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With the first UniVersus Regional of 2025 kicking off in Denver, Colorado March 15-16, now’s the perfect time to talk about how to prepare for and have fun at a UniVersus regional event. We’ll chat about what UniVersus is, what decks you need to bring to the event, and how to have the best time possible while there.
What is UniVersus?
The UniVersus collectable card game allows you to pit heroes from multiple intellectual properties (IPs) against each other in fun and highly interactive games. Whether you’re new to the game or have years of experience, there’s something at UniVersus regionals for everyone – from the main event, side events in multiple formats, on demand and pick up games, to collaborative boss battles.
To participate in the event you need to register on the UniVersus Gaming Network, pick which events you want to play in, and bring the appropriate deck. There are a few different UniVersus formats and different deck building parameters for each constructed format. There are also Sealed events, where you build the deck you play at the event. If you don’t already have a deck, or don’t have time to put a deck together, Sealed events are the perfect way to play without bringing a constructed deck to Regionals.
What UniVersus Deck Do I Need?
The main event at regionals is a Standard Tournament, which means that all the cards in your deck need to be Standard legal (printed in the sets released this year, 2025, or the previous two years, 2023-2024, and not banned).
You also need to check if there’s been any errata for your cards. Rather than exclusively banning cards that warp the format, the UniVersus team will often errata text on cards, meaning they change how a card plays, though they can’t change the physical cards themselves.
Depending on how often you play at your local game store or keep an eye on social media, it is possible that some of the cards in your deck were impacted, potentially without your knowledge. There’s a living errata and ban list on the UVS Games website. It’s smart to double check all of the cards in your deck, especially because there was recently a Standard rotation. I had to swap out six cards in my Godzilla deck after the rotation and I only caught it when I went to play my deck at a local event.
Once you have your deck built, you’ll need to enter your decklist on the UniVersus Gaming Network and get in as many practice games as possible. UniVersus games are highly interactive; you’ll likely be taking game actions on both your turn and your opponent’s turn. Take the time to read through all of your cards, as well as the cards in popular decks in the meta.
Looking through a list of recent tournament decks can give you an idea of the types of decks you might encounter at Regionals. Knowing what your opponent’s deck is doing is almost as important as knowing what your deck is doing.
Consider what card synergies and win conditions you have in your deck and how other decks you might see in the tournament will try to stop your deck from doing the things it wants to do. Finding a testing team, friends to practice with, and watching game play coverage are all good tools for preparing for Regionals. You can find game stores near you that have UniVersus events by using the official UniVersus store locator.
While the main event will be a Standard tournament, there are a handful of side events in different formats!
Side Events at UniVersus Tournaments
On Saturday of the Denver Regional there’s a My Hero Academia Spotlight event. The Spotlight format highlights cards from a particular IP, and all cards from a particular IP, no matter when they were printed, are legal. Depending on the IP, there might be only one legal set, or a half dozen such as with the My Hero Academia IP. If you’re a My Hero Academia fan, the spotlight series event at the Denver Regionals is the perfect way to play.
Sunday of Regionals will feature a retro event which allows all cards that have ever been a part of UniVersus, as long as those cards weren’t banned or had an errata on their text or abilities.
Finally, there are on-demand events, and one of my favorite ways to play UniVersus, the multiplayer format of Boss Battles, where you and a handful of other players collaboratively work together to defeat a boss. While some decks are more useful than others, any UniVersus deck will work for a Boss Battle.
Choosing to play one event over another will often come down to the cards you have access to, your experience, and personal preference. There are lots of resources online, such as deck lists from past tournaments and community made decklists to get you started. The website UVS Ultra is a great place to start building or refine your decklist.
What Else Should You Bring to UniVersus Regionals?
Aside from your decks, there are some other items you can bring to make your day run smoothly. Playing card games uses a lot of mental energy, and the event days are long! Make sure you pack yourself snacks and water to keep your body and mind fueled throughout the day. I recommend bringing a refillable water bottle, especially to the Denver regional since you will be at high altitude and altitude sickness is no joke! Try to bring snacks that are high in protein but aren’t too messy, and prioritize eating the snacks you bring.
It can also be helpful to look up the location of the event ahead of time and map out potential restaurants you would be interested in. Denver has an excellent food scene and there are lots of great spots to check out.
You’ll need to use your phone to see pairings during events and log your matches, so consider bringing an external phone battery or phone charger with you, as well as dice, a lifetracker, and any other accessories you might need. There’ll be vendors at the event if you forgot something crucial, but double checking your bag before you go can save you a headache at the event.
Lastly, don’t forget to have fun and bring a positive attitude. Everyone coming to the event is there because they love the game. This is an opportunity to connect with other players, play games, and have a good time. There’ll be far more people at regionals than you’ll see at a local play event, and so this is the perfect opportunity to connect with other players and maybe make friends that you can play UniVersus with later.
With competitive events it’s easy to get swept into the mindset of competing and forget to enjoy yourself. Avoid having a negative attitude. No matter how well you do in the main event, there are lots of side events and ways to engage in the game and meet new friends.
Good luck, and I’ll see you there!
Want more UniVersus? Check out our guide to the Spells in the latest set, Critical Role: Heroes of Exandria.
