Thursday, July 28, 2011

Magic Events -August, September

Magic: The Gathering
Events

WPN August Events

Magic: The Gathering: Casual Play: Here, you rule. Come to play, trade, or build decks for Magic: the Gathering. Decks available for use. New Players Welcome. Also frequently run odd formats such as planechase, archenemy, commander, emperor, multiplayer, etc.
Tuesdays: 2,9,16,23,30; 5:00-9:00pm

Friday Night Magic: Here, you rule. Standard type 2 constructed event. $7.00 entry. DCI sanctioned w/ prize support! Hosted by Dan Regewitz.
Fridays: 5,12,26. 5:30-9:00pm

Friday Night Magic - Draft: Join us for our monthly draft. We expect to draft M11 core set. $16.00 entry. DCI sanctioned. Hosted by Dan Regewitz.
Friday: 19th 5:30-9:00pm

Magic GAME DAY!: Experience the power of play. NDC Butler to host a Magic Game day. This event is open to all players. Entry $10.00. Standard constructed. Exclusive promos to be handed out to all participants and additional promos to be handed out to the top 8 finishers. Additionall prizes will handed out for this event! Here, you Rule!
Saturday: 14th 10:00am registration opens. 1:00pm start time.

Highlander / Commander: Participate in the most awesome format ever. Elder Dragon Highlander AKA Commander. 100card singleton commander format. Multi-player with victory points. $10.00 entry. Prizes to be distributed as store credit.
Tuesday: 30th 5:00-9:00pm

WPN September Events

Magic: The Gathering: Casual Play: Here, you rule. Come to play, trade, or build decks for Magic: the Gathering. Decks available for use. New Players Welcome. Also frequently run odd formats such as planechase, archenemy, EDH, emperor, multiplayer, etc.
Tuesdays: 6,13,20,27th; 6:00-9:00pm

Friday Night Magic: Here, you rule. Standard type 2 constructed event. $7.00 entry. DCI sanctioned w/ prize support! Hosted by Dan Regewitz.
Fridays: 2,9. 5:30-9:00pm

Friday Night Magic (Extended): Here, you rule. Play in a sanctioned extended format FNM, right before the format changes forever with the release of Innistrad. $7.00 Entry. DCI sanctioned w/ prize support! Hosted by Dan Regewitz.
Friday, 23rd. 5:30-9:00pm

Friday Night Magic - Draft: Join us for our monthly draft. We expect to draft M11 core set. $16.00 entry. DCI sanctioned. Hosted by Dan Regewitz.
Friday: 16th, 5:30-9:00pm

Innistrad - Prerelease!: Discover the horror that lurks within the newest set of Magic. $30.00 entry to participate in this DCI sanctioned sealed deck pre-release. Open dueling available. Draft to follow main event ($16.00 entry).
Saturday, 24th 10:30am registration. Tournament begins at 12:30. Draft 6:00-9:00

Innistrad - Launch!: Come celebrate the official release of Innistrad with a DCI sanctioned Draft. $16.00 entry. Prizes based on attendance. Hosted by Dan Regewitz.
Friday, 30th - 5:30-9:00pm.

FNM for FtV: Standard type 2 constructed event. Winner to receive a sealed box of From the Vault: Legends! $10.00 entry. DCI sanctioned w/ prize support! Hosted by Dan Regewitz.
To Be Announced.

Magic the Gathering at Sibcon: Super Standard Constructed Tournament (Sun 11-5). Here, you rule! New Dimension Comics is proud to sponsor a pack of magic events at Sibcon, Butler Days Inn at 139 Pittsburgh Road. Main event to be $15 entry super standard. High-prize payout with 5 packs per entry being added to the prize pool. Side events to include sanctioned draft ($15 entry), and non-sanctioned highlander-commander games ($5). Dan Regewitz Head Judge.
Sunday, 25th, 11:00-5:00pm; Registration to open at 10:00.

Monday, July 25, 2011

GPT Pittsburg Report

= GPT Pittsburgh Event Report
= July 26th, 2011

On the 23rd I headed down to West-Mifflin early to Head-Judge a Grand-Prix Trial to be held at New Dimension Comics in the Century 3 mall. We were expecting a decent crowd due to both the standard format and the fact that the GP in question would be local, occurring in Pittsburgh.

In the end we got less players than I personally was expecting, but still a respectable number. We started the event with 23 players, and I announced that we would proceed with 5 rounds of swiss followed by a cut to single-elimination top 8.

When checking deck lists I found only 1 error. A sideboard with 14 registered cards. Upon checking the actual deck we found a 15 card sideboard, so we simply changed the deck list to match the deck, and sent the player on their way (with a game loss).

== Rulings

In round 3 I was called to a table with an interesting interaction. The player had a Phyrexian Metamorph on the battlefield coping an Obstinate Baloth. They also had a Deceiver Exarch on the table (with summoning sickness). They wanted to know if Splinter Twin was put on the Metamorph, would it produce Metamorphs? After very careful consideration, I ruled that If the Metamorph-Baloth was tapped with Splinter Twin, it would create Artifact Baloths. My reasoning was that because both are copy effects, the splinter twin creates copies that share the attributess of the enchanted creature, and the Metamorph exists as a artifact-Baloth on the battlefield. This ruling is supported by CR706.3

In Round 4 I was asked to clarify something about Goblin Grenade, namely when the goblin sacrificed for it leaves the battlefield. The Goblin in question is sacrificed as part of the process of casting the spell, and no player can play spells or abilities between the time a spell or ability is announced, and it becomes fully cast (so no you can't shock the goblin in response).

In Round 5 there was a situation where Player A was at 3 life. Player B flung 3 creatures at his opponent using Mortorpod, and Player A conceded the game. After one of the players picked up their cards a spectator pointed out that one of those points of damage was from a source with Infect. At which point I was called to the table. I informed both players involved that there was no way to accurately re-construct the game state, and the concession (verbally and physically by scooping up one's cards) would need to stand.

This incident created some discussion afterwords. There were questions concerning what (if anything) a player could say while observing a match, and more importantly if they were required to by the tournament rules.

If you are participating in a tournament, and are watching a game (as opposed to playing in one), you are a spectator for that game. Spectators are allowed (encouraged even) to call a judge at all levels if they notice any game error. At regular or competitive level, spectators are allowed to ask the players to pause their match while they alert a judge. At Professional Rel, spectators must not interfere with the match directly.

The Tournament rules lay out that players are required to call a judge if a game error occurs, but from my reading of the Tournament rules, spectators are not required to alert a judge to a possible play error.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Magic 2012 Pre-release tales

= Magic 2012 Pre-release tales
= Monday, July 11th, 2011

Another successful pre-release has passed. I am pleased to report that 18 players participated in the main event, and 14 players played in our side-event draft.

Those who have been reading know that this is a welcome boon from last pre-release where we had only 8 players for the main event. While I think this is a good sign for the health of our venue and the game as a whole, I think we should all remain vigilant in our efforts to recruit new players, help those players grow into being better players, and keeping all levels of play as fair and fun as possible.

With the launch of Magic 2012 and in the following months, we are likely to see more players and more interest in our game. It's a great time to be playing, and I for one am excited!

== Rulings

= Chandra, the Firebrand.
A player asked if they could choose a single player multiple times with Chandra, the Firebrand's 3rd ability. "[-6]: Chandra, the Firebrand deals 6 damage to each of up to six target creatures and/or players." While the ability as-written doesn't limit the choice of targets (by using the word "different" for example), we do have the following tidbit from the Magic2012 FAQ:

* When you activate Chandra's last ability, you choose up to six target creatures and/or players. No damage is divided, and Chandra can't deal more than 6 damage to any one target. Chandra deals 6 damage to each target that is still legal when the ability resolves.

= Goblin Tunneler and Turn to Frog

Player A Activates Goblin Tunneler targeting a 2/2 Bear. The bear attacks. Player B casts Turn to Frog targeting the Bear. Can Player B declare a blocker against the ex-bear, now 1/1 frog?

The rather interesting answer is no. Again from the FAQ:

* The ability [of Goblin Tunneler] doesn't grant an ability to the targeted creature. Rather, it affects the game rules and states something that's now true about that creature. After the ability resolves, the creature will remain unblockable for the rest of the turn even if it loses all abilities.

For those who are truly curious, here's the Comprehensive Rules that are most applicable to this situation:

112.11. An effect that sets an object’s characteristic, or simply states a quality of that object, is different from an ability granted by an effect. When an object “gains” or “has” an ability, that ability can be removed by another effect. If an effect defines a characteristic of the object (“[permanent] is [characteristic value]”), it’s not granting an ability. (See rule 604.3.) Similarly, if an effect states a quality of that object (“[permanent]” is indestructible” or “[creature] is unblockable,” for example), it’s neither granting an ability nor setting a characteristic. (See rules 700.4 and 700.5.)
Example: Muraganda Petroglyphs reads, “Creatures with no abilities get +2/+2.”

700.5a Although the text “[This permanent] is unblockable” is an ability, actually being
unblockable is neither an ability nor a characteristic. It’s just something that’s true about a creature.