Rankings...We Don't Need No Stinkin' Rankings

This is the plan. The plan could change at any time. I expect this to begin in May-June. We were shooting for April, but the usual delays happened. I now have a lot more sympathy for software publishers who never make their target dates!

CLINCH requires no reporting at any level. Instead, players will win Medallions at every level, including the store and club events. There will be over 20 different Medallions, worth between 1-6 "Personal Clout" points each. A players' Medallion collection acts as their ranking for purposes of invitations to larger events like Nationals. Once the Medallion is given to a player, it's up to that player to collect it, trade it, sell it, or whatever. Neither HCG nor the TO need to worry about them after they are given to the players. No reporting and no central ranking system (two of my mandates from Peter when I got hired!)

Only one of each Medallion will count in a player's collection. Five different 1 point medallions is worth 5 points. Five copies of the same 1 point medallion is only worth 1 point. At the store level, there will be a single 3 point winner's Medallion and one 1 point faction Medallion for each faction included with every kit. To discourage TO's from just taking the Medallions for themselves, I plan to make medallions themselves one of the benefits of being a Clout TO.

At qualifier-type events, the value of the Medallions increases to 4 for the winner and 2 each for the factions. Also, qualifier Medallion points are cumulative with store level ones, so qualifiers really, really boost your totals quickly, particularly if you win. If you never played anything but Undead (and never traded or bought any extras) and won at both the store and the qualifier level you would have:

3 Clout Winner Medallion
1 Clout Undead Medallion
4 Clout Qualifier Winner Medallion
2 Clout Qualifier Undead Medallion

Your Personal Clout "Ranking" would be 10. Success of the program will determine how much Personal Clout will be required for Nationals entry. I'm leaning towards 10 for nationals and 15 for Worlds, but the final requirement isn't set in stone. Those events will have custom, one-of-a-kind Medallions worth even more personal Clout.

Store and Qualifier Medallion values will expire over time (probably every year), but Nationals and Worlds Medallions will provide their winners with permanent Personal Clout.

The medallions are being cast as aluminum chips, the same size and shape as standard Clout chips for easy storage and display.

Here is a sample, 6-point Medallion mockup put together by Jesper. The only way to get the 6-pointer would be to win Worlds! In the colored section, we'll put the year.



Let the questions begin!