So at $18 bucks, if you charge everyone 50 cents to play for the prize, would the store-owners who are against BUYING prizes be able to recoup their losses (and thus go ahead and buy the kit)?

Yeah I am pretty sure this is what I saw. And I don't remember there being any restrictions next to the order.

Just talk to my LGS and told them to order 10 of these kit. I will find out tomorrow if there any limit on these babies.

I just wet myself. And then I read this and didn't even care that I had just wet myself.

Question- how do you become a judge? I just found a venue in my area, and they don't have anything formal for Heroclix...I'd love to start it obviously, but I'm not sure of what to do or anything...any advice/directions would be very much appreciated.

Apparently judge/envoy status is not applicable under the new Wizkids. We'll see how well this works out -- a good judge is a steadying thing and a bad one can kill a venue experience -- but I'm willing to see how this works out.

Oh really?

I have ample ability and means to purchase Mighty Thor, however, I decided to drive over TWO hours to go to a distant venue to play for one instead.

And I lost, terribly.

I couldn't be happier. I had a great time, played some awesome games and met some awesome players. I was lucky enough to have gotten a fellowship prize for my efforts.

I might still buy a chariot, I might not. The chance to compete for one was enough for me. I enjoy the game, play as often as I can, and support my local venues as much as I can.

I like that NECA has placed the power back into the Venues hands.
Its easier for NECA to deal with.

Plus, the venues know there customers and players best.

To be fair, that just isn't fair or necessarily true.

True, some folk will milk the system and purchase Prize support with the intent to profit, but that's hardly anything new. Under the old system, there were a number of Venues and Envoys that treated the Prizes as commodities, just as some will now.

However, there is a need to get the support out to folk quickly with the intent of having events set up for players. Since we can reasonably presume that the old Venue database is not available at this time, what would you recommend?

I should also point out that there is nothing to indicate this is how prize support will be handled beyond this expansion.

How is that any different than any other expansion?

By my count, there is 15 weeks' worth of prize support in this kit, ample quantity to keep interest up between the HoT Release date and early 2010 (the proposed release time for the next set).

Respectfully, you're drawing a lot of conclusions based on some pretty flimsy, and circumstantial, evidence.

I also think you're interpretation borders upon the melodramatic, but that's just me.

You're also talking about product that had been available for quite some time prior to the "Con Weekend" events. Apples and oranges my friend, apples and oranges.

Wow this sounds like the end. I see all the awesome prize support and then envoys not required. I know all the good venues will continue the old shcool method but this just reminds me of the whole phasing out judges things and that scares me.

YET.

Agreed. Believe you me, TPTB are fully aware how critical a good group of volunteers are to the success of a Brand.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see something rolled out in the next 3-4 months.

There is nothing solid or substantial to indicate that there will not be Envoys moving forward. Again, TPTB know how valuable the Envoys were in the "old regime".

However, it is not as simple as just "re-activating" everyone. There is just so much for NECA/WK to do and if we look at what they've accomplished in the last two months, it's amazing. I think we can give them a little more time to get a new program together, eh?

Oh absolutely, that's why I want to make sure that we get the ball rolling in a good way...I've thought about trying to become a judge (since I finally have people to play with, I've developed a great fascination with the intricacies of the game and a desire to make sure that we're learning the right way). Now that I have found a venue, that really amps up that desire a few more levels. So if there is no official judge/envoy status...we would be able to do tournaments with no official "judge"? Forgive me if I'm asking a stupid question, this is my first foray into anything like this, so I want to make sure that I'm dotting all my i's and crossing my t's.

This appears to be the way they're launching things, yes.

I think one good lesson to take from the past Year Off is that we don't need to go back to dangling prizes over players' heads. Get some items that people can win, but having them be things we can likely fairly easily get otherwise keeps it much more pleasant IMHO. Honestly, I'll be much more likely to come out to play if a win at all costs push isn't in place.

As I understand it, Venues can ask anyone they'd like to run the events for them. I full well expect many, if not most, will turn to the former Envoys who diligently ran events for them in the past.

For those of us who never stopped, it will most likely just be a matter of incorporating the HoT events into our already eastablished schedules.

For those returning to the role, I wish them an easy transition back into the saddle.

And for those who are new to the role, it will be a matter of approaching your Venue and/or former Envoys and asking to work with them for the HoT events.

So no, one need not hold any sort of former "official" status to run events for HoT. However, if you're serious about it, I would definitely brush up on our Rules and markeing knowledge!

Purchasing prize kits seems like an entirely reasonable proposition. I'll happily front the purchase cost to the venue I judge at to be able to run 12+ weeks of supported play. The only drawback I see is selling out of the Prize Support (see also the BibtB figures).