Weekly Events January 13 - 19
Written by Jim Ziegler It’s wild to watch people speculate on the TCG market, treating pieces of colorful cardboard like commodities. Just days from the release of Pokémon’s Prismatic Evolutions mini set, retailers across the United States are finding their supply cut by as much as 90%. Meanwhile, other stores have publicly announced that they won’t be carrying the set, as demand is so high that they’re concerned about burglaries. This isn’t a new trend: scalpers have been buying up entire 151 displays at CostCo despite purchase limits, and many of us witnessed firsthand the shortage of popular items at the Pokémon World Championship in Honolulu, where people were sitting outside the venue selling the exclusive items for multiple times the retail price. Nor is it limited to Pokémon! One Piece and Lorcana both had famously hard-to-find first sets, since they would sell out immediately only to show up on the resale market with much higher prices, and the infamous businessman who hiked prices on lifesaving medicine for his own profit, Martin Shkreli, started buying up rare Magic cards to try and corner the market for himself. As tempting as it is to flip products for a quick buck, please consider how bad it is for the health of the game and for the community. One of the biggest draws for the Pokémon TCG recently has been how affordable it is to play. A solid deck in the current meta can be built for well under $100 using the cheapest prints available, whereas a Standard Magic deck is considered budget if it’s under $150. In Modern, the format that Wizards of the Coast is focusing on for competitive play, a competitive deck can easily break $800. Players who are interested in playing One Piece or Lorcana in competitive settings aren’t likely to drop hundreds of dollars on a new game, which prevents the player base from growing. It’s far easier to try out an existing game with a lower barrier to entry, like Pokémon, or a brand-new game with a smaller player base, like Star Wars: Unlimited or Neopets: Battledome. But time and again we’ve seen people driven not by love of the game, but by love of money. As long as these games are profitable, we'll keep seeing product fly off the shelf to be sold back to us at ridiculous prices, and as long as we keep buying those prices will stay up. IN THE WORLD OF POKÉMON Pokémon TCG League Challenge Saturday, 3:00 PM Best of 1 format, 30 minute matches, age divisions honored as much as possible based on participation. Deck lists are required, and must be submitted by 2:30 PM. Late and illegible deck lists may not be accepted. Prizes include packs, promos, and other Pokémon merchandise. Entry fee: $7.00 January Pokémon Day Saturday, 1:00 PM The ever-popular monthly Pokémon Day event is back with all of your favorite activities. See Pokémon Professor Jim to Learn To Play and for help building your new deck at 1:00, then hang around for everyone's favorite activity, Pokémon Bingo. Win packs, promos, and prizes! Remember, all players under 13 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Entry fee: $10. Pokémon League Casual Play Monday and Saturday at 6:30 PM, Sunday at noon Receive a pack of your choice from any in the store, as well as a promo pack. Participants are entered into the end-of-season prize pool. Entry fee: $10 Pokémon GO Scavenger Hunt Grab an achievement sheet in-store and GO out to collect them! Complete the scavenger sheet to earn a booster pack and a promo pack, and to be entered into a drawing for an Elite Trainer Box and other prizes. Entry fee: $10 GATHER FOR MAGIC FNM: Foundations Draft Friday, 6:00 PM Draft a deck from Foundations packs and prove that you’re the best brewer and builder in Hilo. Entry fee: $22 Gam3Escape’s Monthly Commander Bingo Saturday, 6:00 PM Bring a Commander deck and try to score a BINGO. Players who bring a Foundations commander will receive an extra prize ticket. Commonder-ish League Thursday, 6:00 PM Build a deck with only commons and uncommons (and a commander of any rarity) and play against other decks with the same restrictions! Can you break the board without breaking the bank? Entry fee: $10 Casual Commander Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 6:00 PM The most popular format in Magic, Commander, is back on the table. Bring your favorite deck, or playtest a new one against other magicians. No entry fee: These battles are for honor, not prizes! TIME TO DUEL! Yu-Gi-Oh! SUDA Premier Advanced Constructed Tournament Friday, 7:00 PM, Saturday, 2:00 PM Celebrate the release of the newest Yu-Gi-Oh set, Supreme Darkness, with Gam3Escape. Earn SUDA packs, and compete for a special playmat and field center. One lucky participant will also receive a playmat and Field Center. Entry fee: $22.50 Advanced Constructed Tournament Wednesday, 7:00 PM Duel for supremacy in the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $10 A WHOLE NEW WORLD Azurite Sea Lorcana League Monday, & Saturday, 6:30 PM The adventures in the Inklands continue with Locana League. Bring your sealed deck, or join the fun! The initial entry fee includes a starter deck of your choice, a booster pack, and a 200-card deck box to keep your sealed cards from getting mixed up with your collection. Entry fee: $25 (one-time charge) STAR WARS: UNLIMITED Casual Play League Tuesdays, 6:00 PM, Saturdays, 1:00 PM, Sundays 5:00 PM Whether you’re an aspiring Jedi, a sinister Sith, or a bounty hunter looking for your next score, Star Wars: Unlimited has all the excitement of your favorite space opera in cardboard form. THIS MEANS WAR(HAMMER)! Casual Warhammer Friday & Sunday, 5:00 PM In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. At Gam3Escape, there is only Warhammer! Whether it’s a Tyranid terror or a Blood Angel battalion, stage your army and prepare for battle at the weekly Casual Warhammer event. CARDFIGHT! VANGUARD! Divinez Constructed Tournament Monday, 5:30 PM Bring your cards and get ready to fight! Cardfight! Vanguard is back with weekly tournaments, every Monday night. Entry fee: $6 Check out Jim's articles at The Gamer: https://www.thegamer.com/author/james-ziegler/ and like, follow, and subscribe to his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Alolan_Professor
Weekly Events January 6 - 12
Written by Jim Ziegler With the success of Magic: The Gathering in the mid 90s, the end of the decade spawned countless imitators hoping to capitalize on the trading card game market. Eventually this led to the other two pillars of the genre, Pokemon TCG, originally distributed by Wizards of the Coast, and Yu-Gi-Oh, based on a legally distinct version of Magic that was intended to be a one-shot chapter in the manga. For every card game that succeeded, a dozen have disappeared, covering multiple genres and franchises. Star Wars, for example, has had at least six different card games before Unlimited released in 2024. In fact, my first trading card game was Young Jedi, which was released in 1999 alongside Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Popular anime franchises like Dragon Ball, Digimon, and Beyblade have all had multiple card games, and for a while blockbuster movies were getting in on the action. How many people remember The Terminator, James Bond 007, and the Austin Powers Collectible Card Game? One of the stranger markets was game franchises that tried to branch out into TCGs. Long before Hearthstone, the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game let players explore Azeroth in cardboard form, although singles prices at the time suggest that most buyers were after the rare tabards and mounts that certain cards offered. Some of these discontinued games have gotten a second life. The One Piece Card Game that came out in 2022 is predated by the One Piece Collectable Card Game, released in 2003, and 2024 Neopets Battledome TCG follows the Neopets Trading Card Game, also released in 2003. It’s sad to see fun games like Rage and Legend of the Five Rings fall out of print and die, but occasionally fans keep these games alive. Young Jedi, despite having no official releases since 2001, had a World Championship event just last year. With so many games available, why not try a new one today? Flesh and Blood is popular with old-school Magic players, and Pokemon fans will probably enjoy Neopets: Battledome IN THE WORLD OF POKÉMON Pokémon Standard Constructed Tournament Sunday, 3:00 PM Show everyone that you’re the best! Like no one ever was! Join the battle at the weekly Standard Constructed Tournament! Regulation F, no deck list required. Entry fee: $7. Pokémon League Casual Play Monday and Saturday at 6:30 PM, Sunday at noon Receive a pack of your choice from any in the store, as well as a promo pack. Participants are entered into the end-of-season prize pool. Entry fee: $10 Pokémon GO Scavenger Hunt Grab an achievement sheet in-store and GO out to collect them! Complete the scavenger sheet to earn a booster pack and a promo pack, and to be entered into a drawing for an Elite Trainer Box and other prizes. Entry fee: $10 GATHER FOR MAGIC SPECIAL EVENT: Win A Revised Dual Land Saturday, 5:00 PM Have you ever wanted your own dual land? Here’s your chance to win one! Bring your best deck and play for your shot at a Revised dual land! A minimum of eight players are required for that card to be available. Entry fee: $50 FNM: Standard Constructed Tournament Friday, 6:00 PM Standard is back at Gam3Escape! Bring your deck and battle with other Planeswalkers for packs, promos, and other prizes. Entry fee: $10 Commander-ish League Thursday, 6:00 PM Build a deck with only commons and uncommons (and a commander of any rarity) and play against other decks with the same restrictions! Can you break the board without breaking the bank? Entry fee: $10 Casual Commander Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 6:00 PM The most popular format in Magic, Commander, is back on the table. Bring your favorite deck, or playtest a new one against other magicians. No entry fee: These battles are for honor, not prizes! TIME TO DUEL! Yu-Gi-Oh! Grand Prix Series Advanced Constructed Tournament Friday, 7:00 PM Participate in the 2024 Yu-Gi-Oh! Advanced Constructed Grand Prix Series. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $10 Advanced Constructed Tournament Wednesday, 7:00 PM, Saturday, 2:00 PM Duel for supremacy in the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $10 A WHOLE NEW WORLD Azurite Sea Lorcana League Monday, & Saturday, 6:30 PM The adventures in the Inklands continue with Locana League. Bring your sealed deck, or join the fun! The initial entry fee includes a starter deck of your choice, a booster pack, and a 200-card deck box to keep your sealed cards from getting mixed up with your collection. Entry fee: $25 (one-time charge) STAR WARS: UNLIMITED Constructed Tournament Tuesday, 6:00 PM Battle on the ground and in space to take down your opponent’s base. Bring your favorite Star Wars: Unlimited deck and compete for pride and prizes. Entry fee: $10 Casual Play League Tuesdays, 6:00 PM, Saturdays, 1:00 PM, Sundays 5:00 PM Whether you’re an aspiring Jedi, a sinister Sith, or a bounty hunter looking for your next score, Star Wars: Unlimited has all the excitement of your favorite space opera in cardboard form. THIS MEANS WAR(HAMMER)! Casual Warhammer Friday & Sunday, 5:00 PM In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. At Gam3Escape, there is only Warhammer! Whether it’s a Tyranid terror or a Blood Angel battalion, stage your army and prepare for battle at the weekly Casual Warhammer event. CARDFIGHT! VANGUARD! Divinez Constructed Tournament Monday, 5:30 PM Bring your cards and get ready to fight! Cardfight! Vanguard is back with weekly tournaments, every Monday night. Entry fee: $6 Check out Jim's articles at The Gamer: https://www.thegamer.com/author/james-ziegler/ and like, follow, and subscribe to his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Alolan_Professor
Weekly Events December 30 - January 5
Written by Jim Ziegler It’s been a heck of a year, with ups and downs, with new friends coming into our lives and old ones saying goodbye. We’ve celebrated the Pokemon World Championship in Honolulu and the release of Star Wars: Unlimited and the newest edition of D&D in our own store. New Year’s is a time for looking ahead, though, and there’s plenty to look forward to. All of your favorite trading card games are getting new sets throughout the year, of course, and there are several new video games on the horizon, too! One of the ones I’m most excited for is the Capcom Fighting Collection 2, slated for release in 2025, but without a date announced yet. While the original Capcom Fighting Collection released last year featured the beloved Darkstalkers games, Fighting Collection 2 includes both Power Stone games, first released in 1999 and 2000 on the Sega Dreamcast, and only ever ported to the PSP in 2006. Power Stone is a unique 3D fighter with interactive environments. You can throw chairs, swing from the ceiling, and use walls to launch yourself at your opponent, all while competing to collect three Chaos Emerald-like Power Stones in order to transform into a more powerful ultimate form. And while I’m practically vibrating with excitement at the prospect of introducing one of my all-time favorite games with people, we shouldn’t ignore Nintendo’s bid to be the first thing you think of when you wake up in 2025: dataminers have indicated that Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket has another solo battle event scheduled to start on January 1, 2025. After the Lapras ex event in November and Venusaur in December, it’s becoming a pattern to start a new Solo Battle event at the beginning of each month, and this January it’s Blastoise, with gorgeous new art. If you don’t know what to do with Blastoise, don’t worry, I’ve already got a guide for you, and you can look forward to my event guide shortly after the event begins at 8:00PM local time. Holiday Hours December 31, 2024 3pm to 6pm January 1, 2025 Closed FIRST FRIDAY MARKET Friday, 5:00 PM Stop by for Gam3Escape’s First Friday Market, the first one of 2025! TCG vendors include @tcg808marketplace, @shakacardz, @tcghawaii, @tcg808rips, & @porygontrainer. @shaylax.ink will be there with her games and kawaii stickers, and a new vendor, @malahanaipua, that has Sanrio items, keiki goody bags, FUNKO Pops, art and crafts, and games! @HoolaMassageAcademy will be there doing massages! @filedabahiadohavai will be there with Brazilian plates! Plus freeze-dried candy, face painting, and balloon animals! IN THE WORLD OF POKÉMON Pokémon Standard Constructed Tournament Sunday, 3:00 PM Show everyone that you’re the best! Like no one ever was! Join the battle at the weekly Standard Constructed Tournament! Regulation F, no deck list required. Entry fee: $7. Pokémon League Casual Play Monday and Saturday at 6:30 PM, Sunday at noon Receive a pack of your choice from any in the store, as well as a promo pack. Participants are entered into the end-of-season prize pool. Entry fee: $10 Pokémon GO Scavenger Hunt Grab an achievement sheet in-store and GO out to collect them! Complete the scavenger sheet to earn a booster pack and a promo pack, and to be entered into a drawing for an Elite Trainer Box and other prizes. Entry fee: $10 GATHER FOR MAGIC Friday Night Jumpstart 6:00 PM Get two Jumpstart packs, shuffle up, and play! Entry fee: $20 Casual Commander Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday at 6:00 PM The most popular format in Magic, Commander, is back on the table. Bring your favorite deck, or playtest a new one against other magicians. No entry fee: These battles are for honor, not prizes! TIME TO DUEL! Yu-Gi-Oh! Advanced Constructed Tournament Wednesday, Friday, 7:00 PM Duel for supremacy in the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $10 A WHOLE NEW WORLD Azurite Sea Lorcana League Monday, & Saturday, 6:30 PM The adventures in the Inklands continue with Locana League. Bring your sealed deck, or join the fun! The initial entry fee includes a starter deck of your choice, a booster pack, and a 200-card deck box to keep your sealed cards from getting mixed up with your collection. Entry fee: $25 (one-time charge) STAR WARS: UNLIMITED Casual Play League Tuesdays, 6:00 PM, Saturdays, 1:00 PM, Sundays 5:00 PM Whether you’re an aspiring Jedi, a sinister Sith, or a bounty hunter looking for your next score, Star Wars: Unlimited has all the excitement of your favorite space opera in cardboard form. THIS MEANS WAR(HAMMER)! Casual Warhammer Friday & Sunday, 5:00 PM In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. At Gam3Escape, there is only Warhammer! Whether it’s a Tyranid terror or a Blood Angel battalion, stage your army and prepare for battle at the weekly Casual Warhammer event. CARDFIGHT! VANGUARD! Divinez Constructed Tournament Monday, 5:30 PM Bring your cards and get ready to fight! Cardfight! Vanguard is back with weekly tournaments, every Monday night. Entry fee: $6 Check out Jim's articles at The Gamer: https://www.thegamer.com/author/james-ziegler/ and like, follow, and subscribe to his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Alolan_Professor
Weekly Events December 23 - 29
Written by Jim Ziegler Real-world holidays can be a bit odd when they’re incorporated into games and other fantasy worlds. Often there’s some handwaving so that all of the Christmas trappings can be observed during Winter Veil or another thinly-veiled adaptation that avoids raising questions like “is Christianity practiced in Azeroth?” or “do only Fomori celebrate Christmas, or did Jace introduce it to Loot?” Other settings, like Pokémon, embrace the holiday exactly how we celebrate it, with some minor alterations. The Pokémon anime has aired multiple Christmas specials, establishing Santa as a real person (within the Pokémon world, that is), with a revolving team of Pokémon assistants replacing his elves. The Pokémon that help Santa change as new generations are released. You would assume that a team of Stantler pull Santa’s sleigh, and you’d be right… except that the first Christmas Special, Holiday Hi-Jynx, came out before Stantler was introduced, so Santa’s reindeer are instead replaced by a Ponyta. And instead of elves, he has Jynx. If you haven’t see that episode, there’s a good reason for it: Jynx was originally designed with black skin, with an appearance similar to Dragon Ball’s Mr. Popo, but her design was revised following criticism that she represented negative black stereotypes. The design has since been revised to have purple skin, and that change has been applied to Japanese reruns of Holiday Hi-Jynx, but the episode remains banned in the United States. If you dig around, you can still find most of the banned episodes, including Holiday Hi-Jinx, but you don’t need to look too far to add a little Pika power to your holidays: the mind-blowing Pokémon Christmas Bash album is available in its entirety on YouTube and Spotify. And if you need some last-minute gifts, Gam3Escape has the gear for all of your favorite games. Happy Holidays from the Gam3Escape team! HOLIDAY HOURS December 24: 3:00 - 6:00pm December 25, Closed December 31, 3:00 - 6:00pm January 1: Closed IN THE WORLD OF POKÉMON Standard Constructed Tournament Sunday, 3:00 PM Show everyone that you’re the best! Like no one ever was! Join the battle at the weekly Standard Constructed Tournament! Regulation F, no deck list required. Entry fee: $7. Pokémon League Casual Play Monday and Saturday at 6:30 PM, Sunday at noon Receive a pack of your choice from any in the store, as well as a promo pack. Participants are entered into the end-of-season prize pool. Entry fee: $10 Pokémon GO Scavenger Hunt Grab an achievement sheet in-store and GO out to collect them! Complete the scavenger sheet to earn a booster pack and a promo pack, and to be entered into a drawing for an Elite Trainer Box and other prizes. Entry fee: $10 GATHER FOR MAGIC Standard Constructed Friday, 6:00 PM Standard constructed tournament. Entry fee: $10 Casual Commander Monday and Saturday at 6:00 PM The most popular format in Magic, Commander, is back on the table. Bring your favorite deck, or playtest a new one against other magicians. No entry fee: These battles are for honor, not prizes! Commonder-ish League Thursday, 6:00 PM. Build a commander deck using only commons & uncommons in the 99. Build from in-store bulk, or bring your deck, and compete against others with similar decks. Each week you’ll earn a pack and a pull to add to the deck. Ban list applies, proxies not permitted (but c’mon, they’re commons), and deck list required. Entry fee: $10 TIME TO DUEL! Yu-Gi-Oh! Advanced Constructed Tournament Friday, 7pm & Saturday, 2:00 PM Duel for supremacy in the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $10 A WHOLE NEW WORLD Azurite Sea Lorcana League Monday, & Saturday, 6:30 PM The adventures in the Inklands continue with Locana League. Bring your sealed deck, or join the fun! The initial entry fee includes a starter deck of your choice, a booster pack, and a 200-card deck box to keep your sealed cards from getting mixed up with your collection. Entry fee: $25 (one-time charge) STAR WARS: UNLIMITED Casual Play League Saturday 1:00 PM, Sunday 5:00 PM Whether you’re an aspiring Jedi, a sinister Sith, or a bounty hunter looking for your next score, Star Wars: Unlimited has all the excitement of your favorite space opera in cardboard form. THIS MEANS WAR(HAMMER)! Casual Warhammer Friday & Sunday, 5:00 PM In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. At Gam3Escape, there is only Warhammer! Whether it’s a Tyranid terror or a Blood Angel battalion, stage your army and prepare for battle at the weekly Casual Warhammer event. CARDFIGHT! VANGUARD! Divinez Constructed Tournament Monday, 5:30 PM Bring your cards and get ready to fight! Cardfight! Vanguard is back with weekly tournaments, every Monday night. Entry fee: $6 Check out Jim's articles at The Gamer: https://www.thegamer.com/author/james-ziegler/ and like, follow, and subscribe to his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Alolan_Professor
Weekly Events December 16 - December 22
Written by Jim Ziegler Pokémon TCG Pocket has been available for about six weeks now, and the second expansion is already imminent. Mythic Island releases on December 17th, but since the game’s calendar is based on Central time we can expect it on Monday night. Only a few cards from Mythic Island have been revealed, but it’s already clear that the popular Water-type decks are getting a big buff. The new Vaporeon has an ability that allows players to move any number of Water Energy from their Benched Pokémon to their Active Pokémon . For experienced players, this means that you can safely retreat a Pokémon with only a few HP left and then immediately move all of its Energy to your next Active Pokémon. This minimizes the downside of retreating a Pokémon that you’ve invested heavily into powering up, since you can immediately transfer all of its energy to the other copy sitting on your Bench once its HP gets low. Another new option for your Pokémon TCG Pocket deck is Mew ex, which has the Genome Hacking attack. For just three colorless Energy, Mew ex can use any of the opposing Pokémon's attacks,which means that your Mew ex can use your opponent's Charizard ex's Crimson Storm for one less Energy than your opponent needs to use the same attack. It’s also a Basic Pokémon, so you can easily squeeze one copy into almost any deck to get access to Genome Hacking in order to trade with your opponent’s Charizard ex. With the release of Mythic Island imminent, it’s probably a good idea to hold off on opening your next pack and spending all of your Pack Stamina on Genetic Apex cards right now. Wait and see if Mythic Island has anything you want before going back to the old reliable. HOLIDAY HOURS December 24: 3:00 - 6:00pm December 25, Closed December 31, 3:00 - 6:00pm January 1: Closed IN THE WORLD OF POKÉMON Pokémon Day Sunday, 1:00 PM The ever-popular monthly Pokémon Day event is back with all of your favorite activities. See Pokémon Professor Jim to Learn To Play and for help building your new deck at 1:00, then hang around for everyone's favorite activity, Pokémon Bingo. Win packs, promos, and prizes! Remember, all players under 13 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Entry fee: $10. Sunday, 3:00 PM Show everyone that you’re the best! Like no one ever was! Join the battle at the weekly Standard Constructed Tournament! Regulation F, no deck list required. Entry fee: $7. Pokémon League Casual Play Monday and Saturday at 6:30 PM, Sunday at noon Receive a pack of your choice from any in the store, as well as a promo pack. Participants are entered into the end-of-season prize pool. Entry fee: $10 Pokémon GO Scavenger Hunt Grab an achievement sheet in-store and GO out to collect them! Complete the scavenger sheet to earn a booster pack and a promo pack, and to be entered into a drawing for an Elite Trainer Box and other prizes. Entry fee: $10 GATHER FOR MAGIC Holiday Chaos Draft Friday, 6:00 PM What packs are you drafting? If you knew, that would spoil the fun! Draft from three random packs from the store’s inventory and duke it out against other Planeswalkers for the top spot! Entry fee: $25 End-Of-Year Commander Bingo Saturday, 6:00 PM Bring your best Commander deck and play for BINGOs! Earn extra prize tickets if you use a Commonder-ish or Foundations commander for at least one game. Entry fee: $15 Casual Commander Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday at 6:00 PM The most popular format in Magic, Commander, is back on the table. Bring your favorite deck, or playtest a new one against other magicians. No entry fee: These battles are for honor, not prizes! Commonder-ish League Thursday, 6:00 PM. Build a commander deck using only commons & uncommons in the 99. Build from in-store bulk, or bring your deck, and compete against others with similar decks. Each week you’ll earn a pack and a pull to add to the deck. Ban list applies, proxies not permitted (but c’mon, they’re commons), and deck list required. Entry fee: $10 TIME TO DUEL! Yu-Gi-Oh! Advanced Constructed Tournament Wednesday, 7:00 PM, Saturday, 2:00 PM Duel for supremacy in the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $10 A WHOLE NEW WORLD Azurite Sea Lorcana League Monday, & Saturday, 6:30 PM The adventures in the Inklands continue with Locana League. Bring your sealed deck, or join the fun! The initial entry fee includes a starter deck of your choice, a booster pack, and a 200-card deck box to keep your sealed cards from getting mixed up with your collection. Entry fee: $25 (one-time charge) STAR WARS: UNLIMITED Casual Play League Tuesdays, 6:00 PM, Saturdays, 1:00 PM, Sundays 5:00 PM Whether you’re an aspiring Jedi, a sinister Sith, or a bounty hunter looking for your next score, Star Wars: Unlimited has all the excitement of your favorite space opera in cardboard form. THIS MEANS WAR(HAMMER)! Casual Warhammer Friday & Sunday, 5:00 PM In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. At Gam3Escape, there is only Warhammer! Whether it’s a Tyranid terror or a Blood Angel battalion, stage your army and prepare for battle at the weekly Casual Warhammer event. CARDFIGHT! VANGUARD! Divinez Constructed Tournament Monday, 5:30 PM Bring your cards and get ready to fight! Cardfight! Vanguard is back with weekly tournaments, every Monday night. Entry fee: $6 Check out Jim's articles at The Gamer: https://www.thegamer.com/author/james-ziegler/ and like, follow, and subscribe to his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Alolan_Professor
Weekly Events December 9 - 15
Written by Jim Ziegler The official Pokémon Tournament Rules Handbook has been updated with some new guidelines, and the one grabbing the most attention is the updated guidelines on clothing, accessories, and behavior. Some of the guidelines are the type of things that shouldn’t need to be put in writing, like the prohibition against firearms and realistic toys, but a recent incident involving a cosplayer at a furry convention has put that in the spotlight. Dressing like a judge or staff member while not on staff, likewise, is prohibited (but using a staff playmat doesn’t appear to be an issue). The part getting the most attention on social media is the prohibition against “Attire and accessories that violate the Play! Pokémon Standards of Conduct or Inclusion Policy or otherwise do not align with Play! Pokémon tournament environments.” This follows Yu-Gi-Oh’s ban of third-party playmats and accessories, after players brought inappropriate playmats featuring pinups of popular female characters to major tournaments. Inappropriate playmats haven’t been an issue at Gam3Escape: most of us know that Pokémon appeals to all audiences, and would be embarrassed to have to explain to an eight-year-old why their playmat features Misty losing her bikini. But the addition of Inclusion Policy to that line has people talking about politics. The United States is winding down from one of the most divisive election years in living memory, and people can be as passionate about politics as religion. But a Play! Pokémon event isn’t the place to celebrate your candidate’s victories or lament new policies. It’s a place to have fun and play games about adorable monsters you can stick in your pocket. Nobody is telling you not to support your candidates, or to preach your religion, or to enjoy more risqué material. The guidelines are just there to remind us that there’s a time and a place for everything, and that Pokémon League events are the place to celebrate our shared love for Pokémon. Please note: Gam3Escape is closing at 6:00pm on December 13, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Our full holiday closure list: December 13, 6:00pm; December 24, 6:00pm; December 25, Closed all day; December 31, 6:00pm, January 1, Closed all day. IN THE WORLD OF POKÉMON Pokemon Constructed BINGO Saturday, 6:30 PM Bring a deck and play to fill out your BINGO sheet. Earn tickets for carnival games where you can win packs, promos, and other prizes. NOTE: This is Gam3Escape’s normal Pokémon BINGO. Decks are required, but may be provided by Gam3Escape. Entry fee: $20 Pokémon Standard Constructed Tournament Sunday, 3:00 PM Show everyone that you’re the best! Like no one ever was! Join the battle at the weekly Standard Constructed Tournament! Regulation F, no deck list required. Entry fee: $7. Pokémon League Casual Play Monday and Saturday at 6:30 PM, Sunday at noon Receive a pack of your choice from any in the store, as well as a promo pack. Participants are entered into the end-of-season prize pool. Entry fee: $10 Pokémon GO Scavenger Hunt Grab an achievement sheet in-store and GO out to collect them! Complete the scavenger sheet to earn a booster pack and a promo pack, and to be entered into a drawing for an Elite Trainer Box and other prizes. Entry fee: $10 GATHER FOR MAGIC Casual Commander Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday at 6:00 PM The most popular format in Magic, Commander, is back on the table. Bring your favorite deck, or playtest a new one against other magicians. No entry fee: These battles are for honor, not prizes! Commonder-ish League Thursday, 6:00 PM. Build a commander deck using only commons & uncommons in the 99. Build from in-store bulk, or bring your deck, and compete against others with similar decks. Each week you’ll earn a pack and a pull to add to the deck. Ban list applies, proxies not permitted (but c’mon, they’re commons), and deck list required. Entry fee: $10 TIME TO DUEL! Yu-Gi-Oh! Rage of the Abyss Regional Qualifier Saturday, 10:00 AM Do you have what it takes to qualify for a Regional Championship? Bring your best deck and find out! Top 8 receive Regional Qualifier playmats, and top 4 will also receive deck boxes and WCQ invites. Doors open at 9:00AM, deck lists are required online no later than 9:30AM. Win-A-Mat and Time Wizard side events also firing! Entry fee: $22.50 ($13 for side events) Advanced Constructed Tournament Wednesday, 7:00 PM Duel for supremacy in the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $10 A WHOLE NEW WORLD Azurite Sea Lorcana League Monday, & Saturday, 6:30 PM The adventures in the Inklands continue with Locana League. Bring your sealed deck, or join the fun! The initial entry fee includes a starter deck of your choice, a booster pack, and a 200-card deck box to keep your sealed cards from getting mixed up with your collection. Entry fee: $25 (one-time charge) STAR WARS: UNLIMITED Casual Play League Tuesdays, 6:00 PM, Saturdays, 1:00 PM, Sundays 5:00 PM Whether you’re an aspiring Jedi, a sinister Sith, or a bounty hunter looking for your next score, Star Wars: Unlimited has all the excitement of your favorite space opera in cardboard form. THIS MEANS WAR(HAMMER)! Casual Warhammer Friday & Sunday, 5:00 PM In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. At Gam3Escape, there is only Warhammer! Whether it’s a Tyranid terror or a Blood Angel battalion, stage your army and prepare for battle at the weekly Casual Warhammer event. CARDFIGHT! VANGUARD! Divinez Constructed Tournament Monday, 5:30 PM Bring your cards and get ready to fight! Cardfight! Vanguard is back with weekly tournaments, every Monday night. Entry fee: $6 Check out Jim's articles at The Gamer: https://www.thegamer.com/author/james-ziegler/ and like, follow, and subscribe to his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Alolan_Professor
