Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Judge's Corner

Flagbearers

Q: If my opponent attacks me while he has a Coalition Honor Guard in play, can I use the Shieldmage Advocate to prevent one source of the damage? I say I can because of the 'source of your choice' clause in the Advocate, he says no because the Honor Guard can be targeted. Can you provide some clarification?

-Neil

A: Coalition Honor Guard
{3}{W}
Creature -- Flagbearer
2/4
If a spell or ability an opponent controls could target a Flagbearer in play, that player chooses at least one Flagbearer as a target.

Shieldmage Advocate
{2}{W}
Creature -- Cleric
1/3
{T}: Return target card in an opponent's graveyard to his or her hand. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn by a source of your choice.

Since the Honor Guard can be targeted (to be the thing the damage is prevented to), you have to target it. This means that if you want to prevent damage to something, you have to prevent it to the Honor Guard.

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Q: On the recent "complicated blocking" issue, I have a lot of experience swapping control in response to damage (using Phyrexian Infiltrator) online. Recently, I was playing a friend's Confinement deck with my rather silly all islands-hoser deck.

He had something in play (2 Auramancers I believe) with a Mirari's Wake out (making them 3/3s) as well as a Coalition Flag on one of the Auramancers. I blocked with the infiltrator (he attacked with both Auramancers, I blocked the one without the Flag) and swapped it in response to the damage being dealt, giving me the Auramancer (with the flag, not as if I had a choice anyways) and leaving him with a soon-to-be-dead Infiltrator. When the Auramancer hit my side of the table, the Coalition Flag fell off and went to his graveyard.

My question is, was the Flag supposed to fall off, or is the system wonky?

-D.A. Nissenfeld

A: Coalition Flag
{W}
Enchant Creature
Coalition Flag can enchant only a creature you control.
Enchanted creature's type is Flagbearer.
If a spell or ability an opponent controls could target a Flagbearer in play, that player chooses at least one Flagbearer as a target.

Since your opponent controls the Flag, and you now control the Auramancer, the Flag is no longer enchanting a creature he controls, so it falls off. So that was supposed to happen.

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Q: After Quiet Speculation resolves, can my opponent Coffin Purge a Roar of the Worm just Speculated for? I had not passed priority, and my opponent does not have the opportunity to play the Coffin Purge.

-m.f.

A: You are correct in your statement after the question. Your opponent would not be able to play Coffin Purge until you pass, so you can use the Roar of the Wurm before he can Coffin Purge it.

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Q: If Pay the cost and tap Rishadan Port to tap one of my opponent's lands, does mana go into the opponent's mana pool?

A: No. The only way mana is drawn from a land and put into a player's pool is if that player taps that land for mana. If the land is tapped due to an outside effect (such as with the Port), no mana is drawn from the land.

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Q: My opponent has out Meddling Mage, and he had named Psychatog, making Psychatog unplayable. I then play Terror on the Meddling Mage, which had named Psychatog. Now the question is this: Is Psychatog playable? I assumed, (from reading somewhere) that targeting and killing the Mage that had named Psychatog, would release the "can't play Psychatog" effect. Is that correct?

A: Correct. Meddling Mage's ability only works while the Mage is in play.

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Q: Can you play Attunement from the graveyard?

-Dustin

A: No. Abilities of cards only work while the card is in play, unless the card says otherwise (400.1).

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Q: I have noticed that with all the Wormfangs you really don't want them to be Repulsed, however, Wormfang Manta is a bit confusing, if it's leaves play ability is activated before it's comes into play ability, would they cancel each other out or would you're opponent get an extra turn and you get nothing or would you take an extra turn and then your opponent take two?

-AJ

A: They would effectively cancel each other out. You get an extra turn, and you have to skip your next turn. So you'll skip the extra turn, and the game progresses normally.

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Q: I have a question. I have Braids, Cabal Minion in play and at the beginning of my upkeep, I sacrifice a Squirrel Token. I also have a Mortivore in play. Would my Mortivore get +1/+1, or would the Squirrel Token leave the game and Mortivore not get +1/+1?

-NikeKid

A: Mortivore would not have the +1/+1, at least while a player has priority. Once the token goes to the graveyard, it is removed from the game as a state-based effect.

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Q: What is chump blocking?

-Jonathan

A: Chump blocking is when you throw a creature of yours out in front of a bigger creature, just so you don't take the damage from the attacking creature. For instance, if you had a Grizzly Bears, and your opponent had a Verdant Force, and he was attacking with the Verdant Force, you could "chump block" with the Grizzly Bears so you don't take the 7 damage from the Verdant Force.

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Clarification:

Two people wrote in, addressing the following question:

>>>Q: I play Recurring Nightmare, and my opponent Disenchants it. Can I, in response to that, sac a creature to return it to my hand?

A: No. You can't play a sorcery at that time, so you can't play the Recurring Nightmare's ability.<<<

Comment: The problem with the question is that when you play Recurring Nightmare, your opponent has no chance to Disenchant it before you have priority again. Essentially, you can always return it to your hand unless you're out of creatures or decide to be dumb. ;)

- Fletcher

Comment: This in itself makes sense, however I used to play a Survival deck, and I found out about a legal "trick" you can use with Recurring Nightmare, according to crystalkeep.com:

<<* Because of the way the timing rules work, you can cast Recurring Nightmare and then use it before your opponent can use an instant like Disenchant on it, but only if you do so when the stack is empty just after it enters play. [D'Angelo 1999/06/01]>>

If I am reading them right, your ruling and D'Angelo's contradict each other, so please explain whether they are different at all, and if so, why.

-Josh

A: You both are correct. Frequently, however, I will only answer the question that is asked. Since the questioner asked me about responding to the Disenchant, I had assumed he passed priority after playing and resolving the Recurring Nightmare, as that would be needed for the opponent to play the Disenchant. So in that specific case, he would not be able to save the Recurring Nightmare.

I don't assume to know what's going on in my readers' minds. :)

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As a side note, the 2002-2003 Floor Rules should be coming out soon … I would anticipate on Monday or Tuesday, since they'll probably release them right after Worlds (which is going on as you read this). Once they are released, my column immediately following their release will look at the changes between the current Floor Rules and the new Floor Rules, which will go into effect on 1 September. This may mean that I don't answer any questions that column; it will depend on the number and complexity of the changes.

Anyway, see you Monday.

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