MTG Magic The Gathering Ask A Judge - 「 B L U E M O N D A Y 」

>>52152941
Slow day!

Reroute works on planeswalker abilities that target, right?

>>52152941
What's your opinion on the ban announcement today?

>>52158191
Yes, because they are activated abilities.

>>52158686
I don't know enough about Standard to really know whether or not it's a "great" call, but especially with the more frequent banlist update schedule, I'd rather they allow things to 'play out' for a bit longer than to knee-jerk ban something that's not completely and utterly dominating the meta.

>>52158841
Standardfag here.

The call of "no changes" was probably the second best feasible option from a "good standard" perspective, and the best option from a consumer confidence perspective.

The best option for standard, ignoring optics, would be to ban Gideon. I understand why they didn't do it though. The line about Temur Tower fixing the meta is complete garbage though. I love the deck but it occupies the same space in the meta that Mardu Kars does - beats saheeli and folds to constrictor.

Can I create more than one 5/5 Zombie Giant token with Quest for the Gravelord before it is discarded? Or does it trigger as soon as it gets 3 counters on it?

>>52160244
It doesn't "trigger" at all (other than getting counters). You can ACTIVATE it whenever you want, so long as you can pay the cost, but sacrificing the enchantment is part of that cost. You can't pay that cost multiple times (because you can't sac it more than once), so you can only ever get one token directly from it.

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So I have Pic on the battlefield along with Bitter fued (targeting opponent and I) and Furnace of Rath on the field. I cast Avatar of Slaughter and swing in the air with gisela at the opponent. Assuming no blockers, what happens during the damage steps?

Let's say an opponent has a card that makes creatures incontrol attack each turn if able. Does this force me to try and give all my summoning sick creatures haste via any method or can I just leave them there?

I have an electrostatic pummeler on the board without summoning sickness and an Invigorated Rampage in my hand and 6 energy on the clock.

What is the latest chance I have to cast Invigorated Rampage and activate the power double ability? Does it need to be done at combat damage or declare blockers or earlier?

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I control an Ajani Steadfast emblem, and my opponent has a damage doubler and they lightning bolt me. Do I take 1 or 2 (or 6) damage?

>>52160730
Gisela will assign 5 damage to your opponent's face, which will be doubled to 10, then doubled to 20, then doubled to 40, regardless of the order in which you apply the replacement effects of Gisela/Furnace/Feud. Assuming your opponent doesn't die to that hit, they will then take another 40 to the face in the normal damage step.

>>52160789
Nope! It means that creature, if it is able at the time you are declaring attacks, must attack. Even if you have the MEANS to make it able (IE something to give Haste, or remove Defender, or untap stuff, or whatever), you are not compelled to do that. It's just that anything that -can- attack (without being mucked with) has to.

>>52160845
Your last chance for it to matter will be during the Declare Blockers Step, after blocks but before damage.

>>52160970
Up to you. There's 2 effects wanting to apply to that damage- "Prevent all but 1 of that damage" and "Double that damage". As the affected player, you choose the order in which to apply them; no matter which you put first, the other still CAN apply, so it will. You can either have 3 go down to 1 and double it to 2, or you can have 3 get doubled to 6, then have all but 1 of that damage prevented.

Does Seasons Past allow me to choose more than 1 card with the same mana cost? For example, could I choose a land, a Zuran Orb, and a Mana Crypt?

>>52163642
Nope- every card you pick has to have a different mana cost.

If I have Brago equipped with Worldslayer and combat damage goes though, which of the two effects (Brago flicker/destroy all perms) happens first?

>>52163902
Up to you! You control both the triggers (probably), so you put them on the stack as you like. No matter how you do it. Worldslayer's nuking shit though.

Hi. I had a question about the less angry omnath (locus of mana).
According to the rulings off gatherer:

If a green mana you add to your mana pool has certain restrictions or riders associated with it (for example, if it was produced by Ancient Ziggurat), they’ll apply to that mana no matter when you spend it.

So does that mean that any mana in my pool which comes from the ziggurat will still maintain the creature only restriction throughout the rest of the game?

>>52165699
Until you spend it, yes. Say you tap ten Forests and a Ziggurat for green; you'd have 11 green mana floating. 10 of it you could spend on anything, but 1 of it could ONLY be spent on creatures.

>>52165793
Cool. Thanks.

If my oponent plays Felidar Guardian and activates the blink ability on Saheeli Rai, can I then activate Unlicensed Disintegration on the stack and murder both both the blink occurs? Or do I have to kill the Felidar Guardian before a stack can start?

>>52166041
>Before a stack can start
Not a thing. There is only one stack- THE stack, and it's a game zone. It's always there, whether or not things are on it.

If you blast the cat in response to Saheeli's ability, it'll fizzle due to no legal targets and you'll break the combo (and if you have an artifact, you can dome Saheeli for 3 to break her!).

>>52166097
That's what I was thinking. Thanks!

One of the locals has picked up the habit of not announcing his triggers until the very last moment.
For example, he'll have a trigger and say nothing of it until his opponent attempts to cast a creature, say "Whoa man stack's not empty my trigger's gotta resolve".
These are mainly looter style triggers in a blue deck, so he's getting advantage by knowing what he'll need to counter.

If I ask "Is the stack empty" and he answers "Yes", he's missed his trigger, correct?

>>52166233
So, triggers are assumed to be remembered until their controller demonstrates otherwise. For a looter type trigger, that means if he takes any actions (or allows any actions to be taken) that COULDN'T be taken with the trigger on the stack, he's missed it. If your worry is that he's 'hiding' his triggers until you cast a spell, you have two options:

1) Declare that you are explicitly responding to his trigger that's still on the stack

2) Ask "Anything on the stack?" or "Do I have priority?" before you want to take an action. If he passes priority to you, he's missed his trigger.

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with Strionic Resonator x Thassa, can I get the normal Thassa scry before deciding whether to activate Strionic on her upkeep ability or do I need to activate the Strionic before the scry occurs?

If I Ovinize a Soulfire Grand Master while a burn spell is on the stack will the burn spell lose lifelink?

>>52167897
No. if thassa scry resolves, then you have nothing to copy.

>>52167897
If you're resolving the Scry, you won't have priority to activate Resonator until you're finished resolving the ability (meaning it's no longer on the stack to be targeted). You've gotta target it before you begin scrying, so there's a risk of whiffing if you decide to keep the thing on top with the first scry.

>>52167962
Yes, because no effect says it has Lifelink anymore.

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If my opponent taps his creatures to attack can I use an effect that taps creatures and prevent that attack. He declares an attacker then I use pic related, will that work? Because you know, I've always tapped my opponents creatures during his upkeep but the fellas around here have been doing it in the declare attackers step, I just wanna know if that's a legal move.

>>52173388
Also when I tap my opponents creatures I feel great, but when someone taps my creatures I get T R I G G E R E D. What is wrong with me?

>>52173388
That doesn't work, because Magic is a game of priority, not reflexes. By the time you have priority in your opponent's Declare Attackers step, they have already declared and tapped all their attackers. Using a Stern Constable here would do nothing.

Your last chance to tap down a POTENTIAL attacker is in the Beginning of Combat Step. Do note, however, that the 'not a game of reflexes' applies both ways. Your opponent can't just strongarm through their turn to deny you a chance to tap or kill potential attackers. If they try that (say by untapping, drawing, and then just immediately declaring an attacker), you 100% can say "Hang on, I have a response before you move to attacks" and we'd have to back the game up a bit.

tl;dr no

>>52173427
You're human.

>>52173447
Thanks for the answer

>>52152941
Hey there,
Not so much a rules question, but an actual judge question.
I've passed the Level 1 Practice exam on Wizard's judge database, the next step is to get in contact with a Level 2 in my area to take the certification exam, right?

>>52177080
That would be a good next step, yeah! If you aren't aware of any L2s in your area, get in contact with your RC and they'll help you out.

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/contact/contact-a-regional-coordinator/

Question I sometimes still think about, but haven't asked.

A long time ago, I played some cards that "blinked". All of my intuition says that if a card targets it, and I blinked it, then it wouldn't be targeted anymore.

But one of the people who got me back into magic said, no, because it returns it immediately, and allows it to be targeted because the other spell hasn't resolved yet, it's only the "at the end of your turn" ones that will evade getting targeted by say, lightning bolt or a kill spell.

Am I right, or is he?

>>52178960
You're right. If an object changes zones it's functionally a completely difference object.

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If there's an Evil Twin on the battlefield copying a creature, Goblin Guide for example, and I cast a Clone copying the Evil Twin, does my Clone gain the activated ability "UB, T: Destroy target creature with the same name as this creature"?

>>52179280
Copy abilities that grant abilities are still copy abilities and thus copied abilities by copy abilities.

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Not strictly game rules but I wanted to hear your opinion about this:
I'm drafting MM3 when I open Tarmogoyf + foil Tarmogoyf. Because this store doesn't allow trickery of any kind to keep me in the draft I drop. I'm sorry for the pod and the TO but I need those cards.
What's a polite way to do this and what should I do if the store owner tries to "force" me to continue the draft?

>>52180976
If the store owner tries to force you to continue the draft, you cite Wizards policy that you bought the packs, they're yours.

The polite thing to do would be to ask for a replacement pack.

>>52181030
I asked before chosing where to do the draft if they allowed this kind of thing and the store said no.
One store allow all the players to pick the foil together with the first pick, but unlike every other store in town they don't have packs as prizes, only spare FNM promos so I don't want to lose the chance to win something for somethings with astronomically low odds of happening.

>>52180976
Suck it up. There is legal precedent for this, the tournament entry fee does NOT pay for the packs and as such they are the property of the store until the even ends. If they say "you have to leave the pack" and you try taking them anyway, you are guilty of larceny in most states.

As a judge I wouldn't take it upon myself to call the cops but I won't intervene if the TO wants to.

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>>52181218
Why don't you read the rulebook before typing? It's online and free.

>>52181269
Rule book doesn't matter when it literally breaks the law. DCI be damned, I'm not going to let myself get arrested over a card game.

>>52181304
I'm not in the U.S.A. so I don't think it applies.
Do you have any documented example at hand? I find these things interesting.

>>52181218
Would love to see that cited, it'd be a very interesting case.

>>52181304
How does it break the law? You own the cards. Taking things you own and leaving isn't a crime.

>>52181304
>Rule book doesn't matter when it literally breaks the law
>[citation needed]

>>52181304
Thats gotta be the most ass backwards stupid thing i heard today, and its literally 30 minutes til midnight so i think you took the cake for today. Literally they are your packs, you paid for them, the 15$ entry fee(or even 35$ considering it modern masters) is you paying for the packs and the small extra bit is for the tourney entry for prize support(assuming your LGS isnt just overcharging for a prizeless draft). Playing with them for the sake of the tourney is just how the rules work for limited. People also do that shit all the time at GP and SCG open side events and you havent seen anyone arrested for that shit. Literally post citation where this breaks the law, somehow.

>>52181304
The rule book does matter, as it establishes the rules for the draft. You are legally allowed to drop and take what translates into your property, and any moderately competent judge would side with you. Also, it would be way worse for your store owner to cause a shit storm over this as Magic will tell them they are no longer a sanctioned store which is worse for them then you dropping over some combo of goyf/liliana in foul and non foil.

I'm atrocious at remembering prices, so I was curious if there are any rules or regulations that would prevent me bringing a notebook with prices of some cards in them to my MM17 draft

Can you still, on a main phase, discard a madness card and then play a land before you pay the cost? I remember this used to work since you never passed priority.

>>52186425
No, playing a land is sorcery speed.

>>52185680
I just use my phone

>>52186425
What? In what era was this ever allowed? You can only play a land during your main phase 1 or 2, once per turn, and only when there is nothing on the stack when you have priority. When madness triggers, its goes onto the stack. Which means no landerino till the stack resolves.

>>52186463

It used to not go on the stack, you just could cast it when you next had priority. Playing a land didn't pass priority, so you could pay the madness cost right after. It was good for draw/discard effects when you needed to draw into a land. Also this was back early 2000's when it came out.

My store is doing a MM2 draft on Friday, and while I would like to do it, I already have plans. If I went there, drafted money cards and dropped, would that fuck up the pod much?

Does hexproof/shroud help against the true-name nemesis declaration?

>>52188563
It does not. Hexproof/Shroud stop targeting, among other things, but TTN doesn't use the word target.

>>52178960
Objects that change zones, even for only a moment, become new objects with no memory of (or relation to) their previous selves. To the game, the creature that was targeted with the blink and the creature that came back are two unrelated objects, even if they're represented by the same card. You can 100% use a Cloudshift type blink effect to dodge targeted spells or abilities.

>>52179280
Yes. Copy effects don't copy any effects past the 'base' card EXCEPT other copy effects.

>>52180976
"I pulled a bonkers pack and I'm dropping to keep it." If the store owner tries to 'force' you, stand up with the cards that are legally yours, and leave.

>>52181030
You can't do replacement packs in a sanctioned event, so be careful.

>>52181218
You are not remotely correct. The official policy is any packs in your possession, opened or otherwise, are legally your possessions and the store has no right to take them back from you.

>>52181304
>literally breaks the law
Can you cite a source where taking things you have paid for is illegal? Or where the store taking back tournament materials for which you have already paid -is- legal?

>>52185680
Technically, yes. You aren't allowed to bring any outside notes to a sanctioned match. Even if it's an unsanctioned draft, it's not considered kosher to refer to notes of any sort during the draft.

>>52186425
This hasn't worked in quite some time.

>>52186463
When Madness was originally made, you could cast the spell "until next time you pass" priority. Shit was weird.

>>52186976
Eh, a little. Personally I'd advise you just skip it if all you're really doing is buying 3 packs of MM3.

>>52188563
Nope.

>>52189211
Welcome back, gA. Last night, my EDH group and I got into a little argument. It's a four man group, and two people weren't paying much attention to the game. I cast Worldy Tutor, resolve it, and put Avenger of Zendikar on the top of my library. Now, when I reveal a card, I reveal it for about 30 seconds or so while I shuffle my library. Once I was done, I put Avenger on top and continue with my turn.

The two people who were not paying attention then ask, "Wait, what just happened?" I reply, "I cast and resolve Worldy Tutor". "What did you grab?", "I don't have to say"

This is where the argument started. I maintained that because they were not paying attention, and I revealed the card for an adequate amount of time, that I don't -have- to say anything. They said that was bullshit and wanted me to reveal the card again. (With the fourth person, who was paying attention, staying out of the discussion)

My question to you is: who is correct in this situation? Is the card on top public knowledge and I have to give an honest answer? Or is it derived information once the card goes back to the top of the library?

>>52189420
The rules define 'reveal a card' as "to show a card to all players for a brief time". I can see an argument that you should have made some effort to let them know you were revealing a card, and if they were still zoned out that's on them, but it's a pretty weak argument, especially in a non-formal Multiplayer game. The card is NOT public knowledge- for example, in a 2 person game, if you revealed a card to your opponent, and a short time later they genuinely forgot what it was, they don't have the option of saying "Show me again". you already showed it to them, and now it's in a hidden zone. You are under no obligation to answer the question of "What's the card you tutored for, again?".

>>52189493
Thanks for the answer. I've been trying to get my group to be tighter with the rule and play, and before the game we had agreed on this. Next week, I'll bring them some beers and show them this screencap. Thanks.

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What is your opinion on playsets? I have a friend who hates them because he feels like they make he game boring/playing the same deck every game. Also he thinks magic takes minimal skill to compete and it's just a bunch of richfags. How do I convince him he's wrong?

>>52189565
Yeah, my group tends to be pretty lackadaisy, but every now and then I announce "Kid gloves off" and hold them to tight technical play.

>>52189656
You don't. He's half wrong (Playsets do make the game "more boring" than otherwise, because by definition they make the deck more consistent and reliable- that's literally the entire point of it), but he's not gonna respond to logic because he's too entrenched in his position. The best you can do is hope that repeated exposure to Reality chips away at his biases until he's actually in a position to rethink them.

Money does replace skill in Magic; the thing is, it only replaces a finite amount. Two players of equal skill, with one having a 10 dollar budget and the other 100? The one with the higher budget has a leg-up. An FNM Hero with unlimited budget vs Jon Finkel on a 100 dollar budget? FNM Hero gonna get dunked on.

gA what's the correct way to play scroll rack in Yidris? Should I play divvy top or scroll rack?

>>52189565
In short it is on them to pay attention. I would say in that case that it's not worth the argument. However I would say "it's avenger of z pay attention next time" and slowly increase strictness.

>>52189816
In what format? He doesn't believe you haha

Does a card that say "you" target a player? Why or why not? My buddy tried to redirect my temporal manipulation and I told him that's not how it works

>>52190049
It does not. A spell only targets if it's an Aura spell, or explicitly says "Target" on it.

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>>52190049
Oracle text my man

>>52190028
In any format.

Yes there is a strong correlation between "money spent" and "win percentage". But as gA pointed out, there does become a point where that line plateaus, and spending more won't make your deck any better.

How high that line gets before it plateaus depends on the format. For Standard it plateaus around $250. For modern it's about $1250. For legacy about $2500. But it always does.

>>52190028
Modern is a good example, most expensive deck is Jund for about 2grand to build but other decks are still winning out that cost half or even less than a 1/3 of that.

But what galv said, budget version of a deck vs nonbudget, nonbudget usually wins granted similar skill levels.

>>52190201
And even then, it's not because money replaces skill up to that line, it's that if you're using bad cards, you're handicapping yourself. Even the greatest players in the game can only get so far with a deck full of Craw Wurms and Shocks.

Is there a monetary barrier to competitive play? Honestly, yeah. The best cards are expensive because they're desired more than shit cards. There's exactly as many copies of Novablast Wurm in the wild as there are Jace, the Mind Sculptor, but Novablast Wurm is 2 dollars because it's not very good, or heavily played, or desirable.

But "monetary barrier to competitive play" does not mean "Pay to win", because even if you buy the most expensive deck in Legacy, you still need actual skill to rack up wins. And if you lack that, you're gonna get bodied by players who don't.

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>>52152941
Friend of mine uses this in our casual commander matches. He says that he can choose a player, deal damage to that player, and then Saskiya essentially makes it so they take double damage. Is that legit?

>>52190710
>Combat damage
Combat Damage: Damage dealt during the combat damage step by attacking creatures and blocking creatures as a consequence of combat. See rule 510, "Combat Damage Step."

>>52190755
I understand that, but what I mean is like this:

Say he has Saskiya out and then attacks me for a total of 10 damage, with no blockers. The damage is dealt, and I'm the person he chose to target with Saskiya's ability. Does that mean I take another 10 damage because he dealt combat damage to a player (me), and I am the one he chose for Saskiya's ability of dealing that damage to a chosen player (me)?

>>52190920
So, I apparently read your question entirely wrong, and parsed it as him thinking it'd just keep smacking the player over and over to death (IE, the trigger triggering itself)- mea culpa.

The answer to what you ACTUALLY asked is "yes". If you are the player chosen, combat damage to you will still trigger Saskia, effectively giving the creatures Doublest Strike (not to be confused with First-er Strike)

>>52191220
Alright, cool. Just wanted to check, thanks! And no worries about the misunderstanding.

I clone a player's Wurmcoil Engine, then kick Rite of Replication on that clone. A player casts Wrath.

Do I get 12 tokens?

Say I have two opponents with say 3 perplexing chimeras each. I cast a spell. What happens on the stack?

>>52192160
Yes

do people cheat at drafts

>>52192312
The chimeras trigger and are put on the stack in an ap nap order.

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My opponent play Azusa. Can I kill it with a bolt before the lands are placed. He played his land for the turn before casting her if that matters

>>52192659
no you can't

>>52192609
But say it is my turn. So my opponents chimera are put on the stack. Do we go in turn order since they happen at the same time?

>>52192802
Unless the first land triggers an etb effect you can't respond with a bolt

>>52192821
Meant for>>52192659

>>52192802
The opponent after you puts his on the stack, then the opponent before you.
The first item on the stack resolves meaning the opponent before you have first dib on whether he wants to nab your spell or not.

>>52192867
Cool then my ruling was right, cause we played it out like that but the last guy was calling bullshit

>>>52189493
Hey GA and what's the stance on lying about concealed information (what's in my Hand whats a morph card is). In the case where he revealed it gave due chance to see the card And was then asked and he lied about it. Is that OK? Scummy?

>>52190622
Actually thanks to FTV20 there are more jaces than novablast wurms ;^)

>>52194222
Facedown cards and cards in your hand are private information. You are 100% allowed to lie like a rug to your opponent.
Even if they can see you're lying (with a "look at your hand" effect or a "peek at morphs" effect) you're still allowed to lie like a rug. It just won't be as effective.

>>52192160
Yep! 6 Wurmcoils died.

>>52192312
The triggers will go on the stack in turn order; if one of those opponents is Active Player, their triggers go on the stack first, then the other opponent. If it's YOUR turn, then whichever opponent's turn is next in the order goes on the stack first, then the other.

Each of that player's Chimera triggers will say "You can swap control of that spell for control of me", though once they elect to do it once not much changes. Then the OTHER player gets the same option. So, effectively, the player whose turn it is (or whose turn is coming up next) will 'win' that war.

>>52192578
Some people somewhere do, but it's not really common.

>>52192659
Only if her entering the battlefield triggers something, or they choose to take other actions. If they want to go "Azusa, land land land" (or "land land" in your case), you have no means of stopping them.

>>52194222
There's three kinds of info: Free, Derived, and Hidden. The things in your hand, as well as face-down cards you control, are Hidden. You are permitted to lie through your teeth about Hidden Information. You aren't required to answer (as you are with Free), and if you DO answer you can give partial answers (as you can with Derived), or you can just flat out lie. You can tell your opponent "I wouldn't cast anything, I have 4 Mana Leaks in hand" while holding a grip full of Islands.

>>52195865
Fair shake- I should have said "Worldwake Jaces"

>>52196619
I have Pyrostatic Pillar in play and my opponent flashes back conflagrate, saying "flashback conflagrate at you" discarding 6 cards. Do I take damage since they didn't announce an X, making it 0? Does pillar trigger since it's CMC1?

If I roll a 6, a 2, and a 1 will the card have no effect or will it destroy all artifacts?

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>>52197848
Forgot image.

>>52197848
"Ssure, why not" incoming

>>52197040
Well you can't discard without a reason. So an effect happened to make them discard in this case fulfilling the x cost. Making conflagration CMC 13 (x+x+r) where x is 6

>>52197975
Conflagrate doesn't deal 2X damage, it deals X damage. If you're pitching cards it deals damage equal to the number of cards discarded.

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Do I get poison counters for effects that say "you lose X" life?

>>52198585
Additional question. Let's say someone throws a craterhoof for 100 at me and I have this on the field. It's all normal combat damage and I have 10 life. Do I go to -90 or do I get 90 poison counters and lose?

>>52198585
No. Loss of life is not damage, though damage does generally cause loss of life.

>>52198613
Do you have 0 or less life when you have 10 life?

>>52197040
I'd say discarding the 6 cards would clearly indicate their intent for X to be 6. At worst, I would rewind to that point of the spellcasting process. I don't see a situation where I'd call it X=0.

>>52197848
>>52197892
Sure, why not?

>>52198585
You do not, because that's not damage. Your life just goes lower.

>>52198613
You go to -90. All the damage is dealt at once, and at the time you're getting Hoofed in the frontbutt, you have more than 0 life, so Unlife doesn't do anything beyond "keep you alive... ish."

>>52199021
>You go to -90. All the damage is dealt at once, and at the time you're getting Hoofed in the frontbutt, you have more than 0 life, so Unlife doesn't do anything beyond "keep you alive... ish."

is this still the case when doublestrike gets involved?

>>52199092
Not at all! We'll have the same example, except they have a Rage Reflection on board. You'd get domed for 100 damage in the First Damage Step and go to -90. Then in the second Damage Step, you'd get smacked soundly about the ears for another 100 damage, which is dealt as though the sources had infect. You then die horribly.

>>52197892
>>52197946
>>52199021
FYI, gA answers any Un-questions with the same answer of "Sure, why not?", so don't take his answer as actually applying to your question.

>>52199021
Give me an actual answer.
>"Sure why not?"
It can't do both at the same time or can it? Yes or no.

>>52199199
Well that's retarded. He's a judge. Unhinged cards are still MTG cards. They have rulings and such. Why does he need to be like that?

>>52199200
The rules don't apply in Silver-Border Land, so rather than try to make them apply, I long ago decided to just answer any Silver Bordered Question with the same catch-all Silver Bordered Answer.

Sorry, man- I deal with the CR, IPG, and MTR, and the CR doesn't apply in Ravenholm.

>>52199224
>Play unhinged card
>>It has no rulings so there's nothing saying it doesn't let me win instantly!

>>52198388
That is right.
But it's CMC is XXR
In the example the opponents discards 6 cards as the cost of X per flashback. The flashback cost is not CMC and x spells CMC while being cost is what has been paid for X.
In this case 6. And 6+6+r=13.
The poster was asking
A. They didn't say x was 6 when they discarded 6 cards, so is it zero if they don't say it
Answer x is 6.
B. Does pyrostatic portal activate.
No CMC is 13.

>>52199282
>But its CMC is XXR
Nitpick: not quite. Everywhere but the stack, the CMC is 1. On the stack, the CMC is 1 + whatever X was + Whatever X was. "XXR" is never a CMC, it's a mana cost.

>>52199309
Yea I didn't make that clear. In the original question posed that didn't matter but as always GA is right.

>>52199021
>literally a puddle after 6 giant elves and a hoof curb stomped you for a couple minutes
>"nah its cool bro phyexia got my back"

>>52199498
Works for Nurgle Cultists, right?

>>52173447
>you 100% can say "Hang on, I have a response before you move to attacks" and we'd have to back the game up a bit.
best thing ever right here, if my opponent doesn't say "combat phase" then I just wait for him to tell me who hes attacking with and I say "back up" and kill that guy.

Also when my opponent says "back up" i use it to my advantage, sometimes i pretend to attack with one guy becuase I know he has a destruction spell, then i attack with the other becuase we are pre-declare blockers step.

I act like a noob and say "a few months" when people ask me how long i've been playing, but i always get around 2nd place in most games i play for packs at stores.

people cheat alot more when they think you are a noob also. Had one kid "two explores" me when he over attacked because he thought he was so ahead of me, he would have lost the game.

>>52199680
>Also when my opponent says "back up" i use it to my advantage, sometimes i pretend to attack with one guy becuase I know he has a destruction spell, then i attack with the other becuase we are pre-declare blockers step.

Yeah, this is borderline cheating.

>>52199273
>Play unhinged card
Which is not legal in any format except kitchen table, thus not making it really a problem.

>>52199844
>There is no rule saying i have to declare combat
>When I declare attacker opponent can back the game up to before declare attackers
>Therefore I can declare new attackers

>>52201828
If you're trying to bait a response out of your opponent by intentionally making "errors" (like jumping to combat before giving them a chance to respond) so you get access to information you should not have, I'm DQing you. You're intentionally breaking rules (trying to move to combat without properly passing priority) to gain an advantage (information you shouldn't have when you're making your decisions of what to attack with). That's the necessary components of a DQ- illegal action, for advantage, that you know isn't kosher.

Don't do it.

How many times a week do you have to explain that colourless is not a colour?

>>52202018
Lately? About half a time. When Oath dropped? 10+, easy.

Question about a situation I ran in to recently.

Lets say I have a card in hand that is an instant, with flashback.

Can I cast said card, from hand, in reaction to something, and then cast it's flashback before the original situation resolves?

I forget the name of the card, but it was basically giant growth with flashback. I pumped a creature before combat damage was dealt, and pumped a second one again before damage was dealt.

Just want to make sure that's legit and fair, and that I didn't muck anything up.

>>52203508
You can cast it, have it resolve, and flashback it before the rest of the stack resovles. That works just fine.
You can't flashback it before it resolves the first time, but I don't think that's what you were asking.

>>52199219
Un- set cards don't follow the rules, and the rules of the game are not at all set up to handle them. If you actually want a "definitive" answer, Mark Rosewater sort of functions as the rules manager for Un- sets. Ask him on his blog, Blogatog, and you'll get whatever answer he feels fits the card/interaction/situation.

>>52199282
>>52199309
Was that so hard? When I asked the judge what the CMC was he said "can't tell you that", and when I said pyrostatic pillar triggered a got a penalty.

>>52205474
>can't tell you that
you gotta work some stuff out yourself. in this case you could have asked him 'how do i calculate what X is for this spell?' and judge-chan should have been okay with answering. they're not there to hold your hand though

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>>52202039
gA HeLP HOW DO I USE THis cARD?

>>52205728
you have something big but not tramply, and they have 5 1/1s

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I cannot use this to protect myself from goblin tokens from an empty the warrens storm, right?

>>52205728
Any damage-doubling effect, which are mostly if not entirely red.
Any lifegain prevention, which are red or black.

>>52205728
1: Combine it with cards that have Dethrone
2: False Cure or similar effects
3: Run Infect cards or other alternate win conditions so their life total doesn't matter
4: Cast it while a damage doubling or life gain preventing effect is on the field.
5: Use it in a multiplayer game to help persuade an opponent not to attack you
6: Don't

This is by no means an exhaustive list but hey

>>52203508
If by "original situation" you mean "the thing you're responding to", absolutely. Cast your Instant, it resolves, there's another round of priority, and in that round of priority you can flash it back.

If you mean "can I Flash it Back in response to itself", no.

>>52205728
With a Kavu Predator, of course!

>>52205986
Right, because there is no card named "Goblin".

Hilariously, you CAN use it to protect yourself from Splinter tokens and Illusion tokens.

>>52205700
He declared nothing. By default that means 0.

>>52207356
guess again ;^)

>>52207356
Except if X = 0, then that player discarded 6 cards when nothing allowed them to do so, meaning we'd give them a Warning for Game Play Error - Game Rule Violation and rewind to immediately before the error- IE, right before they cast the Conflagrate from the graveyard. That makes no sense, because clearly X was 6.

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>>52207478
Please help, Jeleva confuses me

Does her last effect refer to herself as a card or as an object? Can I use any cards put into exile prior that attack or only the ones put into exile for that last time I casted her?

>>52207901
When a card refers to itself by name, it means "This exact, specific object". Any time a card changes zones, it becomes a new object, with no memory of, or relation to, its previous selves.

Combine that with the fact that Jeleva's abilities are linked (IE, the second ability will only ever find cards that were exiled by the first ability to which it is linked) and that means that Jeleva can only "find" cards that this incarnation of herself exiled via the first trigger.

>>52152941
A breya is killed during combat, but a silas renn did combat damage that same combat phase.

does breya come back? if so, does the ETB trigger?

>>52210849
So, by the time Silas' trigger needs a target, SBAs have been checked and enacted, meaning the Breya is dead (excepting first/double strike shenanigans). You can target the dead Breya with Silas' trigger, allowing you to re-cast her. If you do, you will get your thopters.

Is there a specific reason you think that you wouldn't get the Thopters? Not to be rude, I just want to make sure there's not some underlying misunderstanding that I can help clear up.

>>52210893
just heard a long time ago that abilities that are used to bring creatures back in the same phase don't trigger the effect.

>>52210933
1) I have literally never heard of that in the nearly 15 years I've been playing Magic

2) Silas' trigger doesn't "bring back" anything, it lets you cast them from the graveyard, so you'd be paying

3) I've heard there's some wackadoo rule in Yugioh that if you bring back a monster that wasn't summoned "right" (IE, it was discarded and then hit with Monster Reborn) it has no effects; could you be conflating it with that?

>>52210971
The YGO thing is because most of those oddball cards have what boils down to "DO THING: Play THIS from ZONE. Then when THIS ETBs (because of this effect), EFFECT". But YGO's formatting and syntax is so godawful that it's not apparent. Mainly because it's all one giant block of tiny text. MtG makes different effects visibly different by using the mysterious technology known as linebreaks.

>>52211129
I mean, at least YGO has started moving towards consistent wording for stuff so it's very clear what's a trigger vs what's not, etc.

I still can't wrap my head around "missing the timing", and their whole "Chain" system being like the Batch we got rid of 20 years ago is bonkers.

>>52211934
I can grok the Chain just because it's a stack that resolves all at once. That's simple, though assbackwards. The rest, yeah. I have no clue how nobody's said "FUCK THIS SHIT" and unfucked the system.

>>52211992
It's mostly the mixture of "All of it resolves at once" and the spell speed thing. Magic used to have the same thing, with "fast effects", and how you could only use an Interrupt to respond to an Interrupt.

As for your 'no clue', it's because Konami does not give a tupenny fuck about the health of that game. They've been milking it like they expect it to die for years now.

I've got a question, as someone who last played about 15 years ago and started playing Magic Duels on my ipad the other day.

What the fuck happened to this game? What is all this gimmicky shit? Fabricate? Revolt? Vehicles? Energy tokens? Planeswalker cards? Perhaps it is just my limited experience playing Duels and looking through the cards, but it seems like the game now revolves around cheap, mid-sized creatures that have abilities that would make them cost twice as much mana back in the day.

>>52212829
You're partially right. There's been a notable push towards creature-centric stuff in the past several years, and that's on purpose; basically, design decided that SPELLS were way too good and CREATURES were not good enough (For example, a 4/4 with Vigilance and Flying for 5 was the single best creature in the game for a loooooong time). They dialed spells back a bit, and beefed up creatures (Serra Angel is mediocre by today's standards, but we've got things like Disallow instead of Counterspell and Mana Drain).

Planeswalkers do feel a bit gimmicky, but they've been pretty good overall; honestly, they're like an Enchantment with 3 modes you can activate, but you can damage it to slow it down. They're just destroyable value engines, which the game has ALWAYS had, but these ones are more marketable. Not everyone likes them, but you get used to them pretty fast.

I'm not sure why you find Fabricate or Vehicles gimmicky; Revolt and Energy I'll give you, but keywords (and keywords that are 'themed' for that plane) aren't anything new.

I haven't played in a while. Can someone give me a quick tl;dr of the order cmc altering effects apply?

Trinisphere + Lodestone = still 3cmc?
Trinisphere + Electromancer = that actually put it down to 2 iirc? idk

>>52217883
None of those things affect CMC. The CMC of a card is the sum total of the symbols in the top right, regardless of what you're paying to cast the spell. The CMC of Lightning Bolt is 1, whether you're paying R, W, 2R, 0, or WUBRG and a taco for it.

The order in which you apply things that affect COSTS is Additional Cost, Reduction, Trinisphere. So A Lodestone + 3ball would bump the cost of whatever up by 1, and then if it's still below 3, bump up to 3.

Trinisphere and Electromancer means you'd discount the spell by 1.... and then bump it up to 3.

>have 5/5 trample death touch
>get blocked by 3 2/2's

Does the 5/5 Trample/DT guy assign one damage to each 2/2, then get through for 2 damage, or does it get blocked and die?

>>52218185
It can assign anywhere between 1 and 5 damage to the first blocker in the damage assignment order. If there's still any left, it may assign between 1 and "however much is left to assign" to the second, and repeat for the third.

It is perfectly legal to assign 1 damage to each of the blockers, and trample over for 2; likewise, it's possible to kill just one, two, or all three blockers without trampling at all. Regardless of how you choose to divvy it, the 5/5 will also die, barring First Strike.

BED.

>>52217926

Using CMC as a synonym for "manacost" is a real bad habit I need to get rid of.

That brings up a new question. So stuff with X alters it's CMC while it's on the stack and X is more than 0. What about miracle effects?
Let's say I miracle an Entreat the Angels for x=3, does it's CMC on the stack become 5 or 9?

>>52218383
I mean, technically it doesn't change the mana cost either, since that's just "the symbols in the top right". It changes the COST, total.

X is 0 everywhere EXCEPT the stack. On the stack, X is whatever you said it is. So Entreat for X=3 has a CMC of 9, regardless of WHY X is 3 (for example, Miracle-ing it)

For X spells, just plug whatever number you declared as the value for X into every spot on the card where you see an X, and remember that CMC is "sum total of all symbols in the top right", and does not have a thing to do with 'what you paid'. As I said, in all of the following instances:

>Lighting Bolt cast for R
>Lighting Bolt cast for W thanks to Celestial Dawn
>Lighting Bolt cast for 1R because Thorn of Amethyst
>Lightning Bolt cast for 2R because 3ball
>Lightning Bolt cast for free because Cascade
>Lightning Bolt cast for WUBRG because Fist of Suns

In every single one of those situations, Lightning Bolt has a CMC of 1. Because the sum total of the symbol in the top right of the card, regardless of what alternate or additional costs you're paying, is "1". That's CMC. Not "what you pay", but "The sum of the symbols in the top-right of the card".

Bed.

>>52218492
jesus fuck I actually misspelled "Lightning" three drokking times in one post

Yeah, bed is a good call.

>>52218492

good explanation thanks senpai

If I flicker a Metallic Mimic with an Essence Flux, am I able to choose what creature type Mimic becomes before Essence Flux resolves? Or does Flux resolve before the Mimic's triggered ability?

>>52221887
Essence Flux should put the counter on it as a SBA during resolving, only after that's done the mimic will have its ETB trigger.

>>52221887
Well, "before" it resolves your Mimic is still on the battlefield and hasn't been exiled yet. Also, Mimic doesn't have a triggered ability, it has three static abilities, two of which generate replacement effects.

If what you're asking is "Can I hit a Mimic with Essence Flux and name Spirit as the type so it'll get a counter from Essence Flux", yes.

If I give a creature +4/+4 until end of turn and someone turns it into a 1/1 snake with no abilities will it be a 5/5 snake or a 1/1 snake?

>>52224730
5/5. Snakeform works in layer 7b (also layers 4 and 5, but that's not relevant here), the sublayer where P/T are set to a specific number.

Might of old Krosa works in layer 7c, which is one sublayer after 7b. So you'd apply Snakeform in 7b, then Might of Old Krosa in 7c, resulting in a 5/5 snake.

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Is a red/black spell/permanent on the field/stack required to activate this?

Are players allowed to write down a foreign card's Oracle text when shown by a Judge?

>>52226058
Jein. When you're asked to choose a source of damage for something like that, your options are:

1) A permanent
2) A spell on the stack (including a permanent spell)
3) Any object referred to by an object on the stack, by a replacement or prevention effect that's waiting to apply, or a delayed triggered ability waiting to trigger (even if that object is no longer in the zone it used to be in)
4) a face-up object in the Command Zone.

1 and 2 are simple enough. 3 is mostly for things like a delayed damage trigger, even if the source is gone (so you couldn't just choose it as a permanent on the field), and 4 is mostly for emblems, which won't apply here.

So if there's a red or black permanent, a red or black spell on the stack, or a red or black Commander in a Command Zone, you could pick that. Otherwise, nah.

>>52226161
>>52226178
Players are permitted to take brief notes during a game. If a player wanted to write down the Oracle text for a card so they remember it, I would be fine with that as long as it doesn't take them over-long to do so.

>>52160316
If I make the Quest for the Gravelord a creature with Starfield of Nyx, then regenerate it with Asceticism, could I theoretically pay its cost more than once?

>>52226336
No, because regeneration only replaces a destruction event. Sacrificing something is not a destruction event.

>>52226231
If I use foreign-language cards in my deck, how much onus is on me if there's a confusion with my opponent? Do I have to translate the rules text of the card exactly, or can I just briefly explain how it works. Do I have to have a printout of the english card with me just incase?

>>52226407
All cards are treated as having their Oracle text printed on them.

A card's Oracle text is Derived Information.

At a Competitive or Professional REL event (PPTQ, GP, etc), you are not obligated to provide Derived Information, but any Derived Information you DO provide must be accurate... though it need not be COMPLETE. For example, "It's a 2/3 flier" is an accurate statement about Vampire Nighthawk. You didn't mention the lifelink or deathtouch, but you didn't lie, either- if you said "it JUST has flying", that's a lie, and that's a no-go. If you say "it has flying" and neglect to mention the other keywords, that's legal.

So, at a Comp REL event, you don't have to tell them much of anything. Whatever you do CHOOSE to tell them must be completely accurate. Of course they always have the option of just calling a Judge for Oracle text of a card.

At Regular REL (FNM, for example), all Derived Information is considered Free Information. That means that if asked, you must provide it fully and accurately. So if you've got a Russian Vampire Nighthawk at a Regular event and your opponent asks "What's that do, again?", you must tell them about all three keywords.

Grok?

>>52226463
Yeah, I understand.

Although, with how it's dealt with in professional environments, that gives me another question: how is "poor sportsmanship" handled by judges? How do you guys deal with players abusing things like obscure rules to 'trap' their opponent in a violation?

Here's an example. suppose that player A casts slaughter pact, then player B does a bunch of stuff on his turn to distract player A (like spend a long time thinking, go to the bathroom, and other stuff like that). When player A's turn comes arround and he doesn't pay, player B claims to win. When player B is questioned by the judge, he claims that he tried to distract player A on purpose, and that it's a valid strategy.

>>52226569
So, basically there's three 'categories' of Sportsmanship.

Sporting Conduct is just upstanding awesome shit. Things like letting your opponent take back a stupid (but legal) play. Nobody expects it of you, but it's nice to see.

UNSPORTING Conduct is legit bad. This would be lying, cheating, etc.

Then inbetween is a grey area where you're not breaking any rules, but you are maybe being a dick. Judges might frown upon it, but we can't do anything *about* it, because you're not breaking any rules. It's not Sporting, but that doesn't make it Unsporting.

>your example
That's edging into actual USC. You can't ever try to just force your opponent to miss triggers by pushing through the turn, or trying to act fast. It's one thing if you do a lot of stuff during your turn to maybe muck with their train of thought, but eating up huge chunks of time for the express purpose of gaining an advantage by weaponizing your time-wasting? Congrats, you just earned a DQ for USC - Stalling. I'm gonna need you to fill out some paperwork and then get out of my venue.

>>52226644
Wait, you can actually let your opponent take back stupid moves in official play?

>>52226678
Technically, no. But it does happen from time to time.

>>52226837
>Technically, no
So how does that work? Is saying "Yeah, you can take that back" an infraction if anybody cares?
Like, say I tell my opponent that he can take back his bolting of my dork because he didn't realize I'm at 3 life. If the guy at the adjacent table overhears and doesn't like it can he call a judge on an my game?
Or is this strictly a multiplayer-game issue, wherein A tells B they can take something back, B takes it back, and C calls a judge?

>>52227228
Technically speaking, it'd be a Game Rule Violation, because you don't have the power to un-do things that have happened in the game.

Practically speaking, if you want to let your opponent take back a mistake they JUST made, literally nobody will care. The guy COULD call a Judge over, and at absolute worst we'd smack you with a Warning and not let them take it back, but I have never, ever, ever heard of that happening.

Also, multiplayer events with a Judge tend to either be "lol who cares" Prereleases, or misery.

>>52227998
If I cast dash hopes, can I choose to pay life after my opponent has chosen not to?

>>52228261
> As the triggered ability resolves, the active player gets the option to perform the action. If that player declines, the next player in turn order gets the option. As soon as any player performs the action, the spell is countered, but the remaining players still get the option. If all players decline, the spell remains on the stack.
If it's their turn, yeah. Not sure why you'd want to, but you could.

>>52228261
Only if it's not your turn.

Each player, in turn order, gets the choice to pay 5 life or not. Even if another player has already paid 5 life and the spell is countered, the other players get that option. So if you cast it during your opponent's turn, they get the chance first, and you can pay 5 to counter it after they decline, if you so wish. If it was cast during YOUR turn, you'd get that choice before them rather than after.

>>52228378
maybe as a way to counter his own Death's Shadow?

>>52228399
Even better with one actually on the board.

You pay 5, or lose your spell?
>I'll pay 5.
Hey, so will I. My Shadow got bigger, imagine that.

Any friendly Judge advice regarding drafting MM17 or unusual interactions that might happen during a normal match for a draft?

>>52228515
I didn't really look at it enough to be able to tell you about unusual interactions you might run into, no.

>>52228423
>>52228392
Well that answers that, and also now I know that any player may means any *number* of players may. Thanks gA!