossibility of overseeing any prior discussions means that why implement such a rule?

Joscha wrote:

I'd like to second that and would favour an addition to the tournament rules.

The only reasonable way to do this is to force players to sit at their table until round3 (or whichever is the last round) is over.

I highly doubt anyone could force this. Plus it sounds silly.