Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Judge's Corner

Erratic Splits

Q: I play Erratic Explosion, and reveal a split card. What happens?

-Ryan N.

A: Erratic Explosion asks for the converted mana cost of the split cards, and it gets back 2 answers. So it deals damage equal to the combined converted mana cost. For example, if you revealed Assault/Battery, it would deal 1+4=5 damage.

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Q: Hi, I had 2 Convalescent Cares out, and I was at 4 life. I wanted to know if I would get the 6 life and 2 cards, or just 3 life and 1 card. I'm not sure because after the game resolves 1 Convalescent Care, I'll be at 7 life, so I think I wouldn't get another 3 life and 1 card right?

-Rob

A: You would only get 3 life and one card. Your reasoning is exactly right.

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Q: If I put an enchantment on one of my opponents land that has a tapping ability can I tap there land?

-Chris G.

A: No. Typically, the enchantment gives an ability to the land, and therefore, the controller of the land is the only one that can play the ability.

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Q: When exactly does a player lose life from mana burn?

-Colin K.

A: Your mana pool is cleared, and you take mana burn, at the end of each phase.

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Q: If I enchant a 2/2 creature with Seton's Desire, getting a 4/4 and have threshold, all the creatures must block this creature. Does 4 damage go to each creature assigned to block my creature or does 4 damage get divided among all the blocking creatures?

-Dplaya

A: You assign 4 damage total, divided however you wish.

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Q: If I cast a Destructive Urge on a Ridgetop Raptor, and Ridgetop Raptor is unblocked does the player I attack sacrifice two lands?

-Brandon

A: Yes. He is dealt combat damage twice, so he sacrifices two lands.

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Q: Can I play Ravenous Rats if my opponent has no cards in his hand? Will he just not discard?

-RabidCat34

A: Yes, and yes. Since he has no cards, he’s done as much as possible, so the Rats just come into play, and nothing happens.

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Tournament report - FNM - Diamond Bar, CA - 2nd place

Well, I made a few more changes to my Tog deck, making the deck as follows:

Psychatog, a.k.a. The Energizer Bunny

3 Psychatog

4 Smother

3 Innocent Blood

4 Counterspell

4 Circular Logic

4 Force Spike

3 Deep Analysis

2 Concentrate

4 Compulsion

2 Cunning Wish

2 Upheaval

4 Polluted Delta

4 Underground River

4 Swamp

2 Darkwater Catacombs

3 Lonely Sandbar

9 Island

Sideboard:

1 Mana Short

1 Alter Reality

1 Coffin Purge

4 Duress

3 Engineered Plague

1 Haunting Echoes

2 Callous Oppressor

1 Ghastly Demise

1 Hibernation

Round 1 - Alex V. - B/W Clerics

Game 1 - He wins the roll, 6-3, and chooses to draw (!). I keep his board clear of everything except a Disciple of Grace, which I allow to resolve on like the 5th or 6th turn. Some Compulsioning after that, I go fetch my Mana Short to protect against a Smother, heave, and hold back a couple of Logics. On to game 2.

Sideboard: In: Haunting Echoes. Out: 1 Smother.

Game 2 - He again chooses to draw. He also takes a mulligan before we start. The Disciple comes out earlier this time, and although I have Compulsion, he gets me down to 4, and I go down to <10 cards left in my library before I am able to heave and win.

I Echoesed this game, taking out most of his creatures (Archon, Supplicant, 1 Scion [I missed 1], and a couple others).

Games: 2-0, Matches: 1-0

Round 2 - Scott N. - Wake

Game 1 - I win the roll, 15-5, and play. I get the early Compulsion, he doesn't. Lots of card drawing later, I have 4 cards left in my library, and we are fighting over a Mana Short. He screws up his counters, and I get him tapped out, so I am able to heave and win.

Sideboard: In: 4 Duress, Mana Short, Ghastly Demise, Haunting Echoes. Out: 3 Innocent Blood, 4 Smother. I really have 3 dead cards in the deck - 2 Wishes and the Demise, which are just Compulsion fodder at this point.

Game 2 - He plays first. We each get a turn 2 Compulsion. I Duress him turn 4, and he has both Wake and Mirari, along with 2 Counterspell and another Compulsion. I make him discard the Wake, as I can deal with the copies, but not the extra mana. He taps out for the Mirari next turn, and I Echoes him. This leaves him with 16 cards left, and I just play the decking game.

Games: 4-0, Matches: 2-0

Round 3 - Ruben - U/G

Game 1 - I win the roll, 14-1, and play. He sees no blue, and I miss the 4th and possible 5th turn land drop, but soon go to town and heave win.

Sideboard: In: 2 Callous Oppressor. Out: Innocent Blood, Concentrate.

Game 2 - We each take a mulligan, and he plays first. He ends up hard casting Wonders as his first creatures - need I say more? =\

Games: 6-0, Matches: 3-0

Marshall and I are the only 3-0's, so we announce pairings and Marshall and I sit and look at the standings for a bit. If we both lose round 5, there is the possibility of both of us missing top 4 with a draw, but after we discuss the matchups, he's confident he can beat anyone, and I just want the 1 point, as it is an 80-20 match at best for me, and I'll take my chances next round. So we agree on the ...

Round 4 - Marshall F. - Beasts

Intentional Draw.

Games: 6-0, Matches: 3-0-1

James Fowler, with his Zombie/Cleric deck, wins this round, making 3 3-0-1's. We both want him, and he says he wants to play me, as he feels it is a more relaxed match. (Who, me? Relaxed? Anyway...) We award the random pack and foil, just before we pair round 5.

Round 5 - James Fowler

Game 1 - I win the roll, 9-1, and play. He gets a couple of zombies out, and starts Gempalm Polluter/Unholy Grotto recursion. (I really hate that card, although it is more annoying that anything.) So I Blood/Smother away his zombies, and after he drops an Archon, I am forced to do the heave and drop the Tog naked (without Logic/Spike backup). Luckily, he has no Smother that turn, or Blood or 1cc creature on his turn, so I am safe.

Sideboard: In: 3 Engineered Plague, Haunting Echoes. Out: 2 Cunning Wish, Psychatog, Concentrate.

Game 2 - He Duresses me turn 2, and I show Compulsion, Engineered Plague, Counterspell, another card, and 3 land. (It could have been a land, making 4 land, I don't remember.) He beats down on me with a Festering Goblin for a couple of turns, and then decides he wants me to cast the Plague, so he drops a Wretch on his turn 5. I rip Compulsion, and play the Plague and it. A few turns later, he asks me to show him a Counterspell to get a concession. I show, he scoops.

Games: 8-0, Matches: 4-0-1

The top 4 is decided long before the last round ends. It is as follows:

1. Marshall (4-0-1)

2. Me (4-0-1)

3. Henry N. (R/G) (4-1)

4. James (3-1-1)

We decide to spilt the prizes into 2 piles of 4 packs and foil, 2 piles of 6 packs. James and I take the foil piles, Marshall and Henry take the 6 packs. We randomly award the 21st pack to James. We quickly play one game for the points in each matchup. I beat Henry, Marshall beats James, and Marshall beats me.

See you Thursday.

Bill Guerin

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DCI Level 2 Judge