Rules of Engagement
A Draft is where several copies of the same set are opened and sorted into separate lots of unique shape or color, and players take turns claiming piles. To participate each player brings one (or more[1]) unopened copy of the official Draft set(s).
All draftees should be present when the draft begins. This means standing at the table with your set(s) ready to begin parting and sorting the set(s). Please let the Draft Coordinator know how many sets you’ve brought as this will help determine the number of times you’re allowed to draw. Everyone cooperates to sort all the pieces into piles of like elements.
A general start time for the Draft is soon after the business portion of the meeting or no later than 3:30PM. Latecomers, those that show up in the middle of sorting MAY BE ineligible for the draft. The DRAFT Coordinator and Draftees will determine, but it is strongly discouraged to arrive late!
A fair draft will be a group of 5 – 12 people. If there are more than 12 people wanting to participate, the large group should be broken into two smaller groups. Players within a group discuss and agree on the combinations and separations [(1) and (2) below] before the drafting begins.
- Combinations – Elements are often paired or naturally ‘go’ with others. It is common to combine these elements into groupings. It is also usual that the combined groups are then divided into the number of lots equal to the number of pieces combined. Example: A pair of left and right wedge pieces. The lefts are combined with the rights and two (equal sized) lots are formed. Each (new) lot contains both L and R parts. This can be used for any combination of parts – Minifigs (legs/torso/head/etc.), wheels/tires, ball/sockets, etc.
- Separations – Sometimes a part has a high quantity in a set (say 5 or 10 per set). Discussion is opened to separate very large lots into smaller, multiple (evenly sized) lots. This allows more people to get some of that part. Also, there are some very desirable parts in a set that “everyone” wants. This type of part may be separated into multiple lots if the group agrees. The extreme on this is where “Everyone just keeps THIS part.”
Please make sure that before the actual draft begins, that the group has agreed on all combinations, separations or other variations on the general rules. In addition, if a Draftee wants their box and instructions, they should keep the box near them for that purpose. Some Draftees use the box as a container for their parts and sort them later.
Players draw lots and, in order, pick up the pile they want. At the end of each draft cycle the draft order reverses (example: 1-2-3-4-5-5-4-3-2-1-1-2…). Play continues until all pieces are claimed.
At the end of the Draft make sure all tables are put away and bags and boxes are discarded or recycled!
[1] Multiple copy drafting is at the discretion of the Draft Coordinator