Berserker, Rules and More

In this section, we’ll describe the Rules of GSW Berserker.

We are thrilled to introduce GSW to Berserker, a game on our Virtual Campus in Second Life. This wizardly game of strategy has become a favorite among those who frequent the virtual campus, and its popularity has grown enough that we’ve formally included it in our termly operations. To that end, we host a Termly Berserker Tourney—an end-of-term ladder designed to recognize the finest Berserker players at GSW. It also offers another opportunity for Prefects to rally their Lodge mates, for active members to earn Merits, and for all participants to enjoy a bit of healthy competition along the way.

Tournament Structure

Teams: Each Lodge will field a Berserker team consisting of at least two players. The makeup of each team is decided by the Lodge Prefect, who may use whatever selection method they see fit—be it first-come-first-serve, tryouts, or appointment. Teams are named according to their Lodge Mascots:

• Winds – The Curious Sylphs

• Flames – The Noble Salamanders

• Waters – The Intuitive Undines

• Stones – The Steadfast Gnomes

• Shadows – The Whimsical Whisps
  

Practices: Official Berserker practices will be scheduled during the term. Additional informal practices are encouraged. The Captain will assist Lodge Prefects in coordinating these formal practice sessions for their teams.

Meets: Official Berserker Meets are held regularly throughout the term, providing Lodges with the opportunity to test their skills and improve team coordination. These meets mirror the format of the official tournament and help refine strategies, determine rankings, and track individual performance. Lodge Prefects may schedule additional practice meets as desired.

Scoring and Rules

Match Scoring: After each round (a single game within a match), count the number of pieces left on the board for both players. The loser’s score is the number of their remaining pieces. The winner’s score is their number of pieces, doubled for a regular win (three in a row), or tripled in the case of a Berserker win (where all of the player’s pieces are on the board at once).

A full match is played as a best two out of three rounds. Once the match concludes, the scores from each round played are added together to determine the player’s final match score.

The team’s match score is the total of all team members' scores for that meet. The Lodge with the highest team score wins the match. Individual scores are retained for statistical tracking, player recognition, and tie-breaker situations.

Tournament Progression

Regular Season Meets:Each Lodge competes in a structured five-meet schedule across the term. The meet order is fixed and will repeat each term, ensuring a consistent competitive framework.

• Meet 1: Match 1: Undines vs Gnomes, Match 2: Salamanders vs Whisps

• Meet 2: Match 1: Undines vs Sylphs, Match 2: Gnomes vs Salamanders

• Meet 3: Match 1: Undines vs Whisps, Match 2: Sylphs vs Gnomes

• Meet 4: Match 1: Undines vs Salamanders, Match 2: Sylphs vs Whisps

• Meet 5: Match 1: Sylphs vs Salamanders, Match 2: Gnomes vs Whisps
  

Each Lodge will compete in four out of five meets. Wins and total scores from these meets determine each Lodge's standing going into the playoffs.

Playoffs: Following the regular season, the four highest-ranking Lodges advance to the playoffs:

• Semifinal 1: 1st Place vs 4th Place - Winning Lodge Earns 20 Merits

• Semifinal 2: 2nd Place vs 3rd Place - Winning Lodge Earns 20 Merits
  

Championship Match: The top player from each of the semifinal-winning Lodges will face off in a best three out of five series during the end-of-term moot. The Lodge represented by the winning player earns 100 merits, and that Champion also receives a full scholarship for the following term, along with formal recognition in Grey Matters.

Additional Notes

• Top players from the monthly meets and championship will be featured in Grey Matters.

• Teams must be assembled before the first official match of the season.

• All players must be actively enrolled in GSW. Journeymen may participate.

• We are exploring the possibility of recording matches for archival and educational purposes. If you have AV or recording expertise, please contact your Lodge Prefect.
  

We encourage all Lodges to begin assembling their teams and preparing now. The competition promises to be lively, and the stakes—as always—are worth it.

Good luck to all participants, and may the best Wizard win!