Regional Championship Qualifier (RCQ) - Standard Format
The RCQ is a competitive tournament run by local game stores (WPN stores) that serves as the entry point to the Pro Tour path.
1. Format: Standard
Deck Construction: Players must bring a 60-card main deck and an optional 15-card sideboard.
Card Pool: The card pool is "Standard," meaning decks can only contain cards from the most recently released Magic sets (typically the last 5 to 8 sets, as defined by the current rotation). This makes the meta fresh and always evolving.
2. Tournament Structure
Rules Enforcement Level (REL): RCQs are run at Competitive REL. This means decklists are mandatory, judges are present, and rules are strictly enforced (compared to a typical casual "Friday Night Magic" event).
Rounds: The tournament uses the Swiss system, where players compete in a set number of rounds based on attendance (e.g., 5 rounds for 17-32 players) and continue playing regardless of losses.
Top Cut: After the Swiss rounds, the top-ranked players (usually the Top 8) advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket to determine the final winner.
3. The Main Prize: The Invitation
The Golden Ticket: The primary prize for the event winner (and sometimes the Top 4, depending on the store/region) is the invitation (or "slot") to the Regional Championship (RC).
The Path: Winning an RCQ is the first step:
$$\text{RCQ} \rightarrow \text{Regional Championship} \rightarrow \text{Pro Tour} \rightarrow \text{World Championship}$$
4. Promotional Prizes
RCQs offer exclusive promotional cards provided by Wizards of the Coast (WotC). These typically include:
Participation Promo: A non-foil promo card given to all or many players just for entering the event.
Top Finisher Promo: A non-foil version of a different, more sought-after promo card given to the Top 8 (or Top 16) players.
Winner Promo: A Foil version of the Top Finisher promo card, reserved for the event winner.
In short, the Standard RCQ is a highly competitive, decklist-required tournament where players test their skills in the ever-changing Standard format for a chance to move up the ladder to the larger, high-stakes Regional Championship.
Decks need to be checked prior to the actual qualifier. Please get your deck verified before the day of the qualifier*