I just got home from a weekend of judging at Apex Gaming, in Caldwell, Ohio – which, depending on where your allegiances lie that day, may or may not be the central home for competitive Magic in the Midwest. Not bad for a town with (as far as I can tell) approximately one intersection, two […]
A Lagging Indicator
This is a story about the best piece of advice anyone ever gave me. It was from one of my first mentors, Scott Shapiro-Neiwert, and is nearly as true in life as it is in judging. I was certified as a judge at a conference when Scott and a bunch of other judges traveled quite […]
Cutting to Top8
So, you got to HJ your first event with multiple judges. Congratulations! That’s quite a feather in the cap. You got your briefing out before the event, took a couple appeals, and guided the event through the Swiss rounds. You even remembered to take some notes so you’re ready to write a review or two […]
On Player Meetings
Don’t have them. Good talk.
The One About Card Names
Most of the time, judge calls have a clear cut answer. Rules questions, most player Whoopsie Doodles, what to do if someone needs to use the restroom…these are usually pretty black-and-white. Occasionally, however, we come across a situation that has some more nuance to it. A spot where even experienced, well-practiced judges might strongly disagree […]
All Things Agatha’s
So, the thing about Agatha is she’s an ancient red dragon who is holding the adventurer’s home village hostage, demanding they- Hmmm? Uh, ok, my bad – that’s Argethra the Vicious. Must have gotten my DnD campaign notes mixed in here by accident. Agatha’s Soul Cauldron is a hilarious black and white movie about two […]
On Shadowing
Watching another judge take a call is often referred to as “shadowing.” There’s a lot of slang in judging but this is one of my favorite bits. Like all the best jargon, its meaning is immediately clear when you hear it, even if you’ve never heard the term before. A shadow sticks near the original, […]
Against Courtesy Deckchecks
As time marches ever onward, we’re in a constant state of re-teaching. Old folks retire and take their knowledge with them, and newer faces need to be taught the stuff that established folks can sometimes take for granted. This came to mind recently when I saw a post on that most-cursed of social media sites, […]
Phasing, Tidebinders, and Bats, oh my!
The current Standard format is pretty great. There’s a new “best deck” every week or two, nearly any preferred play style is available as a viable choice, and most matchups seem to have a lot of play to them. And judging the format is fairly easy at the moment, as the rules interactions at the […]
Running EOR with MTGMelee
End of Round has always been one of the most important tasks at a Magic event. Players came to the event and paid their entry fee to play Magic, so they’re looking to – gasp – play Magic. When rounds take too long to turn over, players are unhappy, staff get tired, and you might […]