Introducing ProTour Baltimore’s Judge Team!
The excitement for ProTour is rising among players and judges alike. For this reason, we are thrilled to introduce our Head Judge and Support Judge team for ProTour 2023, and get their input on what they advise for both judges and players that will be at the event.
Head Judge: Amanda Coots
Biography:
I’ve been a Flesh and Blood judge since 2021. Since then, I’ve judged most of the large events in the United States and at Pro Tour Lille in 2022. Before starting to play and judge Flesh and Blood, I had several years of experience judging and team leading for Magic: the Gathering. When large events started back post-pandemic, I had an amazing opportunity to Head Judge Calling Vegas 2021 and have been involved in many different roles since then.
What advice do you have for the judges that will be working at the ProTour?
Make sure you read the cards. Take that extra moment to double check yourself, so that you’re confident in your ruling. Remember that we’re here to improve the player experience, to help the players play great games. At the Pro Tour level, that means a focus on tournament integrity, equity and fairness.
What advice do you have for the people that will be playing in the ProTour?
Play cleanly, communicate clearly, and don’t be afraid to call a judge if you have a question.
Support Judge: Carlos Ho
Biography:
I first experienced TCGs with the Magic: The Gathering videogame from Microprose back in the 90s. I got hooked to the physical game a few years later, and ended up playing and judging several others, like Upper Deck’s VS System and Decipher’s LotR (one of my favorite TCGs). A good friend of mine got me into judging FaB back in 2021 so I could judge his Road to Nationals event, and one week later I ended up at the Las Vegas Calling, head judging the Tales of Aria World Premiere. If you haven’t noticed it yet, I’m a huge nerd and big fan of games. My favorite videogame is Final Fantasy VI, my favorite board game is likely Terraforming Mars (although Wingspan is close) – but I also love outdoor activities, like scuba diving, snorkeling and hiking up mountains, which I’m about to do in the next few days.
What advice do you have for the judges that will be working at the ProTour?
Set up goals for yourself. What do you want to learn, where do you see yourself as a judge in a few months or years from now, and what do you need to do to get there? Request assignments that will help you achieve those goals. Network with other judges, request feedback, make new friends.
What advice do you have for the people that will be playing in the ProTour?
Ensure that your decklist is correct when submitting it, and that your deck is fine every round – check for markings often. If you have any questions or doubts, please call a judge – our main goal at events is to help players out. If you see anything weird happen, if you make mistake, please point it out and call a judge if needed.
Is there anything you’d like to add for those reading this article?
Please push in your chair.
Support Judge: Joshua Scott
Biography:
I’m Joshua James Scott and I’m the rules and policy manager for LSS. I started playing FaB back when it first released and joined LSS around the middle of 2021. Since then I’ve been working alongside talented judges to become more skilled in the art of judging, and have been dedicated towards the logistics and organization of games and events.
What advice do you have for the judges that will be working at the ProTour?
The ProTour is one of our highest-level competitive events. The expectation from the players is that we provide a professional and unbiased service to ensure a fair and just tournament. At the same time, Flesh and Blood is fundamentally a game: players play it because they enjoy it, and our job is to help facilitate that play, fostering the community in the process. Never forget that the mission statement of Legend Story Studios and the Judge program is:
Bringing people together in the flesh and blood through the common language of playing great games.
Be humble, do your best, and have a great time making this amazing event happen!
What advice do you have for the people that will be playing in the ProTour?
Enjoy yourself and be kind to others. Flesh and Blood has brought us all together on this journey and the least we can do is to allow ourselves to truly enjoy the game and the people around us. The best of luck to everyone, and to all a great game!
Thank you to our Head Judge and Support Judges for taking the time to answer our questions! We hope that this was educational for those attending the ProTour, regardless of if you will be there to judge or to play.
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