Everyone loves an underdog. A down-on-their-luck character with struggles we can relate to – and can root for in a fight. With this in mind, why roll into the next tournament with the most busted meta deck possible? Let’s celebrate some of the unloved cards in the #transformerstcg – and let’s not just boost one card, but two!
Introducing Two Lwosers – the casual format for neglected stratagems! Players roll into a Two Lwosers (pronounced “losers”) event with not just one playable deck, but two! Each deck is centered around a stratagem that is legal in the format. These stratagems (and their Affects targets) cannot be sideboarded out in the course of a match. In fact, players do not have a 10-card sideboard in this format – they start with zero battle cards in their sideboard (outside of the free character any sideboard in most formats can include). Instead, if a player wants to switch up their strategy, they can swap out their entire initial deck for their secondary one!
However, sideboards aren’t entirely eliminated. If an intrepid player chooses some particularly attention-starved stratagems from the legal list for their decks, the choice can allow them a greater number of cards in their sideboard. For example, if a player brings a Pop-Up Attack deck (which at this writing grants +3 sideboard cards) and also a Cantankerous Attitude deck (which at this writing grants +2 sideboard cards), they can have a 5 card sideboard in total.
Two Lwosers Rules
Construction
Each of the two decks a player constructs for a Two Lwosers event must center around a single, different stratagem permitted under the Legal Stratagems list below. This stratagem is the “Lwoser” stratagem, and their Affects targets are the “Lwoser” characters. Only the central Lwoser stratagem in each of your decks can grant cards to your sideboard. If you add additional stratagems to your deck, they do not add cards to your sideboard.
Be sure to label one deck your first Two Lwosers deck and the other your second Two Lwosers deck. Each match will begin with each player starting with their first deck.
Two Lwosers also has its own banned list of Wwinner Characters. Everyone already sees these characters enough in regular play! As such, they are not allowed in Two Lwosers play.
All other deck construction rules are normal for Two Lwosers decks. They must adhere to regular, house, and event-based ban lists. Normal tournament and house rules must be noted and followed.
Register decklists
Before the start of the event, players will need to submit both of their decklists via teletraan1.net. Be sure to do this at least a day in advance of the event so that organizers can contact you if there’s a problem. Use the words “first” and “second” in the names of each of your decks.
Beginning of the event
All players will gather in the #tournament-chat channel on the Transformers TCG Community Discord. Organizers (typically identified by their [BF] prefixes) will ensure all players are registered and basic details are gathered.
Once the event starts, pairings will be assigned and announced in #tournament-chat. It is up to the players to coordinate a time for the match with each other and the event organizers. Once a time has been decided, announce the match time in #tournament-chat. Paired players can and should use one of the empty Standard Voice channels to play their match out. If any players have difficulty with their match, they can ask an organizer to do any of the following:
- Make more Standard Voice channels in Discord
- Run a deck check
- Make a ruling
- Ask for advice
Gameplay
Two Lwosers is a webcam-based event format. Bring out your physical cards and put up a good fight!
At the beginning of each match, proudly announce to your opponent the Lwosers in each of your decks, and which deck will go first! Make sure each match begins with your first Two Lwosers deck.
During the course of play, none of your Lwoser characters and stratagems may be swapped out via sideboard cards. Your decks are in it to win it for your Lwosers!
If you are spectating a match, do not give advice to the players, despite the casual nature of the match.
End of game process
Default version of Two Lwosers process
In the default version of the Two Lwosers format, when a game in a match is completed and a new game is about to be played, a new step is added before the regular sideboard steps. The winner of the previous game announces whether they will do one (and only one) of the following:
- Swap to their other deck.
- Use their sideboard for swapping cards in their current deck.
- Do neither of the above.
Then the loser of the previous game makes the same choice.
- Swap to their other deck.
- Use their sideboard for swapping cards in their current deck.
- Do neither of the above.
If a player chooses to use their sideboard, then regular sideboard rules apply. If they have chosen to swap their deck, then no sideboard selections for the current game are allowed.
Dead Lwoser’s Switch variant process
In the Dead Lwoser’s Switch variant of the Two Lwosers format, instead, the loser of the previous game announces that the winner will do one of the following:
- The winner must swap to their other deck.
- The winner must stick with their current deck. The winner has the option of using their sideboard.
Then the loser of the previous game makes a choice (and only one of the options).
- The loser can swap to their other deck.
- The loser can use their sideboard for swapping cards into their current deck.
- The loser does neither of the above.
In the case that the match progresses to the third game, each player may choose to use their sideboard for that game, regardless of deck swaps.
End of match
After the match is complete, congratulate your opponent for supporting their Lwosers! Be sure to announce the final score in the #tournament-results channel.
Legal: Lwoser Stratagems
Here are the current legal lists of stratagems for the Two Lwosers format as it is run on the Team Bayformers Discord server. These lists will be continually updated as events are run. As stratagems in these lists win or lose events, they will be increased or reduced in sideboard power – or be removed from the legal lists entirely!
Only the central, singular Lwoser stratagem in each of your decks can grant cards to your sideboard. If you add additional stratagems to your deck, they do not add cards to your sideboard.
If you don’t see a stratagem in these lists, that’s probably intentional. Only Lwosers win in Two Lwosers! Stratagems not in these lists are not permitted in Two Lwosers decks.
Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack
Wave 6: World|Strike
Wave 7: Turbo Revving Old Punks
Wave 8: Waste|Lands
| Stratagem | Sideboard # |
|---|---|
| A Very Cross Examination | requires Combat Deck |
| Alphastrike Counterforce | +1 |
| Barrel Rolling | +1 |
| Blockbuster Moving Trailers | requires Combat Deck |
| Boater Suppression | +2 |
| Combat Deck | +1 |
| Extermination Exercise | requires Combat Deck |
| Four the Selectors! | +0 |
| It’s As Good As Used! | +1 |
| Me Grimlock Kick Butt! | +1 |
| Me Grimlock King! | +1 |
| Me Grimlock Mash Brains! | +1 |
| Me Grimlock Say Execute Them! | +1 |
| Me Grimlock Want to Munch Metal | +1 |
| Old War Stories | +1 |
| Order in the Court | +1 |
| Prosecutorial Overreach | +1 |
| Slice, Dice, and Julienne! | +0 |
| Sonic Doom | +1 |
| Time for New Leadership | +2 |
Banned: Wwinner Characters
It’s no fun playing Two Lwosers if well-known, powerful characters arrive on the other side of the board, hitching a ride on a Lwoser Stratagem! Indeed, some characters are so strong that they’ll always be competitive and go against the intent of Two Lwosers. Therefore, a limited number of Wwinner Characters are banned from use in Two Lwosers events.
This list will be continually evaluated over time.
Wave 1
Wave 3: War for Cybertron Siege I
Wave 4: War for Cybertron Siege II
Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack
- Brawn, Demolitions
- Brisko
- Decepticon Quake, Ground Assault
- Fangry, Sky Tracker
- Grax
- Horri-Bull, Ground Trooper
- Kreb
- Nightracer, Gunner
- Perceptor, Precise Sniper
- Sky Shadow, Elite Warrior
Wave 6: World|Strike
Wave 8: Waste|Lands
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play a stratagem in either of my decks or sideboard that isn’t in the Legal Stratagems section?
Not in a Two Lwosers event. All of the stratagems in your deck, including those that are not your Lwoser stratagems, must be listed in the Legal Stratagems section.
How many sideboards do I make? The Legal Stratagems list how many additions to my 0-card sideboard I get but not which sideboard they go into.
Both of your decklists share a single, communal sideboard.
Are we allowed to share characters and/or battle cards across the two decklists?
Yes.
Is the communal sideboard only battle cards and stratagems, or can a character still exist there?
A character can still be included in your sideboard, though it cannot be swapped out for one of your Lwoser characters.
Since each deck must center around a single, different Lwoser stratagem, can I have any duplication in stratagems?
The Lwoser stratagems you select for each deck are unique and cannot be shared across your decklists. Any other stratagems that you include in your decks must be listed in the Legal Stratagems section and can be duplicated across decklists.
Prizes
Each Two Lwosers event is purely casual, so prizes will be distributed via the Ugly Hat!
After every match is reported, a pair of raffle tickets will be made with the players’ handles and thrown into the Ugly Hat. These tickets are not dependent on wins or losses! For Break This! events, a minimum of 40 minutes of time must be spent on a match, regardless of whether a player has conceded early or hit the eject button. Quitting games early is not a valid strategy for acquiring tickets! When time is called at the end of the event, players will be allowed to play out their matches and acquire their final tickets.
At the prize gala at the end of the event, the dice will be rolled and a random prize item from the event prize list will be up for the Ugly Hat’s selection. A single ticket will be drawn from the Ugly Hat, and the name on the ticket will be announced. That person will have the opportunity to win the item or go back into the hat – each participant is eligible for only one prize! This process continues until all prizes are given or no more eligible names are available.
Be the Winningest Lwoser Ever!
Intrigued enough to join our next Two Lwosers event? Join the Transformers TCG Community Discord and get the low-down on all of our upcoming events!