Generic Certification Tests Removed

Generic certification tests are no longer available in the Judge Center. In case you encounter a problem while generating exams or while entering a review, please contact Brian Schenck directly.

Suspended Players Page Updated

The cases for January 2015 have been processed and added to the Judge Center. The Suspended Players page has been updated accordingly. Details about the disqualification process can be found of the judge resources blog, along with a players’ FAQ.

New Blog Communication Sphere

A new judge blog is up and running! It primary goal is creating effective communication channels. It’s creator, Alfonso Bueno is looking for volunteers to help out and lead various projects.

Second Wave of Judge Exemplar

A big thanks to everyone who has submitted recognitions! After reviewing submissions, we’re pleased to announce the exemplar judges! You can also view your recognitions very conveniently in the Judge Apps under Exemplar Project.

Judge Articles March 2015

• The Beauty of Japanese GPs by Riccardo Tessitori
• Shortcut it Out by Nathaniel Lawrence
• Head Judging a PPTQ by Aruna Prem Bianzino
• Ugin in Sunny Andalusia by Riccardo Tessitori

Find a list of all the articles on the Judge wiki.

 Judge Blog and Wiki Updates- March 2015

• Blog Whats Up, Docs: PT DC Report, Preventing Serious Problems™ and PR DTK : A judge report from a player
• Wiki Missed Trigger Guides project: Missed Trigger Guide for DTK and Detrimental Triggered Abilities in KT block
• Blog The Battlefield Forge: Houston – Floor Judge Report, IC Made This Late, The Verbose Tale and PPTQ Modern in Bourgoin-Jallieu
• Blog Judge Conference:  Conference Content Update: March 2015
• Blog Policy Perspectives:  DTK Policy Changes – For Judges and For Players
• Blog Bearz Repeating: SCG Regionals Wrap-Up: Part Two, Introduction Deductions, Building Teams and Eternal Questions
• Blog The Exemplar Program: What happens next and FAQs

 Knowledge Pool March 2015

1. The Mystery of the Temple of Mystery
2. Usain Ascendancy
3. To Bee, or Not to Bee?
4. A-rushin into trouble

If you would like to submit a Knowledge Pool scenario, here’s how to do it.

 Judgecast

• Judgecast #114  Limited FNM Format Fun
• Judgecast #115 Dragons of Tabakir Release Notes Part 1
• Judgecast #116 Dragons of Tabakir Release Notes Part 2

Questions asked in the month of March and an [O]fficial answer, just for you!

[expand title=”1. If I play a Silumgar Butcher and, in response to its exploit trigger, it becomes a copy of Sidisi, Undead Vizier, will I get to Demonic Tutor if I sacrifice a creature?”]
A creature’s exploit ability is not linked to its “when this exploits” triggered ability. If your Silumgar Butcher becomes a Sidisi, Undead Vizier in response to the exploit ability, you will indeed get to tutor if the Butcher-Sidisi exploits something.
Approved by Callum Milne, Forum Moderator, L2, Nanaimo, CA
Source: http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/17109/
[/expand]

[expand title=”2. A creature, enchanted with a totem armor aura, is dealt lethal damage by a spell like Anger of the Gods. Are the two replacement effects trying to replace the same event, so that the creature’s controller chooses which to apply first? “]
Totem Armor (e. g. Hyena Umbra) is looking for the creature to be destroyed, while Anger of the Gods is looking for the creature to die, which is what would happen if it gets destroyed.
We apply Totem Armor’s replacement first, and it replaces the destruction event entirely. This means the game never gets around to the creature dying, so Anger of the Gods never has a chance to apply.
Approved by Callum Milne, Forum Moderator, L2, Nanaimo, CA
Source: http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/16936/
[/expand]

[expand title=”3. If a Hooting Mandrills becomes a copy of Soulflayer, will it have the abilities of the creature cards it Delved?”]
Yes; your Hooting Mandrills-turned-Soulflayer will have abilities based on the creature cards you delved away to cast it originally, while it was still a regular old Hooting Mandrills.
Approved by Callum Milne, Forum Moderator, L2, Nanaimo, CA
Source: http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/16169/
[/expand]

[expand title=”4. Anton is playing vs Nate in a GPT. During the declare attackers step Anton declares Anafenza, the Foremost and Rakshasa Deathdealer as attackers and immediately places a +1/+1 counter on the deathdealer. Nate asks Anton to hold on as he wants to respond to the trigger from Anafenza with bile blight. Anton responds to that with activating the +2/+2 ability. Players move on to the declare blockers step and from that to the damage step. Anton notices he forgot re-resolve the Anafenza trigger and calls a judge.”]
Anafenza, the Foremost requires a target and Anton chose one at the appropriate time, so no Missed Trigger; it is a GRV.
Approved by Scott Marshall, L5, Lakewood, CO, USA
Source: http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/17304/
[/expand]

[expand title=”5. You are in the middle of the deck construction portion of an individual sealed prerelease event. While collecting pack trash from tables, you notice two players looking over a pool of cards in the center of the table between them. Thinking this odd, you investigate and ask whose cards they are. They answer “both ours, why?”
Now, you have seen these players at other prerelease events in the past, but only for Two-headed giant events. You investigate further, and the players state that they genuinely thought the event was Two-headed giant sealed rather than individual sealed. You ask a few more questions and find their story believable. It is effectively impossible to separate a vast majority of the cards back into their correct individual sealed pools.
What do you do?”]
f you can, convince the TO to let the players pay some amount to reenter the event with the correct product set. TO doesn’t lose money, and players have a consequence for their error.
If not, choose a fix that seems the most fair:
Try to recreate the packs to my best ability, or take all rares, shuffle them, then give each player 6. Shuffle all uncommons, give each player 18. Same for commons. Not ideal, but you more or less gave each a random pool and I guess tournament integrity has not been damaged.
Approved by Scott Marshall, L5, Lakewood, CO, USA.
Source: http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/17139/?page=1
[/expand]