While HCRealms may be the center of the universe to some for our hobby, this is not the government. The government has a more strict set of rules to follow than a private organization. I think we sometimes get them confused.

Now back to hogging some prizes... soo-ee!

The original judge we had was a prize hog whod didn't know the rules and was oddly one of the old level 5 judges.

When I became a judge, I played if we didn't have an even number, it was otherwise a social event for me and i went around and watched the other games and talked to the players (most of which I knew); I had a great time just talking and watching if I didn't get to play the bye.

Funny story on a venue with prize hogs, I went there and no one showed up. I decided that per the rules of the time, I would challenge the venue and get my prize (I looked in the cases they had and all thier prize LE's were for sale in the case, including the one for that day). The judge tried to say "I don't think you can do that." I chuckled, pulled out my printed rules and infored him I was a judge myself and he checked it out. He came back after I gave him my ID and told me I could pick whatever LE I wanted out of the case and declined the game. I still reported the dishonest venue. Dishonesty on thier part paid off for me. Only dishonest ones I ever came across.

Are judge always plays, he usually runs a Scientist or Green Lantern or Future or Yonduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu team of sorts

This is a strange thread for me. Where we play, the judge (who is rarely, but occassionally me) always plays in the tourney, and I don't think anyone who plays at this venue thinks it is unfair. The judge also arbitrates rules, though we are lucky to have a group of long time players so it doesn't come up often. He organizes weekly scenarios, emails the groups, works with the venue to get prize support, and generally acts as a Heroclix cheerleader.

It seems strange to me, unless you rotate judges on a regular basis, to not allow the person who loves the game as much as a judge does to actually play, unless it is a really big group of players, like at a release event.

Haven't seen our judge in a little over a year now.

If you are neither judging (and getting a prize) or playing, you are just someone sitting around and watching people play Clix. No harm there.

If you are judging and not getting a prize, then you are still a judge but just not one who is receiving a reward for it. I would imagine your players are grateful in knowing you're willing to judge for them and not have prize support by your (only? primary?) motivation.

Not all judges are like that, though.

So... As long as you don't work for "the government", it's much treat people however you want, respectful or not? That's a heck of a precedent to set. Is that stickied somewhere?

I think private organizations also have morals and ethics along with the general consensus that a forum is a place where people share their ideas under the concept of freedom of speech, so long as it is done respectfully.

Phant drew the line in the sand and it's more than fair. He explained what he meant in that he didn't want people attacking each other which makes perfect sense.

But it was beginning to sound like anyone who questions a judge or their motivations in "judging" was bound to get shut down, which up to now has not been the case.

Everything in this post makes perfect sense and THIS is the type of judge that exemplifies WHY there is prize support. The effort they put not only into showing up to an "event", but actually scheduling and promoting the game is why they should be rewarded.

It's also the reason why it makes no sense whatsoever to tell the judges they shouldn't play. Of COURSE they should, if they didn't love the game (assuming they are judging NOT just for the prize / cash value of said prize) then they want to play just as much as anyone who isn't judging.

Now enrolling themselves in an event and playing for prizes ON TOP of the prize you get for judging is absolutely not okay, especially when most (all) of your players are at a direct disadvantage as your collection of LE's grows in addition to the prizes you may or may not win in the event itself.

When i played at my local venue the judge was often busy looking at some online game he plays. I think w0w. He scarcely made rulings. Often times the regular players would ask each other. A couple of players were really good at the rules and most people would ask them

At times this would distract games . But most of the time people would be polite. None at my venue would stay current with the rules. I would constantly have to show them how new things would work. Like meteorite. That one really flipped them out.

i'm a relatively new judge with a small venue, but i play every tourney because i like to and if i win prize goes to second and third, cuz i already have 1. except on days like today,when there was no prize support, we all played for store credit and i took my winnings gladly, but still awarded a second place out of my prize. im not a prize hog, no blue ribbons here, but i do so love to achieve victory over all opposing forces, so im not bothered by a judges decision to play or not, as long as he conducts the tourneys in an honest and fair fashion.

I am one of 2 judges at my venue, and we usually alternate between sets. Both of us play the bye round if there is one. For the HoT games we've actually just been participating regularly and answering questions where it is needed, since there are technically no "official" judges since Wizkids went under new management. For the 3rd prize we do 1st, 2nd, and fellowship.

Our judge rarely plays. He carries on conversations and reads comics, but he's always ready to make rulings at a moment's notice. Sometimes he plays bye rounds. Describing him as a "prize hog" because he doesn't often play is a travesty, though, since he's always been very generous to new players with his extras and has never tried to sell a single LE on Ebay or anywhere else. There aren't just two categories.

What's with all the hating on judges lately?

This is not America this is the Internet! Your rights have no voice here, silly man. You will be censored, deal with it!

I have been running clix events weekly since Infinity Challenge before there was even judge support. I don't play during bye rounds. I make myself available to the players for ruling questions or whatever they may need. If a player has a bye they usually use the time to get food. If they don't, then I talk to them about whatever comes up or help them with their team if they need it. If there is nothing to do I will read a comic or just watch over the games to make sure everything is going as it should. I'm a prize hog because I don't play? I think that is an incredibly ignorant statement to make and you owe your other judge an apology the next time you see him for thinking that. I also ran Heroclix tournaments weekly when the game was "dead" and there was no prize support. The players bought a booster each and played for picks at the end based on their ranking. I didn't receive a thing for running all of those events. I spent my own free time doing it because I love the game and wanted to keep it alive at my venue. I didn't play when there was no prize support, so what did that make me then?