Magic the Gathering: Ask a Judge

[Cybren]

Getting ready to take the L1 test, how many times should i read the comp rules?

[SilPho]

Reading the Comprehensive Rules from start to finish isn't recommended, you're better off honing in on a few points that you know you're a little unsteady with.

The prime areas that I'd suggest looking at before the L1 test are Layers, 2HG rules and the exact process of casting spells/activating abilities.

After you've had a good look at those, read the quote box below:

Practice exams at the Judge Center (http://judge.wizards.com) are a good training resource. Be careful not to take too many of these too early in your preparation. Burning out the test pool before you have done the actual document reading, note-taking, and judging practice can decrease the effectiveness of this practice.

Those practises will probably highlight a few other places you can look at. Oh, one last thing, those Hard Practise tests are designed to be HARD, the L1 test is not that bad.

If you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask again or PM me.

[vxicepickxv]

Short Answer: Torpor Orb turns off most "Landfall" effects.
Long Answer: Landfall itself is not technically an ability, (It's an "ability word"), so it's difficult to speak about it in general terms. However, any creature entering the battlefield will obviously not set off any Landfall triggers, including Dryad Arbor. What the orb cannot do is prevent something like Groundswell's Landfall effect, because it's not a triggered ability.

So, if Dryad Arbor is the only land to enter the battlefield this turn, even though it didn't trigger your Steppe Lynx, your Groundswell will still give +4/+4.

Well, that makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks for the answer.

[DuelLadyS]

So, protection- you can't be damaged, blocked, exiled, or targeted by the thing you have protection from. So- if my opponent attacks, and I block with something that has protection from that creature, would that mean the damage is prevented due to protection?

[Jenelmo]

Yes it would
Protection is
Damaged
Enchanted
Blocked
Target by

[SilPho]

Quick point: The 'E' in the DEBT mnemonic stands for Enchanted (and Equipped), not Exiled.

Short Answer: Yes, Protection prevents damage.

However, there is a catch with effects that say "Damage cannot be prevented" (such as on Malignus). Protection can't beat that.

[DuelLadyS]

Quick point: The 'E' in the DEBT mnemonic stands for Enchanted (and Equipped), not Exiled.

Short Answer: Yes, Protection prevents damage.

However, there is a catch with effects that say "Damage cannot be prevented" (such as on Malignus). Protection can't beat that.

I keep screwing that 'e' up! I know it when I play, at least... anyway, good to know. My white deck's picked up a LOT of protection lately.

[Lord Hosk]

So I had two brimstone Volleys in a draft and this Increasing Vengeancecame up so I thought, HEY! something dies, its 10 for 5.

but I couldn't get it to activate.

How is this supposed to work?

[SilPho]

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking, but I'll take a guess.

Increasing Vengeance requires the spell you want to copy to already be on the stack. So you first cast Brimstone Volley and select its target. You then cast Increasing Vengeance and select the Brimstone Volley as the target for it. When the Vengeance resolves it will create a new spell on the stack, the copy of Brimstone Volley. The copy will resolve first (and deal 3 or 5 accordingly) and then the original will resolve (Either 3 or 5 again).

If you were asking about how to get that to work on MTGO, I'm afraid that's something I can't answer.

[Lord Hosk]

thats how I thought it would work but on MTGO I could never copy.

[SilPho]

As long as you control the Brimstone Volley it's a legal play. Maybe someone who uses MTGO has a better insight in to how the interface should work.

[DarkAbyssKeeper]

When you cast a spell in MTGO the game automatically assume you're going to pass priority. In order to override this and keep priority you need to hold CTRL while casting the spell. If you do you'll be able to put increasing vengeance on the stack after the volley.

[Geoff_B]

So a couple of questions about Quicksilver Amulet:

1. Can Cavern of Souls's second ability be used to pay for a creature brought onto the field using Quicksilver Amulet? I suspect the answer is no because you only pay mana to use the Amulet's ability, not to actually cast the creature spell.

2. Can a creature brought in using the Amulet be countered in the same way as if it was cast normally? Again I would say no because when my reading is that when you use the amulet its ability goes onto the stack and when it resolves the creature appears on the battlefield as if by... well... magic and bypasses the stack completely (while still getting summoning sickness). I guess if the amulet's ability could be countered then yes the creature would not appear but otherwise the creature is coming no matter what.

[vxicepickxv]

So a couple of questions about Quicksilver Amulet:

1. Can Cavern of Souls's second ability be used to pay for a creature brought onto the field using Quicksilver Amulet? I suspect the answer is no because you only pay mana to use the Amulet's ability, not to actually cast the creature spell.

2. Can a creature brought in using the Amulet be countered in the same way as if it was cast normally? Again I would say no because when my reading is that when you use the amulet its ability goes onto the stack and when it resolves the creature appears on the battlefield as if by... well... magic and bypasses the stack completely (while still getting summoning sickness). I guess if the amulet's ability could be countered then yes the creature would not appear but otherwise the creature is coming no matter what.

No, The creature is not cast with Quicksilver Amulet, so you can't use the second ability on Cavern of Souls. Of course, when you use Quicksilver Amulet the creature can't be countered, because it isn't cast. The ability from Quicksilver Amulet CAN be countered, but it's less likely, and generally doesn't break the Amulet either.

Interestingly enough, with the right creature type, you can use the second ability on Cavern of Souls to cast a creature using Havengul Lich's reanimation ability, because it is cast.

[Geoff_B]

Woo Maybe I should take the L1 test

[SilPho]

Fun tidbits about Quicksilver Amulet: If your opponents wants to counter the ability (using something like Stifle) they need to do that before they know what you intend to put on to the battlefield. By the time they see what's coming, it's already too late. You can also activate the ability even with no creatures (or indeed, no cards) in your hand.

[Geoff_B]

... in which case, if they did stifle it, you just have another go next round.

Why is Quicksilver Amulet so awesome?

[vxicepickxv]

Woo Maybe I should take the L1 test

Okay, here's a fun question. What creature abilities are not completely redundant if they are granted more than once?

[Jenelmo]

Properly more than i can remember but i know these:
Annihilator
Absorb
Battle cry
Bushido
Flanking
Poisonous
Rampage

[TomBrend]

Aww my judge status expired... in like 2004. How sad.

[Geoff_B]

Woo Maybe I should take the L1 test

Okay, here's a fun question. What creature abilities are not completely redundant if they are granted more than once?

I didn't say I'd do well at it

[SilPho]

For what it's worth, the L1 test is nothing like that

[vxicepickxv]

This ought to be a little bit tricky since I can't really link on my phone, but here goes.

What happens if I reanimate a soul seizer with coffin queen, then transform it? Coffin queen specifically states the creature dies. What happens if it's not a creature anymore?

[Graham]

Question!
Sensai's Diving Top.

Obviously it can be countered before it resolves, and Krosan Grip will kill it with Split Second.

If someone tries to destroy it, you can just activate it in response and put it back on top of your library.

What if someone tries to destroy it in response to the activation? I was under the impression that didn't work for some reason, but I don't know why.

TL;DR - Short of countering and Krosan Grip, how do you kill a Top?

[SilPho]

This ought to be a little bit tricky since I can't really link on my phone, but here goes.

What happens if I reanimate a soul seizer with coffin queen, then transform it? Coffin queen specifically states the creature dies. What happens if it's not a creature anymore?

Don't worry about linking, it does make it easier of course, but I can make do without.

Short Answer: The ]Soul Seizer (or Ghastly Haunting, to be more precise) will still be exiled.
Long Answer: "That creature" is essentially shorthand for "That object, which is most likely going to be a creature, ...". The Coffin Queen's delayed triggered ability can still find it, despite the transformation and type change. The exact rule is quoted below.

603.7c A delayed triggered ability that refers to a particular object still affects it even if the object changes characteristics. However, if that object is no longer in the zone it’s expected to be in at the time the delayed triggered ability resolves, the ability won’t affect it. (Note that if that object left that zone and then returned, it’s a new object and thus won’t be affected. See rule 400.7.)

Regarding Sensei's Divining Top
Both of the Top's abilities go on to the stack, just like any other, which means they can both be responded to (except for Split-Second). The simplest way to kill a top is something like two artifact removal spells (Eg: Naturalize). But [url]Krosan Grip[/url] is usually the weapon of choice.