Universal Terms of Challenge
The Universal Terms of Challenge provide the general outline for eligibility, procedure, format etc. regarding challenges for Duel of Swords titles. When in conflict with other specific rules (such as the Overlord or Baron sections) those terms will override the Universal Terms of Challenge. Specific terms of challenge override general terms of challenge. For specific guidelines on challenging Renegade Barons, Loyal Barons, and the Overlord please see those sections linked below.
Challenger Eligibility
Please read this section to determine if you are eligible to challenge a DoS Titleholder.
General Requirements
1. A duelist must be active on the standings, by completing at least one (1) regulation duel within the last three months (90 days), in order to issue a challenge. This includes any special grants issued as tournament prizes, as well as any Overlord Grants.
2. A duelist can only participate in one challenge process at a time as a challenger or defender. A challenge process begins with validation and ends when the Official Standings are updated.
Exception: Renegade barons may be under challenge by multiple challengers at a time. See Renegade Barons, item 2.
3. When you lose a challenge (either as the Challenger or as the Titleholder) you must wait two weeks (14 days) before you can issue another challenge. This 14-day “Cool Down” begins when the standings are posted on Sunday at 6pm ET.
Exception: Recipients of a Challenge Grant prize are exempt from this rule for the purposes of issuing a challenge with their Challenge Grant.
Grant Recipients
1. Unless otherwise noted, grant recipients have two weeks (14 days), starting from when the grant is received (e.g. the conclusion of a tournament, when a gifted grant is posted to the forums etc.), to use their challenge grant.
2. Inactive grant winners are required to become active on the Official Standings to use their challenge grants. Please remember that the Official Standings are updated on Sundays at 6PM ET.
Warlord Challenge Rights
1. Each Warlord, upon achieving the rank of Warlord on the Official Standings, is awarded two (2) Challenge Rights per cycle. A maximum of two (2) Challenge Rights can be held at a time.
- To issue a challenge to the Overlord, the cost is two (2) Challenge Rights. To issue a challenge to a Baron, the cost is one (1) Challenge Right.
2. A Warlord may regain Challenge Rights by way of regulation dueling should they fall below the maximum of two (2) Challenge Rights. Regulation duels must be recorded on the Official Standings to count towards challenge rights.
- To regain Challenge Rights a Warlord must duel in regulation Duel of Swords matches. For every five (5) duels won a Challenge Right will be awarded to the duelist.
- Warlords may regain Challenge Rights immediately after a failed/won challenge. Titleholders may regain any used Challenge Rights through the same process as well.
3. To use these regained Challenge Rights the challenging Warlord must list their winning regulation matches in the challenge thread
(Please see the example below).
Example
Thread Subject: Challenge for Dockside!
I'm challenging for Dockside!
Proof of Regained Challenge Right
PC .def. Lisa Takamine, 5-2 in 10, DoS
PC .def. Hope, 5-4 in 8, DoS
PC .def. Claire Gallows, 5-4 in 9, DoS
PC .def. Hope, 6-5 in 12, DoS
PC .def. Nat Candle, 5-3 in 14, DoS
Note 1: You can
regain challenge rights as soon as your regulation duels are posted on the standings. If you are defeated in a challenge you must wait 14-days before you can issue another challenge.
Note 2: A Warlord may hold both Challenge Rights (max of 2) and Challenge Grants at the same time.
Challenge Procedures
General Rules
1. All challenges, the waiving of a grace period, and answering challenges must be posted on the
Public Notice Board for purposes of notification and validation.
2. Before issuing a challenge, please check to see if the titleholder is entitled to a grace period (this applies to
Loyal Barons and the
Overlord) Note: All grace periods end at 6PM ET on the appropriate date.
Issuing a Challenge
1. It is a requirement that when a challenge is issued for a title, that you must place the name of the Barony in the subject line of the post. You must also indicate it is a Challenge.
Example: "Challenge to Dockside!" "I Challenge for New Haven!" or "Marketplace Challenge!" etc.
This is to make it easier for everyone involved to know who is being challenged, as well as for Standings Keepers and any Historians to do research.
2. In the body of the challenge, you must clearly indicate if you are issuing a challenge using a Challenge Grant/Cyclical Prize (such as the King's Decree, a Barony Challenge Grant, a test-free Overlord Challenge Grant etc.) Otherwise, we will assume you are using your Challenge Rights.
3. Challenges issued via rights and grants may be rescinded and the right/grant returned to the duelist to be used in accordance with their original terms. (e.g. a grant for a challenge to be issued within two weeks (14 days), The challenger still only has those same 14 days, so rescinding after 10 have passed leaves 4 to issue a new challenge). Once a challenge duel has begun or the challenge itself has triggered an administrative action in regard to the title (such as a declaration of forfeit against the challenged titleholder), the right or grant is considered spent.
Exemption: A right or grant may be rescinded after a challenge is validated.
4. Where not specifically addressed all challenges are “first come, first served”. Only the first challenge is considered valid and all others are void based on the order in which letters of challenge are posted on the Public Notice Board.
This means there are no queues of challenge except against Renegade Barons, or to the Overlord in the case of multiple banished barons.
5. Challenges, if not properly served, will be voided by a Duel of Swords Official. In the case of a voided challenge, the Challenger will have their challenge rights stripped for the remainder of the cycle as a penalty. This penalty will *not* take effect if the challenge is withdrawn before voided.
Challenge Acceptance and Scheduling
1. A challenge MUST be answered, or it is an
abdication of title.
- All challenges must be answered within five days of validation and dueled within two weeks (14 days) of validation. Both deadlines will be at the end of the day, 11:59pm ET.
- If you are waiving a grace period in response to a challenge, you may do so in the challenge thread but it must be done before the challenge is validated by the Duel of Swords staff.
- Any form of response to the challenge thread by the titleholder, after validation, is considered an acceptance.
2. It is the responsibility of the challenger to secure an official.The caller chosen must be agreed upon by all parties directly involved in the challenge.
DoS Available Callers
3. The challenger must also respond to the challenge thread and post the following information: the day and time of the match, and the name of the official calling.
Example: Michelle Montoya and Hope Naharis will be fighting this challenge match on Saturday, June 6th at 8:30ET. Mallory Maeda will be calling.
Challenge Format and Completion
1. There is a 30 minute leeway given to duelists in a challenge to arrive after the scheduled time. (e.g. Challenge is scheduled at 8pm, you have until 8:30.)
2. If an Overlord, Baron, or Challenger fails to arrive at the scheduled challenge time, they are given one week (7 days) from the scheduled challenge date and time to complete the challenge. No extensions beyond this will be given. Should one fail to show at the second appointed time, the missing party or parties will be stripped of their title/challenge rights/grant.
3. The challenge can be fought in a single or best-of-three format at the discretion of the challenged party, unless there is a Test of Worthiness. (See below)
4. There can be no tie results in a Challenge duel. The duel will go into overtime until it reaches a conclusion. A minimum of five points must be scored by the winner, with a one point lead.
5. The wins and losses that occur in Challenge Matches do not apply to the regular standings, and do not count towards activity.
6. A challenge is not considered complete and official until the results are posted in the Standings. Standings are considered official at 6PM ET on Sundays.
- For historical purposes, the date a challenge is fought will be recorded as the defense/victory of that title.
- The caller officiating the match is required to post the results of the Challenge in the appropriate challenge thread before the next Official Standings are posted.
Tests of Worthiness
The following terms outline the basic criteria and format of a Test of Worthiness. Nuances exist for Barons and Overlords, please see the specific challenge terms linked below.
Terminology:
- Defender (titleholder being challenged)
- Challenger (the duelist issuing the challenge)
- Champion (duelist stepping in to issue a “Test of Worthiness”)
- Advocate (a duelist stepping in to counter a “Test of Worthiness”)
1. To participate in a “Test of Worthiness” as a Champion or Advocate the duelist must be listed as
active on the DoS Official Standings.
2. All Challengers/Defenders may have a Champion/Advocate by voluntary intervention. Please see the specific challenge terms for guidelines on who may intervene. Under the
Overlord Challenge Terms,
appointments can also be made.
3. A “Test of Worthiness” must be announced by the Defender/Champion before the first round of a Challenge Match is called.
4. Once a “Test of Worthiness” is announced, the official will ask to see if there are any duelists intending to counter the test as an “Advocate” in the “Test of Worthiness”.
- If an Advocate steps forward, they will duel the Champion in a single match. Should the Advocate win, then the Challenger will go on to face the Defender. If the Advocate loses, the Challenger will then face the Champion as if there was no Advocate (see below).
- If an Advocate does not step forward, then the Challenger must face the Champion in the “Test of Worthiness” in a single match. Should they succeed, they will go on to face the Defender in a single match. If the Challenger fails, they have lost the challenge.
Synopsis in Lay Terms:
- To challenge the Overlord or a Baron, the challenger must be a) active on the standings and b) have either a Challenge Grant or enough Challenge Rights.
- Challenge Grants come in various ways (Tournaments, the Overlord, Cycle Prizes), and need to be used within two weeks (14 days).
- Challenge Rights are given to every Warlord at the beginning of a Cycle. Every Warlord starts with two (2) Challenge Rights. These initial Challenge Rights allow you to challenge the Overlord once OR challenge for a Barony twice, within a cycle.
- Before making a challenge, check to see if the duelist you are challenging (the Overlord or a Loyal Baron) has a ‘grace period’. Renegade Barons do not have grace periods.
- To issue a challenge, make a forum post in The Arena, and include the words “Challenge” and the name of the title you are challenging for (e.g. ‘Seaside’ or ‘Overlord’) in the subject of your post. Make sure you declare if you are using a Challenge Grant.
- There are strict deadlines for accepting (one week) and scheduling challenges (two weeks), please be familiar with them.
- It is the responsibility of the challenger to schedule the challenge match, find a caller, and post the arrangements (time and date of the match) on the forums in advance.
- Challenges can happen in a single match or in a best-out-of-three format. The titleholder (Overlord/Baron) decides the format.
- Sometimes a Test of Worthiness occurs before a challenge match has begun. There are special rules for a Test of Worthiness, including who can intercede and who can counter. These rules are different for Loyal Barons, Renegade Barons, and the Overlord.
For Baronial Challenge Terms click HERE
For Overlord Challenge Terms click HERE
For Squire Test Terms click HERE