diff --git a/app/models/ThangType.coffee b/app/models/ThangType.coffee
index 00065b3ed..62f9eaa4e 100644
--- a/app/models/ThangType.coffee
+++ b/app/models/ThangType.coffee
@@ -214,9 +214,11 @@ module.exports = class ThangType extends CocoModel
   onFileUploaded: =>
     console.log 'Image uploaded'
 
-wizOriginal = "52a00d55cf1818f2be00000b"
-url = "/db/thang_type/#{wizOriginal}/version"
-wizardType = new module.exports()
-wizardType.url = -> url
-wizardType.fetch()
-module.exports.wizardType = wizardType
\ No newline at end of file
+  @loadUniversalWizard: ->
+    return @wizardType if @wizardType
+    wizOriginal = "52a00d55cf1818f2be00000b"
+    url = "/db/thang_type/#{wizOriginal}/version"
+    @wizardType = new module.exports()
+    @wizardType.url = -> url
+    @wizardType.fetch()
+    @wizardType
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/home_view.coffee b/app/views/home_view.coffee
index a16c1a9ba..3d9f30db2 100644
--- a/app/views/home_view.coffee
+++ b/app/views/home_view.coffee
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ module.exports = class HomeView extends View
   events:
     'mouseover #beginner-campaign': 'onMouseOverButton'
     'mouseout #beginner-campaign': 'onMouseOutButton'
+    
+  constructor: ->
+    super(arguments...)
+    ThangType.loadUniversalWizard()
 
   getRenderData: ->
     c = super()
diff --git a/app/views/play/ladder/play_modal.coffee b/app/views/play/ladder/play_modal.coffee
index 5ef5fc74c..30c3a116d 100644
--- a/app/views/play/ladder/play_modal.coffee
+++ b/app/views/play/ladder/play_modal.coffee
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@ module.exports = class LadderPlayModal extends View
   id: "ladder-play-modal"
   template: template
   closeButton: true
-  startsLoading = true
+  startsLoading: true
 
   constructor: (options, @level, @session, @team) ->
     super(options)
     @nameMap = {}
     @otherTeam = if team is 'ogres' then 'humans' else 'ogres'
     @startLoadingChallengersMaybe()
-    @wizardType = ThangType.wizardType
+    @wizardType = ThangType.loadUniversalWizard()
     
   # PART 1: Load challengers from the db unless some are in the matches
 
@@ -66,15 +66,17 @@ module.exports = class LadderPlayModal extends View
 
     ctx.challengers = @challengers or {}
     for challenger in _.values ctx.challengers
-      continue unless challenger
+      continue unless challenger and @wizardType.loaded
       if (not challenger.opponentImageSource) and challenger.opponentWizard?.colorConfig
         challenger.opponentImageSource = @wizardType.getPortraitSource(
           {colorConfig: challenger.opponentWizard.colorConfig})
-      
-    ctx.genericPortrait = @wizardType.getPortraitSource()
+
+    if @wizardType.loaded
+      ctx.genericPortrait = @wizardType.getPortraitSource()
+      myColorConfig = me.get('wizard')?.colorConfig
+      ctx.myPortrait = if myColorConfig then @wizardType.getPortraitSource({colorConfig: myColorConfig}) else ctx.genericPortrait
+
     ctx.myName = me.get('name') || 'Newcomer'
-    myColorConfig = me.get('wizard')?.colorConfig
-    ctx.myPortrait = if myColorConfig then @wizardType.getPortraitSource({colorConfig: myColorConfig}) else ctx.genericPortrait
     ctx
     
   # Choosing challengers