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 fourth inductee: Patrick Yapjoco.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have the pleasure of unraveling the career of one of the most decorated players in the history of Heroclix. Patrick Yapjoco (referred to as “Pat” for the rest of the article, because let’s be honest, I will not spell it perfectly if I write it out to many more times.) started playing HeroClix in the summer of 2002. Some of you might recognize this as the beginning of HeroClix, because you would be right. Nearly 18 long years of experience is something to be considered impressive on its own merit. Soon after starting, he witnessed Steven Plazco win his Marvel Championship at Wizard Worlds which ignited the spark to start playing competitively, and it wasn’t long before his mark was made as he placed 3rd at Wizard World Chicago in 2003.
Like so many players back in the mid 2000’s and Early 2010’s, Pat lost some mild interest in the game when it started to die out, and Wizkids experienced the sensation of being tossed around like a hot potato. Some normalcy returned in 2009 with Hammer of Thor, but it would still be a couple years before Pat would make his permanent mark on the community.
Having some solid competetion like Dan Joynes and George Massu, (some familiar names so I’ve been told) it took a few years till Pat’s first Wizkids (Neca) championship in 2014. Some of you may recognize a certain chameleon that made some splashes in meta play a few years ago. That same year, Pat proved his skill by also winning the first ROC World Cup at Dragon Con. The next several years would see Pat at top tables, winning events, and proving time and time again what kind of a force he was on the scene.
In 2015 Pat took a break from other competitive games and focused completely on HeroClix. This would prove to be a solid move as he soon after won Worlds again in 2016 along with Team worlds that same weekend. Two worlds singles wins, a team championship, and a Roc Worlds win in less than three years? Hot damn! There is absolutely no questioning Pat is one of the best players in the world.
As we all know, winning events is awesome, but it's not the only thing that makes a player “Great.” Luckily for us, Pat has made his mark on the community in other ways as well. In 2009 he purchased what would later turn into Majestix and started ramping up the scene on the west coast. He was one of the founding members of the ROC and made sure that players had the opportunity to participate in events out west as well. In 2011 he hosted his first ever Majestix 1K which has now become a widely popular and sought after title, seeing players from all over the country participate. He realized competition requires food to be able to grow just like anything in life, and started his Apex Insiders in 2015. Now he has 8 regular authors that write articles about their teams and strategies for 300 modern and the Bronze Age events the west coast is known for. The official 1K circuit took off in 2018 and now has had close to 40 events in that time. He is anticipating this number to increase rapidly as more venues start participating. You can find registration for his events at Majestixccg.com.
Pat has been a HeroClix mainstay for years. He regularly hosts his own Majestix podcast that you can find on youtube in video form. He is always willing to have conversations about his opinions and thoughts on the state of the game, how it can be improved, what is strong, and in his mind, what is going to win. We look forward to seeing what more Pat has to offer in the years to come.
Congratulations Patrick Yapjoco on your 2020 HeroClix Hall of Fame induction!
Vistit Majestix Here! - http://majestixccg.com/
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