Isaac Arnold-Berkovits
At age 10, Maplewood resident and Clinton School 5th grader Isaac Arnold-Berkovits is the youngest player ever to win a HeroClix World Cup championship. The Realms Open Championship World Cup was held this year in in Atlanta, Georgia, October 16-18.
You may ask, “What is HeroClix?”
Good question.
It’s kind of like chess for comic book enthusiasts.
Isaac’s parents Ed and Ilona explained that HeroClix is a “chess-like strategy miniatures game,” with the miniatures based on comic book characters. The game includes dice and is played on a gridded “map.” The characters are on a combat dial that keeps track of a figure’s game statistics. Games are played at comic book and hobby shops, and there are regional and national tournaments at larger venues.
The game is recommended for ages 14+, but there are no age brackets.
Isaac’s dad further explains the history of the competition: “The company that makes Heroclix is called Wizkids and for several years starting in 2002 they had three-times-a-year championships (I won the Philadelphia one in 2008). Later that year is when they started ‘Worlds’ and there’s been a World Champion every year since then (so, eight so far). The World Cup is a separate tournament, started a few years ago, and it now attracts as many or more top-level players than the ‘actual’ Worlds.”
For those keeping track, that means that Isaac is the “World Cup Champion,” not the “World Champion.” However, Ed says that Isaac has his eyes on that prize too: “He’s hoping to win the World Champion title in June 2016!”
How much time does one have to play each week to be a champ?
“He plays a few hours a week, in addition to a tournament or two (3 games each, about 45 mins a game),” reports Ed. And Isaac also puts his competitive spirit to good use playing Ultimate Frisbee.
To find out more about Isaac and his winning ways, read interviews and coverage on the HeroClix Realms website and the WizKids website.
