If the desire is for people to judge that have passion for the game, and the desire to simply be a judge, they have the Rule Advisor tier. It costs $0
I agree with some of that. The issue is that a rules advisor cannot do more than a small local event. What about the judges who go to the PPTQ events as level 1, the local judges that want to get to level 2 and be invited to travel because the cost for them of travelling and lodging are still worth it because they are playing magic in their own way. I understand the arguement of the lower and free priced area in the system. The problem is, and always will be, that they are now charging you a premium and exorbitantly high fee for the privilege of volunteering. You get promotional cards? They were free before and in the new structure you are now essentially being charged a yearly fee for the privilege to get what before and for he past 20 years was free. I wish they had just gone to the dci being a separate entity handled once again by strict volunteerism and love of the game. This hurts the community and makes these judge promos seem like any other wizards "collectors" product. Pay their premium and get it to flip it or hold onto, or do not pay the higher price and miss out on more than just product but aspects of the game that are niw walled off behind a pay wall.
Next they are going to raise the price of standard boosters and make events cost more as well.... wait a second....
Are they out of their mind? Judges get paid in promos currently.
Judges *don't* get paid with promos. I am not aware of any way to get the promos currently without a) going to a Judge Conference or b) being nominated for Exemplar. There are likely a lot of judges, more likely in rural areas, that never got Judge promos at all because they were not a form of payment. This model "fixes" that and guarantees promos to every judge. And the "pay" they do get (whether it is cash or boxes or free entry into events at smaller things) shouldn't change. Since the judge promos should always be more than $100 for the year, anyone who wants to can simply sell their promos to pay the dues. Most likely, they could sell half, keep half, and pay the dues.
The rest of your post is ridiculous nonsense and I believe this is, overall, just a troll post. But I do think the point above is still important enough to clarify.
Outside of the very lengthy monologue, I agree the fee structure does not support a volunteer community. Too many people here are making analogies to industrial and working certificates when the judge program is supposed to be a VOLUNTARY program. They are the street corner and soap box supporters of the game, and now they are being asked to take out their wallets and throw more money at the hard work they already put their blood sweat and time into. Its insulting and unrealistic. They asked for pay and most cannot receive it as an LGS 9/10 is hard pressed to make revenue on magic as the cost basis keeps going up and the player base shops more online.
It is actually very possible that this doesn't work out the way the Judge Academy wants it to. $100 is not chump change for a lot of people and the structure does have some things that could cause people to question their own involvement in the program. The idea seems to be that the promos could pay for the dues (or, another way to look at it, that the dues pay for the promos) which may or may not be enough of an incentive for people to continue.
I think there are a lot of good points being made about the difficulties in making this a membership program but there are some benefits to judges as well. The main issue is that an organization like this needs money to function and now that Wizards is taking a step out, that money needs to come from somewhere. Good or bad, the best source is the judges themselves and they are trying to add in enough value (the Judge Promos mainly) to make those dues worth it.
I am not saying it is all going to be sunshine and rainbows; it has some pitfalls simply by virtue of it being unknown at this time. I do think we need to see where it leads to as the organization hasn't even officially begun yet so we will see how many people feel the value in the dues is enough and how many won't. If enough don't, another solution would have to come along and we will start over at that time.
For a very long time, the DCI as well as the judge system in place had been handled by a seperste entity. It was once wizards took control of the DCI in its entirety that things started looking a different way. Not bad by a long shot, just different. I also think you are right in saying that change should await judgement. The issue herein though lies in volunteers now paying a for-profit organization to take care of what has been in the past a free service. We have judge apps, we have the regional coordinators and other upper level judges to help with the management of said organization. Setting up an independent body away from wizards is a HEALTHY move. Removing wizards from the equation and setting ground rules for the relationship judges have is extremely beneficial to judges and gives them leverage on setting boundaries. This is all amazing and I am in full support. What isn't looking good is the cost (which we both seem to agree is too high) as well as the integrity of the new operators of said program. Making your companies profit from volunteer services is not a way to do business in the private sector if you want to be successful. Its not promotional cards that should be sold to pay your dues. You get them as reminders that they valued the time and effort you put in and if need be you sold ones you didnt like or needed the money for. It is just heart breaking to see the game fall in this way for those loving it most.
As for the "woke" rhetoric, I get it, you feel a certain way and we all have our opinions within politics but again. Please can we focus on the game we love, rather than the politics and litanies that divide us? Magic is supposed to be the game that brings us together to escape our troubles. Let's enjoy it and make this game an open and welcoming experience for everyone and set the politics and all the other world issues aside.
On the surface the casting cost looks entirely too high, but playing it for a bit in proxy says the card is solid. Pair this with an aetherflux reservoir and black cantrips? Sign in blood becomes a massive engine. Dark ritual says 2 life for 3 black. Necropotence became pay 6 life, to have a free mana cost free greed. Obliterator? Check. Diabolic tutor becoming demonic tutor for 4 life? Sign me up.
All around a very fun card, excellent flavor for those reading since the beginning of magic, and I cant wait to pick him up.
I read the article about the judge program change. So every store owner is going to be a free rules adviser now unless they force you to be a level 1 judge.
This is stupid.
Yearly fees.
Rules Advisor – Free or $50
Level 1 – $100
Level 2 – $200
Level 3 – $400
Are they out of their mind? Judges get paid in promos currently. Generally work for no real money. Share hotel rooms. Those fees are way too high. Last grand prix I went to didn't even have half the attendance of the grand prixs I've been to in the past. I would say 1/4 the attendance. I know magic is the worlds 2nd most popular card game behind poker but it's not drawing crowds anymore. The player base is a in a retraction stage and so is the economy. There will be a recession starting 1st quarter 2020. Once the holiday sales come in. I'll be fine playing video games. But jeez one bad decision after another.
I don't know why they didn't just stick with the temporary contractor role. Lawsuits or whatever. Every company is pushing these crap contract roles on employees for limited liability. You work here but you don't work here, get it ? NO!? End the judge program!
Magic was fun while it lasted. If you aren't too heavily invested pick up a different hobby. Keep a few decks and sell now.
But if you want to know what's really killing magic besides this, it's women, feminism, and white knights who fall on the sword for my lady. I went to a shop a 6 months ago that had a good player base. Tournaments were being run. Lots of formats being played. Everyone having a good time. I went there off and on for a few weeks. I check in last month for a tournament. The place is dead. Scarily dead for a Friday night. What had happened? There was a large group of neon haired women selling makeup to each other. The shop owner had gotten a girl friend and he let her run the place. Everyone was gone. Zero dollars were being spent at this shop. I tried to buy a booster box while I was there but there was no inventory. She had dropped magic completely from the shop in favor of more board games and manga. What!!!??? You drop your main source of income and all of the people who buy things from you to focus on things you like? Why? Complete insanity. I doubt that store will be in business much longer.
I'm staring at this article and I see neon hair in charge of the Judge Program. Of course it died. Get woke, go broke. For anyone any disagrees, you're wrong. You know you're wrong. All you have to do is watch the reality around you and stop listening to the brain washing. Here in your friendly magic forums where super nice awesome people like me explain this stuff. I could have simply went with the economics of the fees being way too high. But magic mirrors societal trends. As does anything like basketball. You know what would have been great? If magic had a WNBA like basket ball does. I think that used to be my little pony. Then way too much weirdness happened with Brones. https://blogs.magicjudges.org/blog/2019/07/29/the-next-era-of-magic-judging/
Here is a realistic fee structure.
Yearly fees.
Rules Advisor – Free
Level 1 – $10
Level 2 – $20
Level 3 – $40
This article by itself is going to drastically lessen the number of booster boxes I buy as I wait to see what will happen. The promos will never be enough to cover those fees.
Outside of the very lengthy monologue, I agree the fee structure does not support a volunteer community. Too many people here are making analogies to industrial and working certificates when the judge program is supposed to be a VOLUNTARY program. They are the street corner and soap box supporters of the game, and now they are being asked to take out their wallets and throw more money at the hard work they already put their blood sweat and time into. Its insulting and unrealistic. They asked for pay and most cannot receive it as an LGS 9/10 is hard pressed to make revenue on magic as the cost basis keeps going up and the player base shops more online.
Now that my monologue is over, can we agree to please keep politics out of cardboard? Whether your left, right, outerspace, just enjoy the game. No one cares about feminism, pride, guj rights, white power, whatever else. Please let's just enjoy magic.
I think price would do for modern what it does in legacy and just punish the greedy mana bases. Do I think modern wants or needs it? Not particularly but I think wizards wants to push games to a slightly lower tempo to make them more interesting and price turning the tides to a few more basics does it. That and it hurts tron (I play bad tron aka mojo blue lol).
As for your includes I would see that 100%, there are just a ton of solid options. A lot of focus is on spells as someone said but there are a ton of solid creatures and enchantments that can be utilized. Pattern of rebirth, pernicious deed, hell even phyrexian delver and weirdness like sphere of resistance can have a home if the set balances its threats to the format with the right answers to reasonably make a difference.
Honestly it looks more like one of the warped/twisted Emrakul influenced creatures similar to the melds of innistrad. My guess is it's a corrupted, colorless Serra angel warped by emrakul.
As for cards I see as a shoe in:
Counterspell
Baleful Strix
Flame Rift
Price of Progress
Oubliette
Toxic Deluge
Containment Priest
Arena Rector
I'll put my bet on growth spiral being a major player in a lands build for modern hell legacy potentially for budget depths players. Instant speed drag play any land is a big deal and can be game changing in the right builds.
So some of the guilds are getting ascendancy (which looks immediately intimidating in Pyr/Toothy commander decks). The mortify looks amazing, growth spiral seems perfect and fun, and that vampire is a solid casual pick (potentially even constructed depending on meta). Now we just need to know what spectacle does before we think that shenanigans through lol
*edit* also think the rakdos uncommon is an absolute bomb.
I agree with some of that. The issue is that a rules advisor cannot do more than a small local event. What about the judges who go to the PPTQ events as level 1, the local judges that want to get to level 2 and be invited to travel because the cost for them of travelling and lodging are still worth it because they are playing magic in their own way. I understand the arguement of the lower and free priced area in the system. The problem is, and always will be, that they are now charging you a premium and exorbitantly high fee for the privilege of volunteering. You get promotional cards? They were free before and in the new structure you are now essentially being charged a yearly fee for the privilege to get what before and for he past 20 years was free. I wish they had just gone to the dci being a separate entity handled once again by strict volunteerism and love of the game. This hurts the community and makes these judge promos seem like any other wizards "collectors" product. Pay their premium and get it to flip it or hold onto, or do not pay the higher price and miss out on more than just product but aspects of the game that are niw walled off behind a pay wall.
Next they are going to raise the price of standard boosters and make events cost more as well.... wait a second....
For a very long time, the DCI as well as the judge system in place had been handled by a seperste entity. It was once wizards took control of the DCI in its entirety that things started looking a different way. Not bad by a long shot, just different. I also think you are right in saying that change should await judgement. The issue herein though lies in volunteers now paying a for-profit organization to take care of what has been in the past a free service. We have judge apps, we have the regional coordinators and other upper level judges to help with the management of said organization. Setting up an independent body away from wizards is a HEALTHY move. Removing wizards from the equation and setting ground rules for the relationship judges have is extremely beneficial to judges and gives them leverage on setting boundaries. This is all amazing and I am in full support. What isn't looking good is the cost (which we both seem to agree is too high) as well as the integrity of the new operators of said program. Making your companies profit from volunteer services is not a way to do business in the private sector if you want to be successful. Its not promotional cards that should be sold to pay your dues. You get them as reminders that they valued the time and effort you put in and if need be you sold ones you didnt like or needed the money for. It is just heart breaking to see the game fall in this way for those loving it most.
As for the "woke" rhetoric, I get it, you feel a certain way and we all have our opinions within politics but again. Please can we focus on the game we love, rather than the politics and litanies that divide us? Magic is supposed to be the game that brings us together to escape our troubles. Let's enjoy it and make this game an open and welcoming experience for everyone and set the politics and all the other world issues aside.
All around a very fun card, excellent flavor for those reading since the beginning of magic, and I cant wait to pick him up.
Outside of the very lengthy monologue, I agree the fee structure does not support a volunteer community. Too many people here are making analogies to industrial and working certificates when the judge program is supposed to be a VOLUNTARY program. They are the street corner and soap box supporters of the game, and now they are being asked to take out their wallets and throw more money at the hard work they already put their blood sweat and time into. Its insulting and unrealistic. They asked for pay and most cannot receive it as an LGS 9/10 is hard pressed to make revenue on magic as the cost basis keeps going up and the player base shops more online.
Now that my monologue is over, can we agree to please keep politics out of cardboard? Whether your left, right, outerspace, just enjoy the game. No one cares about feminism, pride, guj rights, white power, whatever else. Please let's just enjoy magic.
I think price would do for modern what it does in legacy and just punish the greedy mana bases. Do I think modern wants or needs it? Not particularly but I think wizards wants to push games to a slightly lower tempo to make them more interesting and price turning the tides to a few more basics does it. That and it hurts tron (I play bad tron aka mojo blue lol).
As for your includes I would see that 100%, there are just a ton of solid options. A lot of focus is on spells as someone said but there are a ton of solid creatures and enchantments that can be utilized. Pattern of rebirth, pernicious deed, hell even phyrexian delver and weirdness like sphere of resistance can have a home if the set balances its threats to the format with the right answers to reasonably make a difference.
Honestly it looks more like one of the warped/twisted Emrakul influenced creatures similar to the melds of innistrad. My guess is it's a corrupted, colorless Serra angel warped by emrakul.
As for cards I see as a shoe in:
Counterspell
Baleful Strix
Flame Rift
Price of Progress
Oubliette
Toxic Deluge
Containment Priest
Arena Rector
Just my thoughts on silly things ^.^
*edit* also think the rakdos uncommon is an absolute bomb.