Judge Program Elective

Endorsements


Also available are archives of live broadcasts, where the Program Director goes over the lesson, answers any questions that folks may have and sometimes goes on tangets about other elements of judging. You can find the playlist of broadcasts on youtube.
Click for Translation While proper translation and localization are among our long-term goals, we are currently offering Google Translate on the page. Please keep in mind that the translation is automatic, which means that specific game terms, names of cards or mechanics, or technical language used to describe the game may not translate well. As with the documents for the game itself, the English page is the authoritative document in case of any confusion or discrepancy.
Below is the full script of the lesson, if you learn or process material better through the written word!

Join the discussion in our Discord and talk with other judges about what you learned, and ask any questions you may have!

Hello there!

As always, I’m your host Jonah, and this elective is going to briefly cover endorsements for the Star Wars™: Unlimited judge program. What they are, how to get them, and how to write them.

What Are Endorsements

Endorsements are a key part of the judge advancement process. At it’s core, an endorsement is an enfranchised member of the community putting their name behind yours, saying that you’ll be a good addition to the judge community.

Endorsements can be brief, but they can also be substantial reviews

How to Get an Endorsement

For L1, you need an endorsement from any game store that runs Star Wars: Unlimited events. We have a list of nearly four thousand stores that you can search at https://nexus.cascadegames.com/organizers/. If your store doesn’t appear on the list, send the store owner or events manager this link, and have them fill out the information, so we can add them: https://forms.gle/4MGLuD75rxM52pv69. Alternatively, you can get an L1 endorsement from an L2 judge with the Mentorship certification.

For L2, you need an endorsement from any store in our database that has the Competitive Ter status. Stores that have run Planetary Qualifiers or other Championship series events should automatically have that status. Stores can apply for the status from their Organizer Profile, once they’ve linked their personal account.

Ask your store or judges that you’ve worked with what you need to demonstrate to them before they’re comfortable writing you an endorsement.

Writing Endorsements

At minimum, an endorsement should indicate that the author believes that the candidate would be a good addition to the community and can perform adequately in the roles expected of a judge for that level.

For level one an endorsement of “I believe that if Jonah became an L1 judge, he would improve the quality of our local events. I trust him to run our prereleases” is adequate.

For level two, it doesn’t need to be much more comprehensive. “I’ve seen Jonah work several competitive tier events, and he is able to handle our most competitive players when they get deeply invested in their games. He will do well as Head Judge of our monthly win-a-showcase.”

However, a more in-depth evaluation can be helpful for a candidate and their long-term growth. Endorsements aren’t intended to be an insurmountable obstacle for candidates, but when writing an endorsement, you should plan to have a continued relationship with the candidate. They may come to you for advice and mentorship, and while you’re not obligated to provide it, you also don’t want to develop a reputation for endorsing judges who don’t live up to expectations.

When you endorse a judge, you are expected to have observed them in action at an event, and so referencing specific behaviors that you’ve seen - either celebrating their strengths or pointing out areas of improvement for them to focus on as they continue to grow - can be critical for their long-term success.

That’s all for this one! As always, good luck and have fun!