Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Judge's Corner

Mana Short Madness & more

Q: I was wondering about how to properly use Mana Short. (This question arose from your answer to the Twiddle/Icy Manipulator question.) Say my opponent has a Wild Mongrel out and he swings; I have no way to block (or bounce) him so response to me declaring no blockers he discards a card, Arrogant Wurm, pays madness and in response to him discarding Arrogant Wurm I play a (successful) Mana Short.... Would he be able to play the Wurm to madness, meaning I was to late, or would it be discarded, or could he bring it back to his hand (which I think not because he already discarded it to the Mongrel)? Just wondering!

-Justinosparce

A: You can make him not be able to play the Wurm … here's how …

-He discards Arrogant Wurm.
-He says he is going to play it using madness, so he removes it from the game instead of putting it in the graveyard. This sets up the first trigger, namely, the "You can play (this) for its madness cost until you pass next." Note that he can't play it yet, as the trigger hasn't resolved yet.
-So he passes, wanting to be able to play the Wurm.
-In response to the trigger going onto the stack, you cast Mana Short.
-You both pass.
-Mana Short resolves, tapping his lands and emptying his pool.
-You both pass.
-Now the Wurm trigger resolves. Your opponent can play the Wurm until he passes next. However, barring Elves or some other mana producer, he doesn't have the mana to play it!! So he has to pass, setting up the second trigger ("When you pass next, put (this) into your graveyard.").
-The second trigger resolves, and the Wurm is put into his graveyard.

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Q: I was reading your article on triggered abilities, when I came across two questions about tokens. I'm still unsure of what exactly happens when one dies. If a token is killed it enters the graveyard, but then is removed from the game (immediately after it enters?). It also wouldn't count as threshold, with 6 cards in your graveyard, because a token is not a card. Is this correct?

-Kaikea

A: Correct on both counts. Token creatures go to the graveyard, but then are immediately removed from the game as a state-based effect (420.5f).

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Q: Does Sapphire Medallion reduce the cost of Capsize's Buyback?

A: Sapphire Medallion reduces the play cost of blue spells by 1 mana. So, instead of a bought-back Capsize costing 6 ({4}{U}{U}), it now costs 5 ({3}{U}{U}).

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Q: If I Capsize an Illusions of Grandeur that I've already Donated to my opponent does he lose 20 life?

-Taylor

A: When Illusions leaves play, its controller loses 20 life. So if your opponent controls it, he will lose the 20 life.

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Q: I have a question on Urza's Rage.

A: Urza's Rage
{2}{R}
Instant
Kicker {8}{R} #(You may pay an additional #{8}{R}# as you play this spell.)#
Urza's Rage can't be countered by spells or abilities.
Urza's Rage deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If you paid the kicker cost, instead Urza's Rage deals 10 damage to that creature or player and the damage can't be prevented.

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Q: What happens if my opponent plays Urza's Rage and I play Divert? That doesn't count as countering right? All it does is changing the target of spell. My friend and I have been debating this but we're still stumped. Wondering if you may give us the answer.

-Alex Cain

A: You are correct. You can Divert an Urza's Rage just fine.

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Clarifications:

Q: I have a question for you regarding Braids, Cabal Minion.

A: Braids, Cabal Minion
{2}{B}{B}
Creature -- Minion Legend
2/2
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices an artifact, creature, or land.

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Q: So while I was reading Aaron's Braids, Cabal Minion deck list today, I noticed that the deck contained Phyrexian Arena, He says that not only will the 'Arena help get the cards you need help feed Braids, but that when you can no longer take anymore life, you can simply Sac the 'Arena to Braids. (when the appropriate time comes of course)

So, my question is this: How can this be! It is in no way a way to help pay for Braids upkeep cost! No where in the card does it say "Enchantment", as a way to help pay for the Sacrificial upkeep cost.

-Dustin

A: You are absolutely correct.

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Q: In the tournament report it said that he tried casting a Kirtar's Wrath triggering the Standstill. And then it reads: "He also makes them mistake of immediately trying to counter the Wrath instead of letting Standstill's trigger resolve first, so I get the 3 cards off his Standstill." Now I think he shouldn't have drawn the three cards off the Standstill because when he plays the Wrath, the Standstill's effect goes on the stack immediately targeting his opponent. So essentially all that happened was he countered the Kirtar's Wrath while the Standstill effect is on the stack targeting his opponent. Am I correct that he shouldn't have drawn the cards?

-Matt Brooks

A: I must have confused you here. First of all, I was the one who cast the Kirtar's Wrath. Instead of allowing the Standstill trigger to resolve, letting him draw 3 cards, he immediately tried to counter the Wrath. This made Standstill trigger again. I then let the last Standstill trigger resolve, drawing 3 cards, and then countered his counter.

Speaking of tournament reports…

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Tournament Report - FNM - Brea, CA - Booster Draft

"How I only played 2 games (not matches, GAMES) of Magic and took 3rd."

I get to the venue, and play a couple of constructed games while I waited for the tournament to start. There ends up being 9 people, so we sit down in one pod of 9. I have John Holcomb to my right, and 2 newbies to his right, and Josh to my left. (Josh is a decent player, although certainly not the best at the store.)

Whenever I booster draft, I ALWAYS try to force black. I have been drafting black as much as possible for the last 4 or so years now. No matter how strong or weak black is in the environment, I try to draft it.

So I open my first pack, and pick Gravedigger out of the first pack. The only other black card in the pack was Morgue Theft, so, barring Josh or his next door neighbor opening a black bomb, I should be set. I then get second pick Zombie Infestation, and I figure I've got black sewn up. John gets a 3rd pick Call of the Herd to pay for his draft. Black dries up fairly quickly, and I start dabbling into blue, as it seems the most prolific color left in the packs I get. I pick up a 7th pick Caustic Tar, and a late Thermal Blast and Acceptable Losses leads me to think I might be going 3 colors.

I then open my 2nd pack, and have a moment to really worry. Cabal Torturer and Chainer's Edict. I take the Torturer and ship the Edict, and then I get a ridiculous amount of red removal … 3 Sonic Seizures and a Fiery Temper. I pick up one Shade's Form and ship the next in favor of a Pardic Collaborator. By the end of the second pack, it seems I'm solid B/R.

I open up the third pack, and groan. The rare is a Glory. I would hate it, and take a little money out of this draft, except there is an Arcane Teachings in the pack too. I ask Jim to let me know when everyone else has picked. He does, and I ship a present in the form of Glory to Josh.

Other notable cards from this pack was a 3rd pick Firecat Blitz, and an Anger I believe I picked second. I also picked up 3 Lava Darts, but by the end of this pack, I am convinced the best I can do is 2-1.

Cards (in alphabetical order by set), Mandatory space to think, and then the deck list…

Odyssey:

Acceptable Losses
Caustic Tar
Cephalid Scout
Coffin Purge
Dwarven Grunt
2 Escape Artist
Face of Fear
Gravedigger
Morbid Hunger
Patriarch's Desire
Screams of the Damned
Scrivener
Thermal Blast
Zombie Infestation

Torment:

Cabal Torturer
Cephalid Snitch
Fiery Temper
Flash of Defiance
Gravegouger
Grotesque Hybrid
Pardic Collaborator
Pardic Lancer
Petravark
Rancid Earth
Shade's Form
3 Sonic Seizure

Judgment:

Anger
Arcane Teachings
Aven Trooper
Earsplitting Rats
Firecat Blitz
Flaring Pain
3 Lava Dart
Liberated Dwarf
Lost in Thought
Rats' Feast
Spellgorger Barbarian
2 Swirling Sandstorm
Treacherous Vampire

Space to think…
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The deck I built:

Acceptable Losses 
Anger 
Arcane Teachings
Cabal Torturer 
Caustic Tar
Coffin Purge
Dwarven Grunt
Face of Fear 
Firecat Blitz
Fiery Temper 
Gravegouger
Grotesque Hybrid
Gravedigger
Morbid Hunger 
Pardic Collaborator
Pardic Lancer
Patriarch's Desire 
Petravark
Shade's Form
3 Sonic Seizure
Thermal Blast
Zombie Infestation
10 Mountain
8 Swamp

I know, 42 cards … but that's the way I build my decks.

It seems John is also a black mage tonight. Well, there's where all my good cards went. =\

Jim makes the pairings, and I am informed I can go get a snack while I wait on round 2.

Round 1 - BYE

Games: 2-0
Matches: 1-0

I would have much rather preferred to play, but a win is a win.

I go get a couple of burgers from the Food Court, and come back and play a game for fun. I stall on 2 lands, but I am not dead when Jim calls out pairings for round 2. I concede anyway, and move on to …

Round 2 - Michael Cooper - R/G

Game 1 - I roll 6, he rolls 2, and I choose to play. I have to take a mulligan on a 1 land hand. I stay on a 6 card hand of Petravark, Arcane Teachings, and 4 land. He doesn't mulligan, and gets some Diligent Farmhand beats in along with another 2 power critter (sorry, don't remember which). I drop the Petravark, taking out his only source of red, and when he doesn't drop a Mountain on his next turn, out go the Teachings. I play cautiously for a turn, not blocking. Then I block on my second turn with the enchanted Petravark. He immediately proceeds to Flame Burst the 'vark, hoping to kill it, but since damage hadn't been put on the stack yet, I just Fiery Temper the creature the 'vark is blocking, and ping the other attacker. Face of Fear soon joins the Petravark, and I eek out the race to kill each other.

Sideboard: Nothing.

Game 2 - He chooses to play, and mulligans once this game. He is horribly mana screwed though, as he only has 1 Forest and no other land all game. Turn 2, I drop Zombie Infestation, and pitch Anger and a Mountain to swing for 2. I get slightly screwed as well, with my aggressive pitching, but when I drop Fiery Temper and something else to make a dude and put him to 7 at the end of the turn, he concedes.

Games: 4-0
Matches: 2-0

Well, there's my 2 wins. Steven and Matthew are also 2-0, and Steven wants to draw, so I hope I get paired with him, as I think the bye would put my tiebreaks over the top for second place. (Bye means you have no opponent to calculate the tiebreakers for that round. And since I have played one less opponent, the first round opponent won't give my tiebreakers fits.)

And we do get paired.

Round 3 - Steven Gutierrez

Intentional draw.

Games: 4-0-3
Matches: 2-0-1

I rush to report the results, so he can't change his mind. We then play a game for fun, but he gets color screwed and I win in short order. I then calculate tiebreaks. If Matthew loses, I'm first and Steven is second. If either John or Josh (or both) lose, I make top 2. But of course all 3 matches go against me, and I take third. Sucky.

Oh well, that's what I get. 

Next week, in my first report, I'll be bringing you a Judge report from the following tournament:

There will be a tournament July 14, 2002, in Garden Grove, at Mile High Comics. The information:

Date: July 14,2002 (Sunday)
Time: starts at 12 noon
Address: 12591 Harbor Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92840
Phone Number: (714) 741-2096
K-Value: 16
REL: 2
Head Judge: Me
Format: Standard (Type 2) - Judgment will be legal for this tournament.
Modified Swiss format, rounds dependant on attendance, with a cut to the top 8. (Top 4 if less than 16 people). 
Other notes: The Ultra Pro Gold and Silver Metallicized sleeves are banned from this tournament, due to their reflective properties leading to a greater probability of cheating with those sleeves.

Then in my second report for the week, I may or may not provide a report on what happened in this next FNM. We'll see.

Until later …

-Bill Guerin
PojoMagicJudge@hotmail.com
DCI Level 2 Judge