Hello and welcome everyone to a very special article! As many of you are aware, the ROC wanted to start a program that exemplifies the achievements and careers of Heroclix players around the world. We announced our end of year awards a few weeks ago, but there was a small announcement made that stated a new Heroclix Hall of Fame would be created. This group will be made of Heroclix players that have a large and lasting impact on the community, have proven their skill with the game, and have tested their mettle on the field of battle, and have emerged victorious! It is very important to also understand that greatness in battle is not the only thing that makes a player “Great.” We wanted to make it very clear that other acts within the community such as judging, game design, podcasting, etc will be kept in consideration when nominations are placed. The ROC has nominated the first five members for the class of 2020, and the members will be responsible for nominating new members every other year going forward. That way this will be a group of players, by players, and for players. 

 

 

Let’s get started with our first inductee: Daniel Joynes. 

 

 I got the pleasure of having a chat with Daniel where he described his Heroclix Career to me. Daniel, if I miss anything or misspeak anywhere, know that I am aware I could not possibly do you justice. 

 

Daniel was a pleasure to converse with, and it was very easy to see why he was nominated for this award. Starting Heroclix back in 2004, he stated his first set was Mutant Mayhem. I know there are a lot of players who have been around the block, but for someone like myself who started playing a meager 7 years ago, this shows a long time of dedication. He said he remembers reading Sluggy Freelance, a comic strip by Pete Abrams, and that really peaked his interest for getting into the game.  Eventually learning to play properly in college with his buddies, Daniel started utilizing a play by post league, similar to the ones they ran on HCRealms and this really launched him into playing Heroclix competitively. 

 

He recalled his first ever tournament win. There was a college league tournament he was able to participate in, and he said he was able to win the event on a “Technicality” which as we all know, each and every one of us have won a game in the same manner. An event win can really elevate a player's drive for competition, and it wasn’t long before he started to travel to larger events. His first major event was at Wizard World East in Philly, and he said he got curb stomped by Scott Cramton. But when someone has the itch, there is only one way to quench it, and Daniel eventually made his way to Gencon. 

 

Daniel has a career achievement no one can take away from him, he was the first person to win two world championships under Neca owned Wizkids. Title victories in 2011 and 2013, show just how much of a powerhouse player he was during this time. His only “Kryptonite” so to speak, was never being able to take down George Massu. 

 

While event wins and titles are pretty great, they aren’t the only thing that matter when community is an important focus. Daniel started a tournament by the name of Probs for Swabs where they worked to raise money for charity. They managed to raise over 10,000 in about four years and even got the attention of Wizkids during this time. Daniel was fronting his own prizing for winning worlds to supplement prizing for these events. But most importantly, he was able to get two of his relatives in touch with the proper people to gain the help they needed. It shows how much this meant to him and how impactful random acts of kindness can be. While we don’t have the details or time to go super in depth on this, it still shines a light on his character and the impact he was able to have on people’s lives, just because he was good at a table top game!

 

Daniel has since retired from competitive clix. He still plays locally, but he decided that it was much more important for him to be home and spend time with his family vs running around throwing dice. This is a decision I think we can all support him on and we definitely wish him the best.