So with the new set comin out and WK NECA talkin about OP coming back (with actual scheduals to go by) and giving the judges LE's of their own,

my question is; how do u become a judge under the new regeim, is it the same as the old? will it be different?

will everyone that was a judge before automatically get to be a judge again??

just some things i have thought of...

Hmmmm...OP? Observed Play?

Would that make them voyeurs?

All previous Envoys are now classified as Voyeurs. Merry Christmas and enjoy the show.

organized play

Basically, right now, whoever your venue (owner/manager) assigns/agrees to as the judge for organized play is who it becomes. I think in most cases, it's whoever has always been doing it, but for venues who are just starting up with HeroClix OP, it would be a good idea to give the title to the person who is most versed in the rules.

Oh...heh....thought it was Approved Play.

This is just a guess, since I have not seen or heard anything "official" -
anyone interested in running games/acting as a Judge should connect with a store that sells Heroclix and is willing to host games and order prize kits.
Basically a place willing to be what we used to call "venues."
Regardless of the new OP/Judge organization, the main thing will always be your friendly neighborhood retail outlet with sufficient space to run games and ownership willing to support the games.
That has always been the key.
The Judges (or envoys) have always been secondary.
And please, I don't mean that as a slight. I've been a Judge for years.
But a "venue" can get along without a Judge but not the other way around.
So if you're interested in "Judging" and don't currently have a relationship with a store, it would be wise to begin developing such a relationship.
I've started "venues" at 4 stores over the past few years. Of the 4 stores where I got games started, 3 of them are now no longer in business! (no, not as a result of Heroclix!) Retail is HARD, especially "specialty retail!" I've played at 5 other stores in my area as well, and 2 of them are closed and 1 that is still in business no longer runs games!
It's a tough business. keep that in mind, and that in addition to helping the game it is important that you are helping the store.
They really can use all the help they can get!

Judes do a lot more than just answer rule questions. They also manage the prize support, make sure there are enough maps, objects, tokens, etc. double check the math and legality of teams, determine pairings and simply try to make sure everyone has a good time. But having said that, I agree that knowing the rules better than the players is probably their #1 role. Its just not the only consideration when determining who would be the best judge.

Which is all apart of the Tournament Rules.

I'd counter that while knowing the rules is definitely important, it is not the most important requirement for being a Judge. It's just the only one with an objective test.

A Judge is the leader of the playing group. He is an ambassador for the game. Even if he is not an employee of the store, he will still be part of a customer's perception of the store. He is responsible for mediating disputes between players, selling people on the idea of playing the game and joining the group, and developing/sustaining momentum with the player base.

You can teach the rules a lot faster than you can teach "people skills."

-J

Fixed it for ya.

According to Norm, there is no plan as of now to reinstate the envoy program. The venues are more or less in charge of AP/OP now.