From the Judge’s Chambers #11: Thanksgiving
Nov 20th, 2012 by Terence Jason Dorman
by Terence Jason Dorman, Awesome Manager of Inspired Writings
With Thanksgiving only two days away (for us Americans, at least), I thought I would change up the theme of my Blarg a bit and use this as a venue to tell you all what I am thankful for. Fear not, though, as I am not going to bore you with all the many things I am thankful for that have nothing to do with you. Instead, this list will be focused on The Spoils and all the things I am thankful for as both a Spoils player and judge.
As a Judge
Smart Phones – While players aren’t permitted to have electronics at the tournament table, judges have free reign to rock technology as they wish. I personally own an iPhone 3GS and use it frequently when judging. First, it serves as a clock, useful for timing both the rounds and draft picks. Secondly, I have a PDF version of the Comprehensive Rules Reference stored on the phone. I no longer have to carry a binder full of rules with me but instead just need my phone, something I would have brought with me anyway.
Simple Rules – Although the Comprehensive Rules of The Spoils are in no means “simple,” they are definitely easier than many other games out there. While I do not like Magic: the Gathering, my time as Judge of Great Justice had me looking at its rules (as well as the rules of other games) and I cannot fathom how top tier judges keep all of those rules straight. There are just so many! Spoils, thankfully, has what I consider a “healthy” amount of rules and I do not think they overburden judges as much as other games do.
Great Players – In all my years of judging card games, I can say without a doubt that The Spoils has the best community when it comes to the tournament scene. Having judged two Gen Cons, an Origins, and a plethora of local events (States, Seasonal Champs, Invitationals, etc.), I have met a large number of Spoils players and they are all great. I’ve never had disqualify a player, stop a shouting match, or deal with any serious issues of cheating. Considering the number of events I have judged/run and participated in, this says quite a lot about how great the Spoils community is.
As a Player
Seed 3 – While it did take a bit longer than everyone wanted, Seed 3 was finally released this past summer and was a fantastic set. While I love Draft and Sealed play, I am a big fan of any expansion that is easy to collection, and Seed 3 definitely was. The thirty cards also added a ton to the Constructed scene and I am STILL tinkering with these cards trying to come up with the next big thing. Although I certainly want Shade to be released, I definitely think there is still a lot of room for growth in the Constructed metagame using just the thirty cards from Seed 3.
Will Clark – Recent forum posts have led me to believe that not everyone feels the same as I do, but I greatly enjoy the work that Will Clark has been doing as Director of Organized Play. Personally, I love apparel prizes and I have a section of my closet dedicated to Spoils clothing, a section that is getting quite large. Will also does an excellent job at Gen Con each year setting up the event and running tournaments, and I am definitely looking forward to the Winter Championships!
Ken Pilcher and his Design Team – The Spoils cannot hope to grow and succeed without new cards and Ken is the guy making new cards happen. Even though I don’t work with Ken on new card design anymore, my experiences with him on Seed 3 allow me to tell you, with certainty, that Ken gives The Spoils 110% of his efforts. Ken wants exactly what we all want for The Spoils: for it to be an absolutely amazing game with an ever-growing player-base. The kicker with Ken, though, is that he is always working to make that happen, so definitely give him a high five if you happen to see him at an event.
Last But Not Least
The Spoils – I am thankful that The Spoils is still around! The game already went through its dark time when Tenacious Games went out of business and I was ecstatic when I heard Arcane Tinmen was going to revive the game. Although it hasn’t been a perfect revival, it has been a revival nonetheless, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the future of The Spoils.
For all my fellow Americans out there, have a happy, fun, safe, and food-filled Thanksgiving. For the rest of you, enjoy your Thursday and have fun, play Spoils!