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Doomkaiser Dragon
Card# CSOC-EN043
Doomkaiser Dragon's effect isn't just for Zombie World duelists: remember that its effect can swipe copies of Plaguespreader Zombie, too!
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Judging Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments can be a satisfying and rewarding experience. As with any task, it has its share of challenges, and those challenges can be very stressful and demoralizing if not dealt with in an educated and thoughtful manner. I’ve avoided the use of the word “problem” and have instead chosen to use “challenge.” I feel that labeling these obstacles with a negative connotation detracts from the fact that these situations allow us to grow and develop as judges and as individuals. Of course, while we are “growing” as judges, there will be growing pains to suffer through.
Before I discuss two of the more irritating challenges a judge may face in all their mind-numbing horror, I would like to share one necessary piece of advice—do not become emotional, like screaming or crying, under any circumstances. This is very difficult. It doesn’t matter if you are even-tempered or hot-tempered. Sometimes you will come across situations where you will just want to cry havoc towards the uncaring sky and lash out. Don’t do it. You are the judge, and you are expected to act in a professional manner at all times, not just when it’s convenient. You should always exude an aura that combines poise, tact, and competence. By throwing a temper tantrum, you lose all that. It’s like breaking a glass. You can patch it up and it will seem like nothing happened, but everyone can see that it cracked just like you did. No matter how justified you may feel when you unleash your rage and fury, in doing so you will have diminished yourselves in the eyes of all those who have witnessed your maniacal tirade. Perception is power. If the dueling public perceives you as a hot-tempered lunatic with the emotional control of a two-year-old, then your authority is gone. They may follow your instructions, but they’ll never respect you. And without the respect of your duelists, you are nothing.
I apologize if what I’ve said seems harsh. Some of you may feel that it’s easy for me to type these words on to the screen and that my advice is impractical and idealistic. Yes, you will lose your temper once in a while. We are all human, and humans make mistakes. I just want those of you who are especially prone to losing your temper to realize what the consequences are. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll keep your temper in check if you realize that it’s simply not worth it.
I have a very hot temper myself. It’s not something I’m proud of, and I understand the difficulty of maintaining control in certain situations. However, I feel honored, as my fellow judges have been very kind in praising me for my professionalism and skill. I’m far from being a perfect judge (if such a thing exists), but if I can master my temper while judging, I have faith that you can do it as well. Just focus on enjoying and embracing your tasks, and that will help you in concentrating in maintaining your composure.
On to the good stuff.
Theft
Brian was starting to develop a headache. The child in front of him had been sobbing for the past five minutes. After what seemed like an eternity of nose-blowing, Brian finally had the child calmed down enough so that he could communicate with him.
“What’s your name?” asked Brian.
“Chris,” the child mournfully replied.
“What’s wrong?” Brian asked, hoping to figure out what was going on.
“Someone stole my Legendary Fisherman,” Chris explained, “It’s my favorite card ‘cause my daddy gave it to me before he went away.”
“Away?” Brian was startled at that. “Away where?” he asked.
“My daddy’s in the Navy,” Chris proudly replied.
After asking Chris where he last left his precious card, Brian came to the conclusion that it probably got swiped by those suspicious-looking teenagers that were in the store earlier.
Trying to figure out a way to cushion Chris’ loss, Brian said, “Listen, little buddy, I don’t think we can get your card back.”
Chris’ eyes immediately started to fill up with tears.
“However,” Brian said, “why don’t I give you this Yata-Garasu instead to replace your Legendary Fisherman.”
Chris’s eyes stopped watering as he looked at the card with interest.
“It’s an ugly purple bird,” Chris noted.
“True, but it’s a very powerful card. You see . . . ” Brian started to explain.
“No! Its attack is only 200, and my Legendary Fisherman’s attack is higher,” Chris protested. He began to cry again. “I want my card back!” Chris screamed.
Brian sighed and looked for a wall he could ram his head into.
Theft is one of the most disheartening things that can happen at a tournament. No matter how smoothly the tournament is running, it only takes one case of theft to bring the mood down. The victim is distraught, the other players start to become worried, and the judge must do his or her very best to reclaim the stolen items, which are usually cards. Unfortunately, there is very little a judge can do, aside from making an announcement that a card is missing and if anyone should find it, to please return it to the judge or to a staff member. The best way to deal with thievery is to deter it outright and deny any thieves an opportunity to ply their craft among your players. This is something that you, as a judge, can do.
One of the best things to do in denying thieves any opportunity is for you to publicly address the potential for theft to the players. You could do this by just slipping in a friendly reminder before the tournament begins for everyone to be alert and to watch their stuff. Tell everyone that since none of them would leave money lying around and unattended, they should treat their expensive cards in the same way. As the tournament continues, remind everyone at the start of a new round to watch his or her stuff. It may seem repetitive, but it’s better that duelists are conscious of where their possessions are at all times, and reminding players will make it very hard for them to forget. Another suggestion is to make sure that spectators who are watching the tournament leave the participants alone. The spectators don’t ask the duelists if they want to trade, and they do not, under any circumstances, touch any of the cards that are on the field and in the graveyard. Some thieves try to steal when their “mark” is distracted by dueling, and if you are strict and consistent in enforcing this, then any would-be thieves are forced to go somewhere else. People who break this rule get one warning. If they do it again, ask them to leave the tournament site. You must follow through in assigning this consequence so that the duelists and thieves realize that you mean business, doing this to ensure that everyone’s cards are where they are supposed to be.
Make sure that when two duelists are playing a game, the playing surface they are dueling on is free of clutter. Wrappers, bits of paper, soda cans, and discarded sleeves can sometimes obstruct where a player has put away a card they just traded for. The results can be quite sad, as that player sifts through the clutter in vain as his or her recently acquired card is now in the pocket of a thief who took advantage of the mess on the table to steal the card. Finally, remind the players after every game to make sure they are not missing any of their cards. Make sure that the graveyard only contains their cards and not their opponents.
Before I forget, I would like to add that if you do catch the thief red-handed, please don’t take it upon yourself to deal out some “frontier justice.” You are not a vigilante. Just take the card back and ban the person from the tournament site. If the owner of the card would like to press charges then that’s his business. Under no circumstances should you physically threaten the thief. If it comes down to it, then call the local law enforcement agencies. I’m sure the police will be more than happy to charge the offender with petty theft and escort him or her from the premises. Vigilance and alertness are vital to reduce the thievery that goes on at your tournaments, and if everyone applies some common sense, then hopefully would-be thieves will think twice about stealing at your events.
Tomorrow: Part Two |
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