Behind the Bench – A behind the scenes look at judging and judges for HeroClix

Can’t find a venue in your area that offers HeroClix? Don’t know how to start judging? Do you think you got what it takes to be a judge? Then look no further – Judge MSU is presiding! I am here to pass on some tips of becoming a better and more successful judge. And I cannot think of a better way of starting this then by starting at the beginning – Starting Out.

Should I or shouldn't I?

The decision to become a Wizkids Envoy (in HeroClix, the envoys are called “judges”) should be one that is well thought out. Coming from someone who has been doing this for over 2 years, it does take time, energy, and work to be a successful judge. Before taking the exam or talking to a venue, ask yourself some of these questions:

Do I have the time?
Do I have the energy?
Do I have the creativity?

If you answered no to any of those, then you probably are not ready to start judging. The time portion is really crucial. Judges are supposed to be constantly checking for rule updates, new rulings, new FAQs, registering new players, planning tournaments, entering tournament information into the data base, contacting players…and that’s all in addition to running the tournaments. On average, I probably spend 10 hours at least a week checking for rulings online, entering tournament information, updating the FAQs for the venue, talking with players, scheduling tournaments…it all adds up. Having supportive spouses/partners will probably help out as well. Having a sunny disposition can also help.

The best advice I can give on deciding to become a judge is appreciating the game. You really have to know and love the game. As a judge, you are the local spokesperson for Wizkids. Not only are your running tournaments, but you are also helping promote the HeroClix product. While you can disagree with some of the decisions or game mechanics, overall you are the one who enforces the rules and puts a face to the company for the tournament scene.

While it can be tough, it is also rewarding. Judges get LEs every month for each of the Wizkids-supported tournaments they judge. What type of LE depends on how many players a judge has at his or her tournament. If you have 4-7 registered players at your event, you get a level 4 LE (or equivalent). If you have 8-15, you get a level 5 LE (or equivalent). If you have 16+, you get a level 6 LE (or equivalent). And you also get an LE for the total number of registered players per month at your Wizkids supported and Venue supported tournaments. You get a level 4 LE for 4-15 players per month, a level 5 LE for 16-23 registered players per month, and a level 6 LE for 24+ registered players per month.

Besides LEs, there are other perks. All Envoys are invited to Envoy Appreciation Nights at the major conventions where WizKids employees talk to them about upcoming events and sets. Envoys are given sneak previews to figures and cards in the upcoming sets. Envoys are also asked for their feedback on rulings and set design from time to time. There is a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) that all envoys have to sign to make sure they don't leak this information to the general public. Yup...judges get to know a lot of the secrets before the players do but we have to keep it quiet...or we can be "fired" Donald Trump style.

Finding a Venue

If you are ready to take the plunge, the next step is to find a home – venue that is. There are different ways you can do this. The easiest way is to find a venue that already has a HeroClix tournament scene but maybe the judge is leaving or needs more time to devote to other things. If that is the case, talk to the judge about subbing in for a while before fully taking over.

If you are the Daniel Boone of HeroClix in your area (there are no HeroClix Venues in your area), do a search on www.wizkidsgames.com to find venues that offer other WizKids products and tournaments. If they offer tournaments for other game products, there is a good chance that they might offer HeroClix tournaments as well if someone was willing to organize. If there are no stores in your area, then you can either start a Gaming Club or find a store that is willing to becoming a Wizkids Venue. Stores and Gaming Clubs have to register online at the Wizkids website in order to become an official Wizkids Sanctioned Venue or Gaming Club that is eligible for prize support.

When finding a venue, there are some things you have to be on the look out for. The venue has to be big enough to have players, tables (or places for game maps besides the floor), and has to be able to stock HeroClix product. Those are the bare essentials. Added bonuses include bathrooms, friendly and supportive staff, cleanliness, parking, and a good location.

Sponsoring and Taking the Exam

Once you have found a venue, it is time to become an official Wizkids Envoy. To do this, you must find someone to sponsor you and then you have to take the online exam. A sponsor can be a venue or a Level 2 or higher judge. If there is a level 2 judge in your area, ask them about sponsoring you. If there is no judge, ask the venue to sponsor you. The exam is open book and tests your knowledge on HeroClix rules and rulings and also about the Wizkids tournament scene. The higher you place on the test, the more likely you are to advance in Envoy levels. Detailed information on the Envoy Exam and sponsoring new envoys can be found on www.wizkidsgames.com.

If you pass the test, congratulations! You are now an official Wizkids Envoy. You are part of the few, the proud, the tireless – a HeroClix Judge!

Until next time, court is adjourned.

YAY! your article is up and very enjoyable. I for one really like being a judge and take sponcoring others seriously.

Great article! I have just been sponsored by a level 2 judge and I can't wait to start.

Nice Article there buddy-boy.


Very true about devoting Time and energy to Judgeing.

*Whew*

Impressive article...helpful too.

I must say that judging was fun...and I say was...because I once was one. The only reason I am no longer one was that my job outside of Clix wasn't scheduling me off to judge on sundays; (our day for tournies) reguardless of how often I would tell them. At this time though my schedule has been cleared up and I am free to judge and put all the time I need into it...

Anywho...in feb., I received an email from Wizkids telling that my status was revoked...my question is how does one regain their status?? I would love to be able to help our currant judge so that he can stay a little more focused on School and whatnot and still have a solid venue to come home to on weekends. I have taken/passed the test for heroclix...but the General Knowledge one is giving me some troubles. Any pointers on how I can pass the general knowledge one?? If I pass my exams after revokation do I get the status back or is there something special I must do??

thanks for the help

Sazabi

I believe once your status gets "retired" (to be an active judge, you have to judge one tournament every 60 days) you have to bring your Envoy account out of Retired status. So you will need to send an email with "Envoy Reactivation Request" as the subject to [email protected]. Your request must also include:

Your first & last name
Your user name
Your user ID number

The product line you would like re-activate
The reason you would like to be reactivated
You will receive a confirmation email from WizKids when this process is done.

To pass the General Test - my advice is to download the current approved play rules from the WK website, print it off, and take your time answering the questions. All of the answers are in the rules that you can download from the WK site. Make sure to take your time and take breaks...I got some wrong because I read the question wrong and didn't take the time to re-read the answers. As a sole Clix player, I had no idea about some of the rules for Mageknight or Pirates so I used that rulebook alot.

Hope this helped!

Good article. There's no book "Envoys for Dummies" and every new envoy comes into the system stumbling through with a "how do I do this" or "what does this mean". Hopefully, your articles will help some of these new envoys hit the ground running.

You forgot the shortage of playing time. Now that I judge, I have less chances to either play for fun or competively.

Nice article MSU. I look forward to future articles....

Nice job, Kitten. You make it sound so easy.

I would add "don't become a judge unless you like to babysit brats."


But perhaps I'm not the best one to ask for advise on this right now.

Even if I can get a judge to sponsor me, I still have to be 18, right?