How many characters can be in a Deck and Sideboard after character draft ?

[Gamling the Old]

As far as I read the CoE document on rules

Character Draft - .......

Finally, each player may then choose any unused or duplicated characters from their pool to shuffle into their play deck, provided that doing so does not exceed 10 characters between their combined play deck and sideboard. All other unused or duplicated cards in each player’s pool are removed from the game.

So 10 seems the max for all versions of the game.

But I just checked some squater decks on teh Fallen Gandalf tournament side and see at least 2 of the 4 finalist in 2023 (no decks reported for last editions) that have 11 and 13 characters assigned to deck + sideboard prior to Chracter draft (wasnt there, so cant check if they further upped the characters in the deck after draft). Both are Minion/Balrog squater decks?

There are orcs in the deck but the counting as half is as far as I can find only applicable to company size for determining Hazard limit

What do I miss here ?

[Konrad Klar]

Finally, each player may then choose any unused or duplicated characters from their pool to shuffle into their play deck, provided that doing so does not exceed 10 characters between their combined play deck and sideboard. All other unused or duplicated cards in each player’s pool are removed from the game.

I do not know from where the above statement.
If draft is being used then players do not include any characters in their play decks until starting companies will be determined. They can however place as many characters as they want in their sideboards (limited by size of sideboard).

[Gamling the Old]

https://www.councilofelrond.org/rules/

it is in the official rules document on the CoE website


Same CoE rules document also says

>> A sideboard is a set of cards set off to the side during the game, and which may contain any number of resources, hazards, and/or characters, but which must adhere to any other deck restrictions when considered in conjunction with the play deck (e.g. not exceeding the allowed maximum number of each card across the whole deck, not exceeding the 36 mind limit for agent cards, and/or any other player-specific restrictions).

Since the play deck as a 10 character limit the "in conjuction with the play deck" means that Deck + sideboard is limited to 10 characters total in my view.

>> A pool is a set of up to 10 non-avatar characters that adhere to any deck restrictions when considered in conjunction with the play deck and the sideboard other than total number of characters (i.e. a player may have up to 10 characters in their pool even if they already have up to 10 non-avatar characters in their play deck. A pool may also contain up to two non-unique, non-hoard minor items that adhere to any deck restrictions when considered in conjunction with the play deck and the sideboard.

[Bandobras Took]

Place one to five starting characters (no Wizards) face down in front of you. The combined mind attributes (see Character Attributes) of these characters must be 20 or less. You and your opponent reveal your characters simultaneously, placing any duplicated characters into your play decks. Then organize your starting characters into followers and companies and place them at Rivendell (i.e., place a Rivendell site card next to them).

You may assign up to two non-unique minor items to your starting characters (i.e., two items total, not two to each character). These items must come from cards that you have not already committed to your play deck.

Place up to 10 character cards in your play deck. Only one of each character card may be included. In addition, place up to two Wizard cards in your play deck (you may place two copies of the same Wizard). Shuffle your play deck.

The ten-character limit is established here, as well as the premise of treating Wizards as separate from characters for deck construction purposes.

In his or her play deck, each player may now assign up to 10 characters, and this may include any unrevealed or duplicated (set aside) characters from his or her pool of starting characters. Note that the Character Draft differs from the Rulesbook in that a duplicated starting character does not automatically go into the play deck, and that its inclusion in the play deck does count against the deck’s 10 character maximum.

The ten-character limit is restated here.

SIDEBOARD
In addition to the normal location deck and play deck, you can have a 25 card “sideboard” deck. Your sideboard can contain resource, hazard, and character cards (including any Ringwraiths). However, your combined play deck, starting company, and sideboard can only contain one of each unique card and a maximum of three of any non-unique card. As an exception, you may choose one Ringwraith and include up to two copies of his card in your combined play deck and sideboard.

There is no mention of a 10-combined character limit here. Simply the "one unique, three non-unique" limit. The METW wording is similar.

The ten-character limit seems to apply strictly to the play deck. The sideboard already violates limitations on a balance between resources and hazards; I would suggest that the 10-character limit would need to be restated for us to assume it applies.

Compare the agent mind limit:

The total of the mind attributes of all of your agents in your play deck and sideboard may not exceed 36.

(emphasis mine)

Here, the sideboard is explicitly mentioned. No such mention is made in establishing the 10-character limit.

[Gamling the Old]

It is mentioned in the Character Draft (my first post).

It states that you can transfer unused characters from the Pool as:

Once one of the players stops drafting cards, their opponent may finish drafting cards until they have also met the above criteria. Each player may then play up to two minor items from their pool under the control of up to two of their starting characters. Finally, each player may then choose any unused or duplicated characters from their pool to shuffle into their play deck, provided that doing so does not exceed 10 characters between their combined play deck and sideboard.


In other words,even if you can put more characters initially in your side board, you will need to remove part of them after character draft.
I can understand this as you may need to have some additional flexibility after the draft. Still before you start playing max 10 characters in combined deck + sideboard as I read this

Also mentioned in this ICE Rules Digest but cant find the original statement from Craig yet (this refers to it only)

ICE RULES DIGEST #553
13-02-1999 Author: Van Norton Source
QUERY 4
From: “Charles E. Bouldin, Esq.”
Subject: [VAN] rules digest 552 QA check

Would be so kind as to double check the following answer?

According to what Craig has stated and what was published in the Rules Digests, the characters not used from the starting pool of 10 can be added to the deckand are not restricted to the 10 characterr max. per deck+sideboard rule.

[Gamling the Old]

You seem to refer to Ichabod's ICE RUles Digest. But this contradict the latest CoE rules guide....

ICE RULES DIGEST #49
26-02-1998 Author: Craig Ichabod O'Brien Source
QUERY 2
From: Chris Finley
......

I thought I saw a maximum character mind point limit for your deck and sideboard when designing decks? I know there’s a limit of 10 charcters besides the starting company and the starting company cannot have more than 20 mind to begin with. Is there such a thing?

The mind point limit for your deck and sideboard applies only to Agents, and is 36. Characters have no such limitation, although you may only have 10 in your play deck, and 5 or 6 in your starting company depending on alignment. There is no limit on the number of characters in the sideboard.

[Gamling the Old]

As for rules on sideboard:

A sideboard is a set of cards set off to the side during the game, and which may contain any number of resources, hazards, and/or characters, but which must adhere to any other deck restrictions

Since the 10 non-avatar character is a restriction on the main Deck, this rules also says the restriction applies including sideboard. Your agent 36 mind example is an example. Iit says e.g. when the agents mind restriction of 36 is mentioned in the text. In other they given an example of, not a exclusively only this rule is there.

[Bandobras Took]

It would be nice to know when exactly that became standard and how. The printed rules on the character draft refer strictly to placing characters in your play deck. They have nothing to do with the sideboard.

There may have been a reason to issue a modification of the rules, but I'm not sure why. Put twenty-five characters in your sideboard, you still have to get them into the play deck in order to use them.

[Gamling the Old]

it isnt in any of the booklets, but pops-up already in the ICE Digests..

Still the current CoE rules are from 1 Jan 2025 which also state :

This game is quite complex when it comes to rules. Learning to play is not too difficult, but mastering the rules and understanding the final texts of the cards is a real challenge. Additionally, the rules have changed over time, which can cause confusion: you may find printed rules that are no longer valid, later clarifications that change how a rule is applied, or cards that have been errataed and now work differently from their original version.

As a result, many new players struggle to find the “source of truth.”

Fortunately, the CoE has worked hard to unify all of this. Today, there is a single document containing all official rules and an updated database with corrected card texts, applied to the remastered editions available on this website.

[Bandobras Took]

Yes, my point was simply that the decks you mentioned may have been unaware of this precisely because it is obscure and a change from the printed rulebooks.

[Konrad Klar]

Something what CoE should correct on its site or something what those who recognize CoE as an authority should obey.

[DamienX207]

Hi all -

I believe the "and sideboard" in Rule 1.9 may be an unfortunate typo; yes, per Rule 1.6:

A sideboard is a set of cards set off to the side during the game, and which may contain any number of resources, hazards, and/or characters, but which must adhere to any other deck restrictions when considered in conjunction with the play deck (e.g. not exceeding the allowed maximum number of each card across the whole deck, not exceeding the 36 mind limit for agent cards, and/or any other player-specific restrictions).

I'll confer with the RC quickly and try to get that fixed ASAP, and thank you for pointing it out!