Official Club Rules

The Board Lords Club Bylaws

Prelude

The Board Lords is an exclusive club in which members explore and play modern tabletop board and card games.

These bylaws outline the structure and expectations for the Board Lords organization, ensuring that gameplay is fair, competitive, and enjoyable for all members.

Article I: Regular Season

1. Definition & Schedule

   • The Court refers to all players (Members & Non-Members) during a sanctioned game night.

   • Voting members will be referred to as Board Lords.  Non-voting individuals will be referred to as guests of the Court. All Board Lords must be age 18 or older. 

   • The Regular Season spans from January to November, consisting of game nights held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, except in December.

   • If 2 or more board lords cannot attend, an attempt to reschedule the meeting may occur.

2. Trophy Game

   • Each game night will feature one “Trophy Game,” where points are awarded based on final standings.

     • 1st Place: 5 points

     • 2nd Place: 3 points

     • 3rd Place: 1 point

   • In the event of a tie, points will be added together and divided equally by the amount of tied players, rounded up.

   • A minimum of 3 board lords must be present for points to be awarded.

   • Additional games played during a meeting do not count for overall standings.

3. Traveling Trophy

   • The winner of the Trophy Game retains the traveling trophy until the next game night.

   • The trophy should be returned to the gaming site by the next scheduled game night. Failure to do so may result in point deductions, subject to the other board lords’ discretion.

   • If a member of the Court wins, they shall be declared "Usurpers to the Throne" and receive a special throne trophy in lieu of the travelling trophy. 

Article II: Lord of the Board

1. Definition

   • The "Lord of the Board" is the title awarded to the winner of the championship game held in Summer or Winter.

   • This title represents the highest honor within the club.

2. Summer Slam

   • The reigning Lord of the Board must defend their title or vacate during Summer Slam, held in June.

   • The reigning champion selects one game to defend their title, with the following conditions:

     1. The game must support at least 5 players.

     2. The game must have a single winner.

     3. The selected game cannot have been played in the previous Winter championship game.

   • The winner of Summer Slam is crowned the Lord of the Board and receives the championship belt, summer championship ring, trophy, legacy bag and full bragging rights. Additionally, champions will be enshrined in the Hall of Champions for eternal glory. 

   • The new Lord of the Board must defend their title in the Winter Championship Game in December.

3. Club Tie Breaker

2. • If a championship game (Summer or Winter) ends in a tie and the chosen game does not have an established tie breaker, a Club Tie Breaker will be used:

     1. Most 1st place finishes in the current season.

     2. If still tied, most 2nd place finishes.

     3. If still tied, most 3rd place finishes.

     4. If still tied, a rock-paper-scissors duel.

Article III: Post-Season (Championship)

1. Championship Game (December)

   • The reigning Lord of the Board must defend their title or vacate during the Championship Game, held in December.

   • The winner of the Championship Game receives the championship belt, winter championship ring, trophy, legacy bag and full bragging rights. Additionally, champions will be enshrined in the Hall of Champions for eternal glory.

2. Overall Points Leader

   • The player with the most points at the end of the regular season (January-November) is declared the Overall Points Leader.

   • In case of a tie, the following tiebreakers will apply:

     • Most 1st place finishes.

     • Most 2nd place finishes.

     • Most 3rd place finishes.

     • If still tied, a rock-paper-scissors duel.

3. Championship Game Selection

   • The Overall Points Leader proposes a list of 3-5 board games for the Championship Game (December).

     • Each game must support at least 5 players.

     • The game selected cannot have been played in the previous Summer Championship Game.

   • All members vote on the proposed list on Voting Day (Last game night of regular season) and the game with the most votes is chosen.

   • In case of a tie, the Overall Points Leader resolves the tie.

Article IV: Awards & Accolades

1. Awards Voting

   • On Voting Day (last game night of regular season), all board lords vote for the Championship Game and various awards.

   • Players are nominated for awards throughout the year mostly based on their strategic gameplay and tactical prowess.

   • In case of a tie for an award, the winner is determined by a rock-paper-scissors duel.

2. Award Categories

   • Monte Cristo Award: Recognizes the player who made the best strategic or tactical maneuver during the year. The maneuver should be unique and push the group’s understanding of the game into new and exciting directions.

   • Benedict Arnold Award: Recognizes the player who most embodied the role of a spy or traitor throughout the year, betraying alliances without hesitation.

3. Honorary Titles

The Board Lords have the ability to assign honorary titles to members of the Court (non-members) as they deem fit. These honorary titles will serve to recognize an esteemed member of the Court for significant contributions to the Board Lords organization. Honorary titles shall be voted upon by the board lords and require unanimous consensus for approval.

Article V: Modifications & Tournaments

1. Modifications

   • The rules may be modified throughout the year based on tournaments or special events.

   • Brief meetings shall occur a minimum of twice a year to provide an open forum for new ideas, rule changes or adjustments to the club.

   • Any modifications require unanimous consensus from all board lords.