Cranial Insertion: Service with a Smile

[BJPaskoff]

This thread is for the discussion of my latest article, Cranial Insertion: Service with a Smile. We would be grateful if you would let us know what you think, but please keep your comments on topic.

[Zaccormon]

An interesting and informative read. This may make me out to seem immature, but I like how the article is taking such an exclusive view as a judge's. I'm a casual player, but I like to stay up-to-date on darn near everything involving Magic. Thanks for all the information.

~ Zac

[mchainmail]

Q: If I evoke a Mulldrifter for the wrong mana cost by accident, do I get a penalty for Drawing Extra Cards? What if I play a Counsel of the Soratami for the wrong mana cost?

A: You've only committed "Drawing Extra Cards" when you've actually drawn extra cards. If an effect tells you to draw two cards (or you think an effect is telling you to draw two cards, such as a Font of Mythos that isn't in play anymore) and you draw three cards, that's Drawing Extra Cards.

I think it would be better to give the actual infraction (GPE:GRV) for the penalty in the answer in addition to what is written.

[Lordatog]

If you discard a card to your Masticore before you even untap your lands, or draw three cards before you return a creature with Cruel Ultimatum, or place a Rampant Growth in your graveyard before it even finishes resolving, that's all Out of Order Sequencing.

Masticore and Rampart Growth I can see, but drawing cards before returning a guy from Cruel Ultimatum has potential for abuse, because the cards you draw could affect what guy you want. A sloppy player could really do that without penalty?

[azngenius]

Can you elaborate on the "20 players, 4 rounds is fine as long as there is a clear first place"? Does that mean there has to be player with more match points than any other player? Or do tiebreakers help decide a clear first place? Is this the same in a 10-player, 3 round situation? One of my local shops often has 10 or 12 players, and only runs 3 rounds before ending the tournament based on tiebreakers. Is this allowed under the new rules, or was it allowed under the old rules?

[ThatGuyThere]

Originally Posted by The Article

Q: In an Alara block draft, can I switch up the cards in my graveyard so my Dregscape Zombie is on top of my yard, even other cards have since been put there above it?

A: The last time cards cared about graveyard order was before Urza's block. So in any format that only allows cards from that block and later (Extended, Standard, and any limited or Block format from Urza block or later), you can change up the order of your graveyard as much as you want now.

I've been meaning to ask this. What about Fossil Find? Doesn't it 'care about graveyard order', what with giving you the ability to re-arrange it?

[azngenius]

Originally Posted by ThatGuyThere

I've been meaning to ask this. What about Fossil Find? Doesn't it 'care about graveyard order', what with giving you the ability to re-arrange it?

Well this was before you could rearrange your graveyard cards willy-nilly, so it made sense at the time. Now, it's just like printing a card that says "Draw a card. You may look at your hand."

(Still matters in Legacy and Vintage, of course.)

[eratos]

Fossil Find had to let you re-order your graveyard under the old rules.

Consider the situation.

A: "Fossil Find"
B: "What's that do?"
A: "I get a card at random from my graveyard"
<A picks up his graveyard and starts shuffling it. B picks a card at random>
B: "Errr, I thought you weren't allowed to change the order of the graveyard?"
A: "Crap. JUDGE!"

If it were printed under M10 rules, I bet that it wouldn't say anything about reordering your graveyard.

[epeeguy]

Originally Posted by azngenius

Is this allowed under the new rules, or was it allowed under the old rules?

This is the quote from the MTR (Section 10.2):

The number of rounds should be announced at or before the beginning of the first round; once announced, it cannot be changed. A variable number of rounds can be announced instead, with specific criteria for ending the tournament. For example, an event with 20 players can be announced as five rounds unless only one player has four match wins after four rounds.

My understanding is that in the past you could never state that the tournament consisted of a "variable number of rounds"; you had to announce a set number of rounds and format at the beginning of the event and stick with it. While the actual number of rounds and structure was at the TO's discretion for FNM and other non-Premiere events (as GPTs and PTQs have to be run a certain way), you really weren't allowed to modify that structure midevent. But, it sometimes happened.

That being said, my understanding of the new rule is that you would need to announce the "end criteria" at the beginning of the event. That way, the players know what the end condition is, and can play accordingly. I don't read the MTR as saying that you can change the condition mid-event or just do what you like; only that you can announce what the "end criteria" is and let the event run until that criteria is met. So, the event ends when a player has won four matches or five rounds have been played (whichever comes first). Final standings for the event would be figured out at that point, as normal using the appropriate tie-breakers.

The only thing other thing would be to make sure the event runs at least three rounds (as that's the minimum for sanctioning).

[dyzzy]

Q: My friend joked that if I was ever in a situation in an important match where knowing what was in my opponent's hand could save me, he'd should out what was in my opponent's hand, because it's "only a Warning at Regular REL". I don't think he was serious, but is this true?

A: Not at all - that'd be intentionally committing an infraction, which falls under Cheating - Fraud. Turns out that's way more than just a Warning: it's a DQ!

This may be a silly question, but who gets the DQ? The person playing the game or his idiot friend who is shouting out (I assume "should out" is supposed to be "shout out") card names?

[epeeguy]

Originally Posted by dyzzy

This may be a silly question, but who gets the DQ? The person playing the game or his idiot friend who is shouting out (I assume "should out" is supposed to be "shout out") card names?

Hearing what someone says, by itself, isn't an infraction. Your friend's behavior is his or her responsibility, and if he or she isn't responsible it will be dealt with accordingly. Note: On the other hand, if there is some kind of arrangment between the player and his or her friend...