We’re trying something a little different, judges, in that we’d like to feature a project that you should know about, right here at the top of MJM!
Conferences Sphere Blog: Pick-and-go Seminars Project
This month we would like to introduce you to a new Conferences Sphere initiative called Pick-and-go Seminars. This project is dedicated to preparing and maintaining a seminar library around the areas that are proving most interesting and challenging for the Judge Program, with the intention that by having these available and featured, more conference organizers and presenters would include them in their schedules.
The team members will operate through a joint effort among the various spheres to try cover these topics, with the Conferences Sphere offering their proficiency in seminars to turn the subject experts’ knowledge into fully fledged presentations. Should you happen to be a seminar delivery guru who would like to join the project, please get in touch with Theo Millidonis.
In the future, if you’d like to have your project or article featured, please send us an email!
https://blogs.magicjudges.org/conduct/2019/02/19/2019-magic-judge-code-update/
The Judge Code of Conduct has been updated. A few policies have been slightly adjusted and an update to the appeals process with a link to the new form. This link will have all the details.
https://blogs.magicjudges.org/coordinators/2019/02/13/the-future-of-judge-shirts/
Judge shirts are being updated. Wizards is no longer producing the classic long sleeve Judge shirts and these will slowly be rotated out in favor of a newer polo available for purchase if you work a Grand Prix event. Uniform policy is still being developed, but if you apply for a Magic Fest event, pay attention to the requirements in the application. The complete rundown here.
https://blogs.magicjudges.org/road-to-l3/2019/02/18/l3-expedited-checklist/
An update to the Level 3 process. If you’re interested in ranking up, curious about the Level 3 maintenance requirements, or just want to know the amount of work it takes to achieve Level 3, follow this link.
Judge Article and Blog Posts – February 2019
- Judge cast: JudgeCast #220 – The Show About Nothing
- Knowledge Pool (non-English): Falscher Eid, Blutmond über Ravnica, Bringt Caos!, Trickreiche Überquerung
- Judge apps help: JudgeApps Updates – January 2019, New Organization Tools for Projects, Spheres, and Regions
- Translated rules: Magic Judge Code – February 19th 2019
- Judge Conferences: Conference report – Mini-Conference in Moss!
- Travel Guides: MF Calgary 2019, MF Strasbourg 2019, MF Bilbao 2019
- Regional Blogs: New articles in:
Magic Judge Iberia – Español
Jueces Hispanoamericanos
BeNeLux
Juízes de Magic Brasil
German Speaking Countries
UKISA Regional Blog
Judging in the North!
Europe – East regional blog
The Northwest Passage
Ελλανοδίκες
More judge blogs can be found at the Judge Blog Portal. In case you would like to discuss an article, visit our Judge forum. Don’t forget to regularly check our Judge blog.
Do you need a quick rules or policy answer? Ask a Magic Judge!
Congratulations to all of our Judge of the Week —
295 — Matt Jacques, Level 2 from Blue Springs, MO
296 — We All Have a Reason (Judge program love letters)
297 — Exemplar Wave 15, Part I
298 — Exemplar Wave 15, Part II
Welcome to the Fold:
A big welcome to the following judges who worked their first MagicFest in February 2019!
MagicFest Toronto
MagicFest Strasbourg
MagicFest Memphis
MagicFest Cleveland
Captain’s Log
A new Captain’s Log brings information about conferences and negative feedback, as well as more about the unknown with the loss of the PPTQ system.
Questions asked in the Month of February and an [O]fficial answer, just for you!
[expand title=”1. AP activates their Eyes Everywhere ability, targeting NAP’s Theater of Horrors, exchanging control of both permanents. Knowing that NAP already had lost life this turn, can AP cast cards exiled by Theater of Horrors owned by NAP?”]
A: Yes, they can! AP controls Theater of Horrors, and one of AP’s opponents has lost life this turn, so AP can play cards exiled with Theater of Horrors, just as the card says. If the Theater was supposed to be limited to only allow playing cards exiled with it that you own, it would have to say that. It doesn’t, so its effect carries no such limitation.
There isn’t a particular rules backing for this, because it’s simply a matter of the card doing exactly what it says it does. In general, cards do (and do only) what they say they do, even if that’s not always what would be most convenient for the player who put them in their deck.
Approved by Callum Milne Cards: Theater of Horror; Eyes Everywhere[/expand]
[expand title=”2. AP controls Experimental Frenzy and casts Brainstorm. During its resolution, just after drawing the three cards and before putting two back on top, can they see the top card of their library, namely the fourth card of their library before resolving Brainstorm?”]
A: Yes, AP will be able to see the fourth card down while resolving Brainstorm. There are rules that say if the top card of a player’s library changes during the announcement of a spell or ability, that player don’t reveal it until they’ve completed announcement of that spell or ability (401.5 and 401.6). There’s no such rule if the top card changes during resolution of a spell or ability. In the middle of Brainstorm resolving, after the player has drawn three cards, they can look at the new top card before they have to put two cards back to the resolving Brainstorm.
Approved by Nathan Long Cards: Experimental Frenzy; Brainstorm[/expand]
[expand title=”3. AP controls Humility and NAP controls Mishra’s Factory. What will be the Factory power and toughness if NAP animates it? Will it be different if NAP holds priority and animates it twice?”]
A: The Mishra’s Factory will be a 2/2 in each of the cases. Both abilities will set the Factory ability to a specific P/T (layer 7b), so we will be looking at timestamps. Dependency doesn’t apply here – it only applies within a single layer or sublayer. If different parts of an effect need to be applied in different sublayers, dependency (or lack thereof) is determined separately for each of those layers.
As such, a Mishra’s Factory that’s animated while a Humility is already on the battlefield will be a 2/2 right from the start, because the animation effect will have a more recent timestamp and will therefore be applied last. This also means that a Celestial Colonnade animated while a Humility’s out will have flying and vigilance, because the animation effect gives it those abilities after Humility has been applied to it – the same goes for other lands that grant themselves abilities with their animation effect.
Approved by Callum Milne Cards: Humility; Mishra’s Factory[/expand]
Magic Rules Tips Blog
There is a variety of new articles that have been published aiming to cover questions ranging from ‘What happens when you Regenerate a creature with a Scorchmark aimed at it?’ to ‘What’s A Tap Cost, Anyway?’ You can find the complete list of rules tips here.
What’s up Docs
Check out the latest in rulings clarifications in terms of how policy should be interpreted in interactions with new Ravnica Allegiance cards.
Find out which Judge Conferences, MagicFest and other tournaments have available worldwide staffing positions! You still have some time to apply for:
Magic Fests: MF Copenhagen, MF Taipei, MF Seattle, MF Washington DC
Star City Games Series: SCG Open Richmond
Face to Face Games Series: FtF Kelowna Open
Judge Conferences: Asian L2+ Conference, International L2+ Conference, among many others!
Public Projects such as Mystical Tutor and Resultslip: the Game are looking for awesome judges who can help! If you wish to get more out of your Judging experience and give back to the community, sign up for something that interests you!
Sugar on Top!
