Dear Magic Players, We understand that sometimes during gameplay, questions may arise regarding the rules or certain card interactions. That is why we have implemented the "Ask Magic Judge" system to ensure fair and accurate resolution of these queries. If you find yourself uncertain about a rule or how an ability works, don't hesitate to call a judge. They are here to help and make sure the game proceeds smoothly. The judge will do their best to explain the ruling in a clear and understandable manner. To ask a question, simply raise your hand and call out "Judge!" This will alert the nearest judge to your table, who will come over to assist you.
Ask a Magic Judge
If I have Elenda on the Battlefield and get hit with a board wipe, then in response cast something like Supernatural Stamina. How does that resolve? Will Elenda get the counters from things dieing to the board wipe since she returns to the Battlefield? How many tokens will she make? Is it equal to her power when the board wipe went off or her new power after coming back from the graveyard?
Unfortunately for you, Elenda is a new object after changing zones and so all the triggers from creatures dying were created by an Elenda that no longer exists and thus won’t end up putting any counters on the new Elenda.
As for how many tokens you make, it’s based on Elenda’s power when she died, but that will include the +2/+0 buff from Supernatural Stamina.
If I control Rod of Absorption and I cast Diluvian Primordial, what happens when I cast an instant or sorcery spell? This happened during a game, and I ruled that there's no event of a spell moving from stack to graveyard for Rod of Absorption to modify, but that felt like a really weird way to rule it and I'm having doubts.
Diluvian Primordial’s ability causes the spell to be exiled if it would go to a graveyard, such as when it finishes resolving. Rod of Absorption’s ability does the same thing for that specific case. Since both cards have the same goal, then there’s no conflict here and the spell will be exiled under Rod of Absorption like normal.
I have Garruk's Uprising, Gratuitous Violence, and Atarka, World Render on board. We are both at 40 health and no other triggers or abilities are being used. I attack my opponent with the Atarka, World Render 6/4 and a 5/4 dragon spirt token, they block the 5/4 dragon spirt token with 4 1/1 slivers. Can you explain how damage would go about with the Garruk's Uprising, Gratuitous Violence, and Atarka, World Render on board?
Damage is assigned before it’s doubled, including for trample, so this doesn’t work the way you want it to.
1st damage step:
1->2 damage to each sliver and the player from the 5/4
6->12 damage from Atarka
2nd damage step:
5->10 damage from 5/4
6->12 damage from Atarka.
If I use Snapcaster Mage to flashback Approach of the Second Sun, where would it go when it resolves?
Part of what Flashback does is create a replacement effect that sends the card to exile any time it would try to move to a zone other than exile. So that means that Approach of the Second Sun will just exile itself and gain you seven life when you flash it back.
If I have oscar rubbish reclaimer and dream halls in play, can I cast a card from discard by discarding a card that shares a color with it instead of paying its mana cost?
Yes, this works and is actually really neat tech.
Dream Halls doesn’t care where the spell is being cast from, so you can use its alternate cost to cast cards you discarded via Oskar’s ability. This lets you make a nice chain of spells as long as you have the right cards in hand.
Please note that Oskar’s ability will resolve before the spell you discarded the card for, so if you do chain this way, you’ll end up with a bunch of spells on the stack at once, leaving you vulnerable to cards like Whirlwind Denial.
Also, Oskar’s trigger instructs you to cast the card right away, so timing restrictions don’t matter as you’re not casting the spell normally.
Good morning/afternoon/evening judge!
If I have access to mutate creatures (let's say Vulpikeet) from an opponent (with Draugr Necromancer for example); can I cast Vulpikeet for it's mutate ability targeting a creature I own?
If I do: if my opponent who owns the Vulpikeet leaves the game, what happens to the "mutant" it was part of?
Thanks in advance!
No you can’t.
A spell cast for its mutate cost can only ever target a permanent with the same owner as that card.
Hey Mark, did you know Sheldon Menery personally? Do you have any anecdotes or memories that you can share with us?
I’ve known Sheldon for twenty-five years. During that time, he’s worn many hats, accomplishing an amazing number of things for one man.
The story I’ll share is when he came to work at Wizards. It was on his bucket list, so he arranged to come work for us for three months. This was a bit before the pandemic. (He worked on the Strixhaven Commander decks to give some sense of time.)
One of my goals when I learned Sheldon was coming to Wizards was to take some time talking with him about the design ramifications of certain Commander decisions. We have to design cards for Commander, so I wanted to help him see how choices the RC makes impact how we design cards.
Sheldon always took our talks very seriously, and was eager to learn as much as he could. Those one-on-one talks were probably the most concentrated time I ever had with him, and I remember them fondly.
Over the years, he and I would argue a lot, but they were always constructive arguments where each of us was working hard to understand the other’s point of view and trying to move towards a constructive outcome.
It’s so great seeing all the outpouring of emotion today. Sheldon touched many lives, and forever changed the game of Magic for the better. He deserves all the kind words being shared.
Rest in Peace, Sheldon. You made a huge impact on the game, the community, and the world.
MTG Judge Service Solves 24/7 Rules Issues!
One of the biggest appeals of Magic that is simultaneously one of the scariest barrier-to-entry aspects of the game is the rules. Rules in Magic are very intricate which, while creating an incredible amount of explorable game space, can also be incredibly frustrating to understand as you’re learning the game. Layers are a classic example of this. Why doesn’t Dress Down work on Magus of the Moon (at least in the way you think)? It doesn’t make sense at a surface glance, but Layers does explain this pretty well.
For this reason, MTG Judges are a pretty valuable resource in Magic. These individuals spend a ton of their personal time understanding the ins and outs of the Magic rules, something that you need to study for like a college course. There’s a ton to learn.
For this reason, it’s understandable that there simply aren’t enough judges to go around for every MTG event. Bigger competitive events like Regional Championships, Pro Tours and even RCQ’s will generally have one or even a team of Judges, but this doesn’t exactly help solves problems that may come up at a weekly event or even at your Commander game. Fortunately, this service can help!
To ask a question, simply raise your hand and call out "Judge!" This will alert the nearest judge to your table, who will come over to assist you. If the judge is not nearby, feel free to approach the main judge station or tournament organizer for assistance. When asking a question, it is important to state your query clearly and succinctly.
An MTG Judge in Your Pocket
Announced earlier this weekend on Reddit is a resource for players to ask Judges whatever MTG rules questions they may have. Whether it’s a physical thing happening in real time or just a hypothetical question in regard to a deckbuilding idea that you had in the middle of the night, Judges should be available to answer your questions when they get to it here. While you’re free to ask questions whenever you want, just note that it may not get answered right away.
Provide relevant details, such as the cards involved or the situation at hand, to help the judge grasp the context. Be patient and polite while waiting for a response, as judges may need to consult rulebooks or discuss with other judges to ensure a correct ruling. Please note that judges are neutral and their goal is to ensure fair play and maintain the integrity of the game. Their rulings are final, and it is important to accept and respect their decisions, even if they may not align with your expectations. Remember, the judge's role is to uphold the rules, not interpret them to favor any specific player. In addition to resolving rules questions, judges are also available to assist with any other concerns or issues that may arise during the game. Whether it's a disagreement between players or an unclear situation, feel free to call a judge for guidance and resolution. We encourage all players to take advantage of the "Ask Magic Judge" system whenever they have doubts or need clarification. By doing so, we can ensure a fair and enjoyable gaming experience for everyone involved. Happy playing! [Your Name/Signature].
Reviews for "Exploring the Code of Conduct for Magic Judges"
1. John - 2/5 - As an avid Magic: The Gathering player, I was excited to try out Ask Magic Judge. However, I found it to be quite disappointing. The responses provided by the "magic judge" were often inaccurate and not helpful at all. It seemed more like a random algorithm generating generic responses rather than an actual knowledgeable judge. I would not recommend this app to anyone looking for reliable and accurate rulings for their gameplay questions.
2. Sarah - 1/5 - I have used many resources to get rulings and answers for my Magic: The Gathering queries, and Ask Magic Judge is by far the worst. The so-called "judges" seem clueless and provide incorrect information more often than not. It's frustrating to rely on a tool that gives unreliable responses, especially when you're trying to resolve complex gameplay situations. Save yourself the disappointment and look elsewhere for accurate rulings.
3. Michael - 2/5 - Ask Magic Judge claims to provide expert advice on Magic: The Gathering rules, but my experience with it was disappointing. The answers provided were often vague and lacked the necessary depth to truly understand the rules. Additionally, the app lacks a user-friendly interface, making it difficult to navigate through previous questions and answers. Overall, I found it to be an unreliable and frustrating source for rule explanations and would not recommend it to others.