A: “Lazav, Dimir Mastermind’s ability is not self-referential since the removal of “still” in the oracle text (in the Core 19 Oracle changes), and as such the ability is defining the new name to be “Lazav, Dimir Mastermind” as part of the modified copy ability; therefore we control a permanent named Lazav, Dimir Mastermind.

Rule 201.4b (“If an ability of an object refers to that object by name, and an object with a different name gains that ability, each instance of the first name in the gained ability that refers to the first object by name should be treated as the second name.”) does not apply here, because the text on Lazav, Dimir Mastermind (and Lazav, the Multifarious, for that matter) is not referencing the object it’s on by name. Rather, it is defining the name that will be given to the object when the ability is applied. It doesn’t matter what the object’s name was before that point.”

Approved by Callum Milne

Cards: Lazav, Dimir Mastermind; Lazav, the Multifarious; Grizzly Bears

A: “Nexus of Fate will be exiled. While there are two replacement effects that wish to affect where Nexus of Fate is going, the one from Syncopate is what’s known as a self-replacement effect–an effect of the spell itself that modifies the effect that spell would otherwise have. As laid out in CR616.1, if one of the multiple effects trying to modify an event and is a self-replacement effect and the other is not, the self-replacement must be applied first. Once you apply Syncopate’s replacement to the event Nexus of Fate’s own replacement no longer applies because it’s no longer about to be put into a graveyard, so it gets exiled.”

Approved by Callum Milne

Cards: Nexus of Fate; Syncopate

A: “The other card stays on top of the library. You’re simultaneously shuffling the Nexus into the library and putting the other card on top of your library. Since this is happening at the same time, not one at at time, the card that you choose to keep on top of the library ends up on top of your shuffled library. This is also confirmed on Magic Rules Manager Eli Shiffrin’s Twitter.”

Approved by Nathan Long

Cards: Notion Rain; Nexus of Fate

A: “The Teferi player eventually (i.e., before Slow Play applies) has to choose to lose this game.

This loop includes the Teferi player taking an action; they can choose to take a different action. The Nexus player is simply doing what the game rules instruct them to do – yes, they’re choosing which card to discard, but it’s not a game action they’re taking, it’s following the rules of the game.

It’s an odd outcome, and if someone rules this as a draw, there’s no one in Policyland that’s going to yell at them, or even say they’re “wrong” – but if it comes up, and you’re paying attention now, you’ll know what to do.”

Approved by Scott Marshall

Cards: Nexus of Fate; Teferi, Hero of Dominaria

A: Players have been DQ’d for almost this exact thing. Generally, we never hear about these “friendly wagers”, but this does violate the rules, so if the HJ would see the video, he would be correct in disqualifying both players.

Approved by Scott Marshall 

A: “Short version: GRV, if the top two cards haven’t changed, mill them now. Longer: Investigate: did the player know either of those top two cards? and, maybe, want (need?) to keep them on top? Most likely, this is just as innocent as a forgotten trigger (but not a trigger, obv!); in rare cases, this could be an opportunistic cheat.

The error can be corrected with public information, as the location of those cards is known; we don’t have to know the identity of the cards, just their physical location. Consider an example, where I have a Morph, you use Run Aground to put it on top of my library, and I forget to reveal it before I set it on my library: we just reveal it, because it’s physical location uniquely identifies it.

If either or both of those top two cards have moved, the partial fix may no longer apply, except in obvious cases – you make me mill three cards before we realize I forgot the Lich, so we just mill two more, no harm done. In general, use your best judgment to apply the remedy; perhaps a simple backup, perhaps we have to leave it as is.”

Approved by Scott Marshall

Cards: Underrealm Lich

A: This is a GRV. The bottom card of library is considered to be uniquely identifiable, therefore HCE does not apply. We apply GRV because it can be corrected with publicly available information. We perform a simple backup, returning the erroneous card to hand and having the player properly resolve the effect.

Consider Enigma Sphinx, which – when it dies – goes into your library third from the top. You resolve this trigger, but mistakenly put three cards on top of it – just a simple misunderstanding of that process. Your opponent says “no, it’s the third card, not under three cards”. The card is uniquely identifiable (it helps that we know it’s Enigma Sphinx, of course) because we know its exact position, even though it’s now in a hidden zone.

Approved by Scott Marshall

Cards: Azor’s Gateway; Enigma Sphinx