Start of Game Procedures

Prior to beginning the first game of a match, if players submit decklists, they must ensure that their starting Main Deck, Material Deck, and Sideboard in the first game of each match exactly match the lists on the submitted decklists. For tournaments that do not require submitted deck lists, players must ensure that their starting Main Deck, Material Deck, and Sideboard exactly match the Main Deck, Material Deck, and Sideboard used for the first game of the first match of the tournament.

Once players are seated and ready to begin a game of a match, players proceed through the following steps:

1. Players place their Material deck in the appropriate zones and set their Sideboard off to the side, away from the play area.

2. Players shuffle their own Main Decks to ensure that it is sufficiently randomized.

3. Players present their Main Decks to their opponents to shuffle/cut.

4. The shuffled Main Decks are placed in the appropriate zones in the play area.

5. A selected player becomes the first turn player and their opponent is the second turn player. If it is the first game of a play-off round, the player with the highest standing chooses which player becomes the first turn player. If it is the first game of a round, the selected player is randomly determined (coin toss, die roll, etc.).

6. The first turn player places a Lv 0 champion from their Material Deck onto the field and triggers its On Enter ability. The first turn player skips the Wake Up, Materialize, Recollection, and Draw phases and begins their Main Phase.

7. Once the first turn of the game ends, the second turn player places a Lv 0 champion from their Material Deck onto the field and triggers its On Enter ability. The second turn player skips their Wake Up, Materialize, and Recollection phases and begins their Draw Phase.

After the first game of the match, the loser of that game decides whether they wish to be the first or second turn player. This may be decided at any time after the end of the first game up until after both players have finished sideboarding. Sideboarding is considered concluded after both players have presented a sufficiently shuffled deck to their opponent for final shuffle/cut. If a player does not explicitly communicate their choice, it is assumed that that player goes first. In the case the first game ends in a draw, the first turn player of the drawn game will become the turn player of the next game.