About this Event
Ascent Auckland Path of Steel - The competitive event for players of Grand Archive TCG, running across Saturday 23rd January and Sunday 24th January 2027!
The Path of Steel main event is capped at 256 players, with a minimum $16,100 NZD Prize Pool! All Day 2 participants will receive prizing, while Top 16 onward receive cash prizing and Top 8 onward receive exclusive Auckland Spirit Prize Cards.
Format: Standard Constructed
Day 1 - Saturday 23rd January
- Up to 9 rounds of Swiss
Day 2 - Sunday 24th January
- Swiss Top Cut based on score
- 4 rounds of Swiss
- Top 8 players advance to Single Elimination
Number of rounds may vary based on player count.
Prize Breakdown:
1st Place - $5,000 NZD
- 1x 1st Place Spirit Prize Card (Auckland) + 1st Place Trophy
- 6x Radiant Origins (1st Edition) Booster Boxes
- 6x .asphodel/cantabile (1st Edition) Booster Boxes
- Invite to The Gauntlet 2027 at Worlds 2027
2nd Place - $2,500 NZD
- 1x 2nd Place Spirit Prize Card (Auckland) + 2nd Place Trophy
- 3x Radiant Origins (1st Edition) Booster Boxes
- 3x .asphodel/cantabile (1st Edition) Booster Boxes
3rd-4th Place - $1,500 NZD
- 3rd Place: 1x 3rd Place Spirit Prize Card (Auckland) + 3rd Place Trophy
- 4th Place: 1x 4th Place Spirit Prize Card (Auckland)
- 2x Radiant Origins (1st Edition) Booster Boxes
- 2x .asphodel/cantabile (1st Edition) Booster Boxes
5th-8th Place - $800 NZD
- 1x 5th-8th Place Spirit Prize Card (Auckland)
- 1x Radiant Origins (1st Edition) Booster Box
- 1x .asphodel/cantabile (1st Edition) Booster Box
9th-16th Place - $300 NZD
Day 2 Rewards (given to all players who meet the Day 2 threshold):
- CBL Season Ascent Day 2 Promo
- CBL Season Ascent Day 2 Promo acts as 2027 Nationals Invite Card
- CBL Season Ascent Path of Steel Day 2 Playmat
Decklists will be required and submitted prior to the event on Omnidex.
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Side Events, Early Registration, Girls Night, and Trade Night - Friday 22nd January
Side Events for Ascent Auckland will be running throughout Friday before the Path of Steel main event! This is the perfect opportunity for players to get some games in and take part in additional events ahead of the weekend.
Both Standard Constructed and Sealed formats will be supported, with specific side event details to be announced at a later date.
Players will also have the chance to register early for the Path of Steel main event to avoid the rush on Saturday.
We'll also be hosting Grand Archive Girls Night! More details will be announced closer to the event.
Finally, we will also have a Trade Night area open until the venue closes on Friday.
ASCENT TICKET STORE
Exchange your Ascent Store vouchers and tickets for exclusive prizes! In addition to merchandise normally available at our external events, the Ascent Auckland Ticket Store will feature:
- .asphodel/cantabile Champion Playmats (Exclusive to Ascent Stores)
- .asphodel/cantabile Themed Uncut Sheets
- Grand Archive Themed TCG Accessories
(Teasers of products at the Ascent Store will be shared at a later date)
JUDGING & VOLUNTEERING
Interested in judging or volunteering for Ascent Auckland 2027? We're looking for an experienced judge team and a couple of volunteers for the weekend! Please fill in either form before October 16th 2026:
Judging -
Volunteering -
We highly encourage all prospective judges to purchase a ticket for the Path of Steel first and you have the option of refunding the ticket if you are chosen as a judge.
Pantheon & Draft Side Events
Pantheon and draft will be major features of our side event lineup throughout Ascent Auckland, including on Day 0 Friday. More details on formats, schedules, entry, and prizing will be shared closer to the event.
REGISTRATION POLICIES:
By registering and purchasing an event ticket to our event, you agree not to resell your ticket to the event. You may still transfer your ticket to others, by changing the name on the ticket to theirs. Geek Culture Reserves the right to refund tickets.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
By purchasing an entry to either event paths you understand that you are providing your consent to be in any potential photographs, videos, livestreams, etc taken by Geek Culture, events staff, or other content creators at the event while you are in the main event area.
HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Masks: Not required, but recommended.
There will be a hygiene rule in place, if any player is determined to be too unhygienic and is causing a disturbance to others at the event, that player will be disqualified and ejected from the event.
AGE RESTRICTION POLICY
Participants under the age of 18 must submit a Parent Consent Form. Participants under the age of 14 must be accompanied by their parent or guardians throughout the competition. If the parent consent form is not submitted and the parents are unable to accompany them, they will not be able to participate in the event.
Event venue & nearby stays
Alexandra Park Raceway, Manukau Road, Auckland, New Zealand
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