I currently have a discussion with another judge about rule 800.4a that is about a player leaving the game in multiplayer game, I am going to resume the question into a situation so it goes directly to the point, then I am going to explain where is the doubt exactly:

It's a 4 player multiplayer game
A) Alice controls Nolan's runeclaw bears due to the use of Blatant Thievery. Alice leaves the game two turns later. What happens with the runeclaw bears.

The doubt here is that the other judge tells me only effects with “a duration” (I think he actually means defined duration) can end so the runeclaws get finally exiled by 800.4a. My argument against that is:
a) There is no indication in the rules that only effects with a defined durations can end.
The other judge tells me it is asumed in 800.4a, I can't actually believe anything can be asumed in the rules.

b) Moreover I believe based on the rules about continuous effects that the effect has indeed a duration, but it is an indefinite one. So even if a) is true, it still can end, and the runeclaw bears would return to the control of Nolan by 800.4a.

Hope you can help us settle this.

Here's what 800.4a says:

800.4a When a player leaves the game, all objects (see rule 109) owned by that player leave the game and any effects which give that player control of any objects or players end. Then, if that player controlled any objects on the stack not represented by cards, those objects cease to exist. Then, if there are any objects still controlled by that player, those objects are exiled. This is not a state-based action. It happens as soon as the player leaves the game. If the player who left the game had priority at the time he or she left, priority passes to the next player in turn order who’s still in the game.

The section that applies to Blatant Thievery is “any effects which give that player control of any objects or players end”. Notice how it says nothing about change of control effects with a duration - it just says any effect that gives that player control of something ends. When Alice leaves the game, the change of control effect that gives her control of the Bears ends ends and Nolan gets their Runeclaw Bears back.

Nathan Long
Wizards.Com Boards NetRep