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Competitive REL » Post: Choosing a legal card when searching your library that can't have the following instructions performed on it

Choosing a legal card when searching your library that can't have the following instructions performed on it

June 20, 2017 12:14:23 PM

Isaac King
Judge (Level 1 (Judge Foundry))

Barriere, British Columbia, Canada

Choosing a legal card when searching your library that can't have the following instructions performed on it

There are many situations where it's possible to find a legal card while searching a library, but then the rest of the instructions on the card letting you search might not have the desired effect. If a player does this and then tries to take it back once they realized they can't do it, when do you let them find a new card, and when do you hold them to their choice? (Assume that in all cases they said “I'm getting this card”, then the opponent immediately pointed out that it won't work the way they want it to. They haven't yet presented the deck.)


AP's Academy Rector dies and he finds a Spirit Mantle, while his only creature has protection from white.

AP casts a Bring to Light with no extra mana open and finds a sorcery, while NAP has a Thorn of Amethyst.

AP cracks a fetch land and finds a Stomping Ground, while NAP has a Thalia, Heretic Cathar.

AP ultimates a Nahiri the Harbinger and finds a Blightsteel Colossus, while NAP controls a Moat.


Is your decision related to whether or not you're issuing a penalty?

June 20, 2017 12:38:33 PM

Charlotte Sable
Judge (Level 3 (Magic Judges Finland))

Europe - North

Choosing a legal card when searching your library that can't have the following instructions performed on it

Players are allowed to make mistakes like these. At competitive REL, the
player should be held to these choices and suffer the consequences.

On 20 June 2017 at 13:20, Isaac King <forum-36311-87a0@apps.magicjudges.org>
wrote:

June 20, 2017 02:10:03 PM

Théo CHENG
Judge (Uncertified)

France

Choosing a legal card when searching your library that can't have the following instructions performed on it

I also think that this should not be teh baseline for Regular.

I think that regular means that infractions regarding the rules are not punished as severely as in competitive, but I do not think that means that we (as judges) should allow more takesies backsies when a strategic mistake has been made. It should in my opinion still something that the opponent alone should allow or not.

June 20, 2017 02:20:22 PM

Norman Ralph
Judge (Level 2 (UK Magic Officials)), Scorekeeper, Tournament Organizer

United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa

Choosing a legal card when searching your library that can't have the following instructions performed on it

Originally posted by Théo CHENG:

It should in my opinion still something that the opponent alone should allow or not.

I strongly disagree with putting the onus on the opponent to make this decision - it puts them in an awful spot most of the time.

As judges at REG REL we have a responsibility to help both players get back to playing Magic as fairly as possible. I am normally just undoing the decision the first time with a reminder to be more careful in the future. If they keep making this mistake then I get less lenient.

If takesy backsies are likely to lead to a poor experience for anyone due to winning or losing mattering then the event probably shouldn't be at REG REL.

June 20, 2017 03:23:06 PM

Théo CHENG
Judge (Uncertified)

France

Choosing a legal card when searching your library that can't have the following instructions performed on it

OK,

I think I got misunderstood.
I am not advocating asking the opponent if he wishes to do it or not.

I am not letting the player do it. I will not ask the opponent if he wishes to let the player go back and do a better choice.
If the opponent insists on letting his opponent do it, then I will not oppose, as usual, that was where I was going to.

I am not really sure that allowing a player go back in time to fix his strategic mistakes is in our power, neither should be. No matter the REL

Edited Théo CHENG (June 20, 2017 03:24:49 PM)

June 20, 2017 03:37:20 PM

Dominik Chłobowski
Judge (Level 2 (Judge Academy))

Canada - Eastern Provinces

Choosing a legal card when searching your library that can't have the following instructions performed on it

Here's a relevant thread from 3 years back:
https://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/10913/

2017-06-20 9:30 GMT-04:00 Théo CHENG <forum-36311-8d7f@apps.magicjudges.org>
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