Welcome back judge rockstars! Today we have an especially awesome interview today with the one and only Anthony Hullings, known to most in the community as “Krug”!

Name and Level: L2 Anthony “Krug” Hullings
Location: Croydon/Bristol PA (just outside of Philadelphia)
Judge start date: 3/2/2013
Occupation: Print Operator for an insurance company. I run industrial sized printers, booklet makers, and finishing equipment.
Favourite card: Sorin’s Vengeance and Cruel Ultimatum
Least favourite card: Possibility Storm
Favourite format: Legacy (Nic Fit!!)
Commander General: Damia, Sage of Stone
Favourite non-Magic Game: DC Deck Builder
Best tournament result: Top 8 of GPT
Random fact about yourself: I died 3 times when I was born. I was born premature and the Doctors didn’t drain my lungs.

Why did you become a Judge?
So, I used to watch my friends refuse to call a judge whenever we went to tournaments. It threw me off on what kind of people they thought judges were. I’d always here comments like “Judges are just out to get you.” Or “The judge just wants to give you a game loss.” It kind of made me not want to play competitive Magic. One time we were playing in a PTQ in Philadelphia, and my friend was playing Vampires against Bant. The Bant player had a Japanese Baneslayer Angel in play. My friend asked “What does that do?”Before the event, we talked about calling a judge to ask for Oracle text on foreign cards, but he refused to call. The Bant player replied “5/5 Flying. Protection from Dragons. Protection from Demons.” My friend declared attackers. Bant player blocks. My friend starts to state that his Vampire and the Angel trade, but the Bant player cuts him off. It was then that Baneslayer having first strike and lifelink was revealed, because my friend didn’t know that you can withhold derived information. It really put him on tilt. It was that day, that I decided I wanted to be a judge, and I was going to be one that all players knew they could call over to their match at any time.

Tell us your favourite Judge story.
This is going to be long. It’s a story all of my closest friends in the program ask me to tell.

So, I used to have a bit of a temper. Never really cared what I said, but I have definitely matured since then. During one of my first SCG Super IQs at Empire Gaming in Farmingdale, NY, I was helping mentor several locals while floor judging. My good friend Andrew Rula was the HJ for the day. It’s no secret that one of my big lessons to new judges is what the “J” in judge stands for. Janitor. We were in the final round of Swiss for the event, and the store was hot. No AC was horrible. But a player at table 2 was fine. Sweating profusely, he decided to take his shirt off while playing the match and just plop it on the table. At this point, Andrew looked at me and said “Krug, you mind handling that?” While giggling. I walked over and informed the player that the shirt needed to be put back on and was met with the response “Who are you?” All of the players spectating looked at me a little shocked, but I just pointed at the “Judge” on my shirt. “You can’t judge me. Only God can judge me” was the response I was given. I took a breath and looked over to Andrew who nudged me but waved to me to stay calm. I calmly asked the player if they knew what the “J” in Judge stood for. He said yes and then Janitor. This player was a local and was always present while we mentored the store’s judges. So I followed up with “Do you know what the ‘G’ in Judge stands for?” He responds ” No, you never told us that one.” At this point, Andrew is beside me, preparing to step in if needed. So I look at him and continue. “God. I highly recommend that if you would like to continue playing in this event and go on to top 8, since you are currently sitting at table 2, that you put your shirt back on. If not, I have no problem formally filling out DQ paperwork and escorting you out the door.” Now I know that he wouldn’t have been DQ’d, and I have yet to ever DQ a player, but he really got under my skin. Andrew and the spectators all had a shocked look on their faces, while the player just slowly put his shirt back on. The event continued, and the player in question is a good friend of mine. But it was definitely interesting, thinking back on how I used to be.

How did you get involved in Magic in the first place?
I got a hold of cards from a friend in art class when I was in 7th grade. Had no idea how to play, but I loved the art and reproducing it for projects. Finally after a year or 2, me and my friends learned to play. I even have a half-tattoo sleeve dedicated to MTG and some more to come.

How has being a Judge influenced your non-Magic life?
I have matured, thanks to the program, and it definitely carries over to my personal life. I’ve learned problems solving skills, logistics and communication skills that even help me in my day job.

You were nominated by Charles Featherer. What is something you’d like to say about Charles?
Charles is the brightest of us in the Northeast. He is always positive and always working while at events. He has a way with people that makes him a valuable ally. The first event I ever worked with him, he instantly snapped to attention and followed my every move and instruction. I believe that out of everyone in the Magic community, both judge and player, that he is my biggest fan, ha ha. I would gladly work any event with Charles, even with the current hiatus I am taking from big events.

Charles has come a very long way since we first met. He no longer fits the persona of being a L1, and this is painfully obvious with how much everyone asks “When are you testing for L2”? It’s a subject I know very well. Charles has surpassed me in so many ways, but has not yet truly come to believe that fact. He truly is everything that I was as a L1.

Charles will definitely make it far in the judge program. I hope to see him as a L2, An Area Captain, and Scorekeeper. He will always have me standing beside him on the front lines, no matter the battlefield he chooses.

What motivates you to continue being a Judge?
Watching the people who look up to me I the program and ask me to drive them to be better. Watching the people I mentor become better and them in turn helping me become a better leader. Even the players who are excited to see that I am working the event that they plan on paying at. All of it motivates me to become a better judge, person, and leader.

What is one tip you have for other Judges?
Take your time. The program fosters hard workers. Your goals will be met with that hard work. No reason to rush things and sacrifice quality in hopes of a fast track.

What’s the best part about your local Magic community?
The support from the players, TOs, and my fellow judges. We all work very closely together to make things better for all of us.

What is your favourite non-judging moment that happened with other Judges?
Watching the L1s I’ve been working closest with level up to L2. Knowing that I was a part of it makes me so happy.

What’s the biggest rule-breaking play you’ve ever made as a player?
I may have forgotten that my opponent had a Leyline of the Void in play when I sacrificed my Veteran Explorer…3 times.

What has been your favourite Magic event that you’ve judged?
My first GP. GP Richmond ’14. The event got split into 3 events. Mini-masters was such a nightmare, but it was my favorite because I originally got denied staff. I figured I’d go play, but contacted SCG and let them know I’d have my blacks if they needed help. Well, they needed help.  And I even got my first judge foil that day from Chris Richter. That Genesis is very special to me. And I met Riki Hayashi that weekend and we talked about my fandom of Green Lantern and his for Sinestro…he pegged me for a Guy Gardner fan before I even said anything.

What positive aspects has the Judge Program contributed to your everyday life?
Knowing that hard work pays off. TOs know that when I am on staff, i am there to work and I get the job done. And they encourage it.

If you could chat with one person, real or fictional, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I would want to chat with Guy Gardner. To find out how hard it was to manage all that rage through sheer force of will, then to be able to just let it go and feel hope. Going through so much has to provide some heavy wisdom.

What would you be doing now if Magic no longer existed?
I would probably be working 3 jobs and just fishing more often.

What is your favorite “after event” story?
After I certified as an L1, I never told Andrew I passed, I actually told him I failed and that everything he taught me was wrong. I actually made it last the entire PTQ and the entire staff was in on it. It wasn’t until dinner that I proposed a toast to him “pass or FAIL, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity given to me if it wasn’t for him.” He looked so upset, until Mike Noss proposed a toast congratulating the new L1. Ha ha ha!

How do you have fun during events?
I am always high-fiving players and judges alike. Some are afraid. Be afraid. And mentoring judges. I love mentoring. But for real, come by and share a high-five some time. Ha ha!

If you were a Planeswalker, what would be your ultimate?
My ultimate would just exile all nonland permanents my opponent controlled and their hand.

If you were a creature, what would be your creature type?
I’m not really a fan of zombies, but I am a black mage. So my creature type would probably be Zombie Berserker.

What hobbies do you have outside of Magic?
Kayaking, fishing, DC Deck Builder, Metalcore shows, disc golf, bowling.

Proudest moment of your judge life?
Finally overcoming my test anxiety and passing my L2 test.

What character in Magic (real or fictional) represents you the best, and why?
Teferi. Mostly because he was a disruptive student who always played pranks and got into trouble. I love playing pranks and having fun.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Keep working hard, judges. And seriously, come give me a high-five when you see me.

Two Truths and a Lie
Two of the following statements are true and one is false. Figure out which!

1. Nic Fit is my favorite deck.
2. White is my favourite color in MTG.
3. I have a fictional crush on Liliana Vess.

[expand title=”The answer to the last Two Truths and a Lie…”]John Carter had broken his ankle not at the event but earlier that week, and he thought it was just a sprain until a professional told him otherwise. Again, do not try this at home.[/expand]

If there is a judge who is also doing something exemplary, please nominate a judge TODAY!