Magic the Gathering: Ask a Judge

[phlip]

Whenever a creature you don't control dies, return it to the battlefield under your control with an additional +1/+1 counter on it at the beginning of the next end step. That creature is a black Zombie in addition to its other colors and types.

The phrase "with an additional +1/+1 counter on it" means that the creature enters the battlefield with one more +1/+1 counter than it would normally enter the battlefield with. It doesn't keep any counters it had on it when it died.

I'm glad they explained that there... I was a little confused by that one. I can see how they had to word it that way, but still... I forsee having to explain that to many people at the LGS.

[tanatoes]

I see. So you get their undying creatures as well. With an extra pump.

[SilPho]

You basically get the card exactly as it would exist normally if you had just cast it yourself except that it will have one more +1/+1 counter in addition to all counters (if any) it would otherwise have. And the creature is also a black Zombie.

Also, note that this will not work on token creatures.

[AzureAngel17]

If they have Unleash, are you able to activate that off of Grave Betrayal as well? I smell a combo.

[SilPho]

You can activate Unleash this way. Doing so would give the creature two +1/+1 counters.

[Yaxley]

If I deal combat damage to my opponent, can I cast Rakdos, Lord of Riots, or does it have to be an effect that specifically mentions life loss?

[SilPho]

Some reminder text on other cards states "Damage causes loss of life", so I'll just say that

[Lord Hosk]

Can you Double Sac a creature? (that sounds weird)
Could you pay Two green and 2 to sack the Herald and get a 3/3 token and the ooze gets +1/+1






and we are getting into major mana here, but could they triple sack? for G,G,B, and 5

[Senstaku]

This question isn't so much about card interactions as it is tournaments.

I'm planning on going to my first standard tournament EVER, and wanted to know what I had to do to get my DCI number, or if you even get one for doing FNMs. Should I arrive early to get that sorted out, or is it something that only takes a minute? Anything about the DCI number in general would be helpful.

[Kapol]

Can you Double Sac a creature? (that sounds weird)
Could you pay Two green and 2 to sack the Herald and get a 3/3 token and the ooze gets +1/+1






and we are getting into major mana here, but could they triple sack? for G,G,B, and 5

I don't think so. I actually saw something similar happen during the final round of an FNM where someone thought they could sacrifice a creature for it's own ability as well as to pay for another's. The way I see it is that, when you activate the ability that has sacrificing as a cost (as the three you mentioned do), you're doing it as soon as you activate the ability. Or to put it in a more simple way, the sacrifing happens as soon as you activate the ability, not when it resolves. Just like you can't cast a spell and, in response, activate an ability or cast another spell using the same mana. It's used up instantly reguardless of the effect working or not.

So basically Sacrificing in the presented cases is part of the cost of the spell/ability, not part of the effect it has.

This question isn't so much about card interactions as it is tournaments.

I'm planning on going to my first standard tournament EVER, and wanted to know what I had to do to get my DCI number, or if you even get one for doing FNMs. Should I arrive early to get that sorted out, or is it something that only takes a minute? Anything about the DCI number in general would be helpful.

When I went to my first FNM, they had me fill out a form and gave me the DCI number then. You should go a couple minutes early to get it done, since you do have to fill out a form and it does have to be processed. But it's not anything that should require arriving much earlier then normal. Of course, if it's just a simple FNM, then it's not likely a large issue anyways.

[Lord Hosk]

Any shop that runs DCI events has DCI cards on hand. The form is like 5 lines long if I recall just stuff they can look you up with, like name address, email and phone.

takes all of 2 minutes to fill out, but you might want to show up early because they have to put it into their system. Also its good to show up early so you can tell the shop owner its your first time, some places like to introduce new players for a two fold reason, its welcoming and it lets everyone know if you dont play well they should be a little nice.

[phlip]

Yeah, the DCI registration doesn't take much... you just fill in a form (which is just name, address, email, maybe 1 or 2 other things I forget), and they set you up in their system (just a couple of minutes) and give you a card with your DCI number on it. It's worth showing up 5 or 10 minutes early to make sure you're not putting extra pressure on the organiser, but it's not like you need to get there hours in advance, or anything.

Re sacrificing: when the sacrificing is part of the cost of the spell or ability, as it is for all three of the things you mentioned, then you actually sacrifice the creature as part of casting the spell or activating the ability... so by the time that is done, and you go to activate/cast the next one, the creature's already in the graveyard, so you can't sacrifice it again.

If sacrificing was part of the effect of the spell/ability, then you might get to do some fancy stacking tricks, but it would depend how the effect was worded, which would change how it would react if the creature you wanted to sac wasn't there when it resolved... maybe the spell would be countered (if that was the only target), or maybe it would do nothing (say, "sac target X; if you do, Y"), or maybe it would work fine and you'd have gotten some extra value. Or maybe you'd have to sacrifice something else instead (say, if the creature you had to sacrifice wasn't chosen until resolution). Depends on the spell/ability in question.

[Graham]

Short answer: You can only sacrifice a given creature to ONE thing. There's only one of them.

[AzureAngel17]

Yup! Each sacrifice requirement demands its own card sent to the graveyard. No sacrificing one thing for multiple sac effects/costs, no regenerating, no indestructible shenanigans, no flickering out of the way. The only way to avoid sacrificing something is to have a card that prevents it specifically (like Sigarda) or somehow not having any of that type of permanent when the sacrifice effect resolves (VOOP!).

[vxicepickxv]

This is a very technical non-card issue.

Is there a way to find a list of local judges, and their ranks so I can interview for a level 1 judge position?

[SilPho]

The best thing to do would be to talk to a judge at a local store or event. Face to face is the best way to do it. If that isn't possible, send me a PM and I'll try to get you in touch with someone

[Jamfalcon]

Quick question: if an effect like Goblin Electromancer or Arcane Melee reduces the cost of casting a spell, does that mean its converted mana cost goes down, or does that stay the same?
(Context: Attaching a spell to an Isochron Scepter.)

[vxicepickxv]

Quick question: if an effect like Goblin Electromancer or Arcane Melee reduces the cost of casting a spell, does that mean its converted mana cost goes down, or does that stay the same?
(Context: Attaching a spell to an Isochron Scepter.)

No, lowering the mana cost of a spell, only lowers that cost specifically. It does not reduce the converted mana cost. With the exception of a spell with an X in their cost(while the spell is being cast), all converted mana costs are fixed values.

[RytelCSF]

I cast Burn at the Stake, tapping some nonzero number of creatures. Then, while it's on the stack, I copy it. I'm aware I don't have to pay the additional cost for the copy, but since I didn't pay that cost, does the copy deal any damage?

[Geoff_B]

IIRC Copy works on the state of the card at the time that the copy is played, so whatever state your burn at the stake is in - including paid for damage - will be duplicated, so you'll get two burn at the stakes on the stack, both dealing the same amount of damage.

That right or am I talking nonsense?

[Kapol]

I'm fairly confident you're right Geoff. But I could be wrong.

[SilPho]

Short Answer: The copy deals the same amount of damage.
Long Answer: Copying a spell or ability also copies the choices made for that spell or ability when it was cast or activated. This means that the copy of Burn at the Stake knows how many creatures were sacrificed and will deal the appropriate amount of damage. You don't need to sacrifice more creatures for this.

This is the same principle that allows copies of kicked spells to know that the original was kicked, and thus they should be too.

[AzureAngel17]

Detain question:
Detain: Until your next turn, those permanents can't attack or block and their activated abilities can't be activated.

5 player multiplayer match, turn order: Azorious, Izzet, BW Tokens (me), Mono-green Elves, Selesnya, then back to Azorious:

Azorious player attacks with Archon of the Triumvirate, detaining my Hollowhenge Spirit and the Izzet player's Drake token. Everything resolves and our permanents are detained. Azorious passes turn to Izzet, and the Izzet player attacks and kills the Azorious player. Now the question arises:

A) Do our permanents immediately become un-Detained when Azorious leaves the game?
or
B) Are they Detained forever (since Azorious will never have another turn and set off the delayed trigger to remove the Detainment)?
or
C) (This is what we decided to do:) Do our creatures remain Detained until the beginning of the Izzet player's next turn?

[SilPho]

There happens to be a rule that answers this exact question perfectly.

800.4i When a player leaves the game, any continuous effects with durations that last until that player’s next turn or until a specific point in that turn will last until that turn would have begun. They neither expire immediately nor last indefinitely.

So, well done for intuitively choosing the correct course of action.

[Lord Hosk]

Can a Goblin Fireslinger's ping be redirected at a planewalker?