In Brussels this weekend, we have six new judges to Welcome to the Fold!
Per Bodå
- Name: Per Bodå
- Level: Level 1
- Location: Uppsala, Sweden
- Region: Europe – North
Anouk Burny
- Name: Anouk Burny
- Level: Level 1
- Location: Gent, Belgium
- Region: BeNeLux
- Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: 2014-2015
- L1 Certification Date: April 5, 2016
- Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Elves!
- Occupation: Administrative assistant
- Random fact about yourself: I make wine disappear, what’s your superpower?
- Why did you become a judge?: I wanted to help my community be awesome, also because I’m running the Belgian Lady Planeswalker chapter and I wanted to be able to judge events for this group.
- What excites you most about this event?: Meeting all the new people
- What worries you most about this event?: Since it’s my first GP I just really hope I will perform well and add some value to the event.
- What is the best part about your local Magic community?: We have a budget-standard format called Gentry, you can only play 4 unique rares/mythics, and maximum 15 uncommons in your deck, which makes Magic affordable. Also everyone is really nice and welcoming towards new players.
Nick Kalfas
- Name: Nick Kalfas
- Level: Level 1
- Location: London, United Kingdom
- Region: United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa
- Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: September 2013
- Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Competitive Modern, Abzan Company
- Occupation: LGS in London
- Random fact about yourself: Studing web-developing
- Why did you become a judge?: To test my self and provide the same help to players that I got in my starting days.
- What excites you most about this event?: The fact that it’s my first Grand Prix.
- What worries you most about this event?: The fact that it’s my first Grand Prix.
- What are you hoping to learn at this event?: How to be more confident as a Judge, and around other Judges.
- Who are your mentors?: Danny Sparks Simmard
- What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: I work in my LGS, so I judge everyday in our events, Regular and Competitive REL
- How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: Studing and learning from my mistakes
- What is the best part about your local Magic community?: I have recently moved in London so I wouldn’t really know yet.
- What is your favorite Magic memory?: Every good finish in competitive events and playtesting with friends in preparation of these events.
Emilyen Laffineur
- Name: Emilyen Laffineur
- Level: Level 1
- Location: Tellin, Belgium
- Region: BeNeLux
- Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: February 15, 2016
- L1 Certification Date: October 18, 2017
- Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Community / Commander
- Occupation: IT Student
- Random fact about yourself: I really like Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Why did you become a judge?: I wanted to learn people to play
- What excites you most about this event?: It’s my first big event!
- What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The people. We really have a good community!
- What is your favorite Magic memory?: My very first game with a friend in our LGS
Antoine Oria
- Name: Antoine Oria
- Level: Level 1
- Location: Amay, Belgium
- Region: BeNeLux
Marianna Trnikova
- Name: Marianna Trnikova
- Level: Level 1
- Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
- Region: Europe – Central
- Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: 5. October 2013 – Theros Prerelease!
- L1 Certification Date: September 7, 2017
- Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Terese Nielsen, Selesnya and Enchantments
- Random fact about yourself: I went to high school in Japan, studied the language in University and still use it every day.
- Why did you become a judge?: I always enjoyed the atmosphere of our gamestore and being part of our community more than competitive playing. To become a judge and support our community was thus an easy decision for me!
- What excites you most about this event?: The expectations of going to your first GP. Will I swimm or will I drown? Will I know what to do on my own? Am I going to fit in?
- What worries you most about this event?: Getting lost in the venue
- What are you hoping to learn at this event?: How to deliver good customer service towards players, visitors and staff at a large scale event
- Who are your mentors?: Patrik Surab and Martina Eva Tonkovic
- What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Making sure my word has its weight for the players
- How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: Trying to find the correct approach and through clear communication. Knowing your local players personally is a big plus as well. They see you as a person they can trust and relay on. Being pushed into running timed drafts also helped a lot.
- What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The friendship. We’re a small community so we know each other personally and that makes the game even better for all of us
- What is your favorite Magic memory?: My first big tournament. MKM Hamburg. I knew no one at the event and was a little bit scared, not knowing what to expect. But it turned out to be one of my fondest memories. I love the judges with whom I had the opportunity to work. I felt just like at home with the events, as we are usually only two for most of our events and thus, I believe I thrive in a little chaos.