Yes, I meant I think the piece that brings in reinforcements should be worth its original points on top of the reinforcement characters counting for points. Part of the opportunity cost for reinforcements, because currently their isn't one. Although I would settle for not having free reinforcements running about.

I would hope it's relatively simple. It would make reinforcements work the same way as reserves. 😅

The expectation has always been for players to have a plan for reinforcements going into a tournament.
Players are asked to fill out and submit a squad sheet beforehand and our squad sheets have always asked players to list the reinforcements they intend to use that day. At our shop, a really strict T.O. used to say, "if it isn't on your squad sheet you shouldn't be playing it."

However, we mostly focused on games not being delayed, and no one worried about what was on your squad sheet. Judges remind players to have their reinforcements on hand, ready to go, and not delay the start of the game.
Reinforcements grew into an integral part of competitive play and we are now at a point where players don't even bother listing any reinforcements on their squad sheets at all.

Reinforcements are not usually a problem during the regional season because players are mainly having fun experimenting with squads. Where it does becomes an issue is at highly competitive events like GenCon where players are looking for any advantage over their opponent. This gets sticky as V-sets now outnumber WotC pieces and there are over a hundred options with thousands of combinations for Reinforcements.

I've literally watched Etienne spent several few minutes searching bloomilk on his phone for the perfect counter to his opponent and then putting a bottle cap or a cup of ranch dressing on the map as a proxy.

Players should not be squad building reinforcement options during set up. Requiring players no more than a 100pts of prepared reinforcements is not a big ask. It's less cumbersome than having to watch an opponent search through hundreds of options to counter the squad you built that they were not prepared for . . .

Anyone playing Lobot (or any reinforcement piece) should have done their homework beforehand. Spending several minutes searching through Bloo’s database is insane!

I literally have a typed out list of quick references, and I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than about 20 seconds deciding.

I also haven't experienced this. I tend to pick my possible reinforcements before the tournament anyway out of courtesy to my opponents, and because it's easier for me to pick a good response if I know what I've pre-selected.

Where I can see this really being an issue would be Vassal + New Players. I'm less worried about people purposefully slow playing, because, as you said, just call a judge. But if we have a new player who doesn't know vassal, doesn't really know all the fridge options, then what's the solution? Punish them for their newness and lack of knowledge by calling over a judge and stripping them of reinforcements? Something about that doesn't seem right.

But basically everyone in this thread has said they've never experienced a problem of people taking too long to select reinforcements. So why try and fix an "NPE" that doesn't exist in the manner you suggest it does?

Ok, here's my answer to the question of this thread: As long as my opponent isn't taking a long time to choose his Reinforcements, I see absolutely no problem with Reinforcements, whatsoever.

I think it would make more sense to have reinforcement pieces count for points (as I've argued) but truly, I don't care.

With Lobot No. With other pieces, yes very much. That's using a sledgehammer when a scalpel is needed.

Heck - ban Lobot (and Jabba DT), I don't care. But leave the smartly made reinforcement pieces alone

Also, are any other reinforcement pieces seeing play being Jabba and Lobot?

Tim makes a good point. In that case I see no reason at all to make a change to Reinforcements.