Chaos Cup

How a Chaos Cup runs

• You need a Standard legal deck. That is the whole requirement. Bring what you already play.
• Each round has its own rules. A Chaos Cup is usually three rounds. The rules are announced at the start of each one and apply to both players, and they might be drawn at random, put to a vote, or picked by the professors beforehand.
• Some are themed. A Chaos Cup near a holiday, or alongside something else going on at the league, may have a set written to match it.

A Chaos Cup is meant to be silly. Ask if you want help understanding a rule, but mostly: work it out with your opponent and play the round the way that is most fun for both of you.

Some rules we have played with

Six out of dozens, picked to show the range. Some change how you draw, some change how you win, and at least one involves a hand of Rock Paper Scissors.

• Double or nothing

  Once during your turn you may discard your hand and roll a six-sided die. Draw twice as many cards as you rolled.

• Swapped Trainers

  Treat Supporters as Items and Items as Supporters. You may play only one Item per turn, and as many Supporters as you like. Going first, you still may not play an Item on your first turn.

• Twelve Prizes

  Set up twelve Prize cards instead of six, and always take double Prizes after a knockout.

• Abilities cost you the spot

  Whenever a player uses an Ability during their turn, that player must switch their Active Pokémon to the Bench.

• Settle it by hand

  After you attack, play Rock Paper Scissors with your opponent. Whoever loses, their Active Pokémon is now Burned.

• Backwards Prizes

  If you would take a Prize card, your opponent takes one instead. The first player to take all of their Prizes loses.

Others have put every evolved Pokémon back to the HP of its Basic, made you play the whole round with your hand face up, or had you trade your deck for your discard pile halfway through. The list grows every time somebody suggests something.

When the next one is

We hold one or two Chaos Cups a quarter. Check the schedule to see when the next one is.

See the schedule