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Gwon

Wow, is it really the last week in May already?  It felt like the beginning of February not too long ago.  I guess the old adage is true, time flies when you are having fun!  Today we are going to be talking about gnomes, judges, Bluegrass, Gen Con, oh…and what next week’s blog is all about!

Gnome Like No Other

You may have noticed a gnome hanging out in your store recently.  These are examples of the new hobby store point of purchase materials that we are starting to send stores.  The gnome standees stand about two and a half feet tall and he is holding a board where the store can post current event listings, a store special, pretty much anything WoWTCG related.  Here is a picture of the gnome that is at Phoenix Fire Games in Meridian, ID.

We are currently brainstorming other cool items to give to stores.  These types of items will be going out to stores that are awesome.  I know isn’t very clear as to how your store can get one, but we like to keep people proactive rather than doing enough just to pass (I know you learned about the Ottoman Empire in high school, but I bet as soon as you took that final, you forgot about it).  We take notice when stores are doing well and like to reward them.  Some of the ways that your stores can be awesome are sanctioning events in advance, uploading the results of their events after they occur, actively engage their player community, actively display their schedule of events (in places where players will find it in store, or on the store's website or facebook page), and working cooperatively with other stores and playgroups to grow the WoW TCG community.

Summer Seminars

NACC/DMF Vegas will play host to the first Judge Seminar of 2011.  Details have yet to be finalized, but Thursday afternoon, judges that are attending NACC (both those working and not) will be able to participate in the seminar.  The overall goal of these seminars is to make everyone a better judge.  I know that sounds blunt, but it is the truth.  The majority of judges for the WoWTCG are novice and haven’t been able to absorb the knowledge base of our more experienced judges.  The seminar will cover broad and specific topics.  Starting out discussing what the judge program is all about (it’s more than just allowing Battlegrounds to happen every week), then talk about what makes a good judge (both local and premier event judges), and then a series of specific sections will touch on other duties.  These sections will include topics like Floor Judging (both basic and advanced), Player Management, and how to be a better judge overall.  On Sunday, two more seminars will take place, but are limited to Level 2 or higher judges (Head Judging/Higher Level Events) and Champions (Being Awesome!).   Keep  your eyes peeled for the detailed information that is due to be released the first week of June.

The Cerwyn Lair WOWTCG 1K

The fine folks that head up Cerwyn’s Lair are hosting an event with big cash and prizes!  The event will be July 16^th at BluegrassMagic GameShop in Louisville, KY.  The format is Core and the entry is $25.  What is great about this event?  There is $1000 guaranteed to be paid out to the top 8 players of the event. In case you missed it, I will say it again…$1000 GUARANTEED!  There are more prizes for everyone.  Loot, promo cards, and door prizes for the entire event are available.  It should be a great event, for more information visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cerwyns-Lair/140886822630844.

The Best 4 Days in Gaming!

In case you missed it, the volunteer/judge call went out for GenCon Indy.  We are looking for people who are energetic, friendly, have judge or demo experience, and who want to have a blast! I do have to say that this isn’t a vacation (well, like to the beach), it is hard work.  You will be on your feet for long hours.  Getting to hang out, play your favorite games, have dinner with your friends (hey, we will be there too!), and pull in quality swag is a recipe for success. If you are interested in coming out and having fun with us at GenCon, you should apply to work the event. More information can be found here - http://forums.wowtcg.com/showthread.php?t=8904

Next Week’s Mail

William and I want to hear from you!  If you have any questions regarding the community, a program, have feedback about something you’ve read here, or just want to chat it up send an email to volunteer@cryptozoic.com with the subject line COMMUNITY BLOG QUESTION. Seriously, anything you want to ask is fair game.  I’m not going to promise that we will answer every single one, but we will do our best to get to everyone’s, especially the goofy ones!  It doesn’t have to be WoWTCG related either.  Let’s see those emails!

That’s it for this week’s Community Blog, William has told me that I need a closing here, so I guess I had better put something that will wrap up the entire blog nicely with a cute bow.  So long, and thanks for all the fish!