Table of Contents
- Disclosure/Intro
- What is the SVO?
- SVO Monthly Cup
- SVO Mini
- What Do I Need to Play SVO Events?
- Shadowverse Account and Decks
- Battlefy
- Discord
- What Are the Prizes?
- Monthly Cup Prizes
- Mini Prizes
- Community and Resources
Full Disclosure: I’m not paid by Cygames or anyone else to write this (though I someday would like to be). I might get some packs thanks to the SVO’s neat community support program, but that’s just a fun incentive to make stuff.
About a month ago, Zhiff posted a Youtube video about the SVO, Shadowverse’s official tournament series. It convinced me to give the competitive side of the game a shot.
Two events later, I’m hooked and signed up for the next one.
That said, it can be a bit tricky to figure out what you need to do to join in the fun. What is the SVO? What’s the difference between the SVO Cup and SVO Minis? Do I need to have all the cards to play the events? This guide should be able to answer those questions and more.
What is the SVO?
SVO, or Shadowverse Open, is the game’s official tournament series. SVO events are free to enter and play in, with nice prizes for both participating and doing well. Broadly speaking, there are two main types of event: Monthly Cups and Minis.
SVO Monthly Cup
Monthly Cups are the open competitive tournaments that run from January to September. They’re separated into two regions: West and SEAO. Both regions play for in-game rewards and cash prizes, and the very best get invites to play in the Contender’s Cup later in the year. Monthly Cup events are Rotation format with Conquest rules. I’ll get into what that means here.
SVO Mini
Minis are shorter, more casual Rotation format events. Unlike Monthly Cups, they’re not separated by region; you can play against people from all over the world! You can switch decks between rounds, and prizes are awarded for playing every round and by raffle. Those who win all of their rounds get some extra in-game prizes and a chance to win another special winner’s raffle. What can you win? I’ll cover that further in.
What Do I Need to Play SVO Events?
Shadowverse Account and Decks
Seems obvious, right? To play the game, you need to have a Shadowverse account. If you’re completely new and don’t have one, I’m more than happy to direct you.
To play in the Monthly Cups, you have to register three Rotation decks from different classes. Sadly, you can’t play Bloodcraft/Bloodcraft/something else like I occasionally want to. Rounds are Conquest format, Best of 3. Before the match begins, you can look at your opponent’s decks and ban whichever one you want to deal with the least. They’ll do the same to you. To win the round, you have to win with both remaining decks; a win on Deck One means your remaining games are played with Deck Two.
If you’re newer or don’t have three Rotation decks, you’re in luck! Signing up gives you access to the event’s tournament page, where you can build anything that’s legal in Rotation to register. You don’t have to own the cards! Just note that you can’t test the decks in normal games if you don’t actually have the cards.
Minis are a bit looser; they only need two Rotation decks, and you don’t get to see or ban any decks before the match. The one I played last week didn’t use Tournament Mode, either, so you have to have the cards to build what you want to play.
Battlefy
Shadowverse tournaments are organized via Battlefy, so you’ll need to make an account if you want to enter and compete. Best practice is to have your Battlefy account name match your Shadowverse name. This helps tournament organizers help you in case of issues. Sometimes, that match can’t happen (I’m Neotilde because Neo~ was taken), but it helps to get it close.
Discord
Announcements, support, and general good vibes are handled in the SVO Discord, so you’ll need to get set up on Discord to get in. Again, best practice is to match your name in the server with your name in the game.
What Are the Prizes?
Monthly Cup
Playing all 7 rounds gets you 7 packs, whether or not you win. If you’re newer or don’t play many private matches, tournament rounds also count towards an achievement that gives you 100 rupies per person you play a private match with! The real draw, of course, is winning at least 6 of your 7 rounds, making Day 2, and having a chance at the cash prizes. Play well, get paid. Not bad at all for a completely free event, right?
Mini
Minis don’t have a cash prize, but give you both participation packs and a chance at some in-game or physical goodies! What are the physical prizes?
Pins, physical versions of legendary cards, and maybe even a Luna pillow! People who go 5-0 get some extra in-game prizes and another chance at the physical goods. Full disclosure: a big part of my motivation to start playing in tournaments is my want for those sweet promo cards.
Community and Resources
Something I always worry about in competitive games is the state of the community. I’m happy to tell you that the SVO community is awesome. People chat in the Discord, give advice, and aren’t just focused on sweating out their rounds. It’s a good reminder that even though you’re competing with people, you’re also playing a game you enjoy. I’ve played like trash in the two events I’ve been in, but I’ve had fun and learned where I’d tilt in other games. Bad beats get counteracted by a bit of saltposting and a few dumb jokes. It’s great. I also highly recommend the r/Shadowverse Discord; it’s more populated and active outside of event time.
Resources
Below are some links to some helpful Shadowverse resources. This list isn’t exhaustive, as I’m not aware of every available resource and also don’t speak Japanese.
Zhiff on YouTube – deck guides, stats, and meta reports
Zhiff’s Twitter – more stats and insights
Tempo/Storm – articles and in-depth guides
Shadowverse Master – articles, tier lists, and easily accessible tournament decklists
r/Shadowverse – official Shadowverse subreddit
Gamewith – Japanese language site, but navigable with Google Translate. Good all-around resource. Even has tier lists for Take Two!
SVGDB – art assets from the game
Thanks for reading!