BIOS

My name is Nicholas (Nick), although most of you will know me as "Joking101", or simply "Joking". I started playing Magic in 2008 along with the release of Conflux. EDH was the format of choice in my social circles, so I left the kitchen table around 2010. Over the next few years, I developed many of my MTG chops and love of rules against some brutal EDH decks. I dipped my toes in Modern, but eventually left Magic around Khans. With the release of Ixalan, I returned to the game and discovered cEDH. cEDH was the perfect amalgamation of the social gameplay I loved about EDH and my spiky nature.

In my career, I've been responsible for corporate event planning. The lack of cEDH tournaments felt like an opportunity to bring my passions and experiences together to create a cEDH scene like no other. Founding Monarch as a non-profit was a way to give back to the community that's created countless positive memories.

In my spare time, you can find me picking up heavy weights in the garage, playing an assortment of video games (Slay the Spire anyone?), or playing music. My quarantine project was to learn "The Dance of Eternity", a bold goal on the best of days.

If you take anything away from our events, I hope it's a positive memory. Good luck, have fun, and be kind.

Hiya folks! My name is Tyler Bloom. I am an L2 currently in the Green Mountain State of Vermont but am originally from Kansas. I am excited to be Libby’s counterpart as one of the Monarch head judges. The opportunity of Monarch as given me a place to put some of my nerdiest passions together. As the premier bot builder for Monarch, I have gotten the chance to put my love of Magic event together with my software development skills. I hope to provide an experience with Monarch events that lets people show off and grow their interests. Not to mention, this is the perfect platform for me to convince you that Izzet Charm is the single best card in the game.

My story in the judge community is still rather short, being certified in October 2019, but I’ve done a lot in that time. I’ve gotten to judge at both PAX South and East in 2020 along with a series of WPNQs. I am also an active member in many Discord servers’ rules interactions channels (say “hi” if you see me). While my interest in the details of Magic’s rules drew me into judging, I quickly fell in love with this “cult of self-improvement.” Now equal to my love of the rules is my love of holding and hosting events for players and judges alike.

In my free time between judge activities and schoolwork, I love to cook and bake for anyone that finds themselves in my company.

I look forward to seeing you in a tournament! Good luck and have fun!

Hi folks! My name is Martin but most of you would know me from my Discord name, Snuske.

My experience as a TO comes from the world of Esports. I have worked as a volunteer in the Danish Esports scene for more than 15 years now. I've been involved mostly with Copenhagen Games. I have done everything from scrubbing toilets to Tournament Organizing some of the biggest Hearthstone tournaments and everything in between.

So when I saw that Monarch was looking for TOs, I thought it would be a great way to help out the community in the best way I know how. And with the pandemic closing down events that I usually work, it also helped scratch that itch.

I started playing magic in 2018 when a friend introduced me to commander. It did not take long for me to start putting together new decks every few months. When the pandemic hit, the ability to meet friends for Magic got slimmer so I looked to the internet for games and quickly caught on to cEDH. One day, Garrett from “Playing With Power” was spectating a game of mine and afterwards recommended I go check out cEDH Nexus. I have been there ever since.

In my spare time you can find me playing cEDH on Nexus or hacking and slashing my way through Path Of Exile or any new AAA game I find interesting.

I hope to see you at one of our many tournaments! Good luck! (Unless you play Winota)

My name is David Henderson and I’m Monarch’s newest Stream Technician. I’ve had an on and off relationship with Magic over the last 20 years. There’s been ups, and there’s been downs. The only thing certain has been my love of the game.

I started playing Magic back in the Judgment block. Modern didn’t exist back then. Players didn’t have immediate access to card information or monetary value, and the comprehensive rules were not in everyone’s pockets. I was taken for a fool back then. I lost a match to some rules that were not correct and I traded valuable cards for pennies. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be a different kind of Magic player—a different kind of person.

Just over 20 years later, I finally accomplished a life-long dream of mine. I became an L1 Judge for Magic: The Gathering. I also achieved some professional goals of mine, as well as some personal ones. I learned patience, leadership, and dedication. I also developed a passion for teaching this awesome game and a deep appreciation for the best part of Magic: the Gathering.

Magic is now a much different game and requires a different approach. After meeting some of the members of the Monarch team, I knew this would be a great place to be with great people to be around. What they’ve gained is an avid meat cutter, a filthy combo player, and a spirited technician. What I’ve gained is the experience of a lifetime. The only place to go from here is up. I just can’t wait to get there.

Hi All! My name is Jordan, although discord and spelltable friends know me as Jo. I’ve dabbled in magic since Throne of Eldraine, but only started playing consistently last year, picking up EDH and then cEDH along the way. I’ve been lucky enough to make many new friends through Magic, and to find safe, welcoming LGBTQ spaces to play and learn in.

I’m a graphic designer, and enjoy working with user experiences, web design, and design systems. When I’m not at work or shuffling cards, you can find me hanging out with my partner and our two crazy dogs, making music, or bingeing k-dramas.

My name is Andrew Taft, and you may also know me on various Discord servers as gilkissin. Professionally I manage a team that designs and creates training content for a fintech company, and I’m excited to help the Monarch team with my video creating and editing skills.

I started playing Magic in 3rd grade where there were dozens of us playing Magic on the pavement outside during recess. Playmats? Sleeves? Those were things we didn’t even know about, let alone used. This was around when 4th Edition came out, and anytime I had a few bucks in my hand I would ask my parents to take me to my LGS to buy a booster pack.

My love of Magic has continued ever since. I played Standard on-and-off at FNM, but my friends and I primarily played casually together. We immediately fell in love with EDH when we first tried it, and it quickly became the only way we played. We moved into cEDH in early 2020, and I’ve been playing through Discord via webcam since then. My first in-person cEDH event was Marchesa 2022, and I had such a great time that I wanted to help support Monarch.

I live in Massachusetts with my wife and two kids. We like to go hiking and play sports. Baseball takes up a lot of our spring, and soccer takes up our time in the fall. My other personal interests include Lego, the Red Sox, the Patriots, movies, and video games.