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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Judge's Corner
Cycling Libraries
Title: First Darksteel
Question
Questions: 9
---
I knew it was about time I got a Darksteel question. For
review, this is my policy on answering cards before the
release of the official list on 26 January:
1) You must provide me with the full rules text of the
card. I will answer the question based on the rules text
you give me. If the rules text you give me turns out to
be different that the actual rules text, then it may
change the ruling.
2) I will not answer questions that deal with a block or
set mechanic until the FAQ for the set has been
released, unless the mechanic has been seen in another
set previously, in which case I will rule based on what
we currently know about the mechanic.
---
Q: "Darksteel Reactor is indestructible.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a charge
counter on Darksteel Reactor.
When Darksteel Reactor has twenty or more charge
counters on it, you win the game."
Let's say I have the Reactor, and the 20th charge
counter makes its way on. The last line on Darksteel
Reactor should then trigger ("when"). Then the last line
should trigger (same reason). Then the last line should
trigger. Ad infinitum.
A: Actually, no. Once a state-trigger has triggered, it
waits for the trigger to resolve before re-triggering.
410.11. Some triggered abilities trigger on a game
state, such as a player controlling no permanents of a
particular type, rather than triggering when an event
occurs. These abilities trigger as soon as the game
state matches the condition. They’ll go onto the stack
at the next available opportunity. These are called
state triggers. (Note that state triggers aren’t the
same as state-based effects.) A state-triggered ability
doesn’t trigger again until the ability has resolved,
has been countered, or has otherwise left the stack.
Then, if the object with the ability is still in the
same zone and the game state still matches its trigger
condition, the ability will trigger again.
---
Q: I know a similar state can occur with Transcendence
and Platinum Angel and 20 or more life. Did R&D write
"When" where they should have written "If?"
-Nathan
A: No, they got it right. Transcendence's trigger
resolves, the game loss is suppressed by the Angel, and
since the game state still exists, a new Transcendence
trigger goes on the stack.
A similar condition will occur if you control Darksteel
Reactor and your opponent controls Platinum Angel (or
vice versa).
---
Q: My friend has this multicolor deck with a bunch of
dual lands. He constantly landcycles for them. For
instance, he swampcycles Twisted Abomination for a
Bayou. Can he do that?
-Roland V.
A: Yes. Bayou is a swamp (a land with the swamp
subtype), so Twisted Abomination can get it.
---
Q: Regarding Oath of Druids, if my opponent has 3
creatures in play, what is the most amount of creatures
I can Oath up?
A: One. Oath of Druids will only trigger once each turn,
since it is only the beginning of the upkeep once. After
you Oath up a creature, the beginning of Upkeep has long
since passed.
---
Q: I am tapped out during my opponent's turn. At the
beginning of my turn, I untap, and during my upkeep, I
play an Enlightened Tutor and draw the card that was
tutored during my draw step. is this a legal play?
-Jonathan C.
A: Yes.
---
Q: I was wondering if it is possible to Stifle the
kicker cost on an Urza's Rage?
-Ozzy
A: No. Kicker is a static ability that allows you to pay
an additional cost to generate an extra effect.
---
Q: Is an enchant creature an enchantment?
-Adam
A: Yes. We call "Enchant Creature" cards "local
enchantments," since they are attached to a creature.
---
Q: If I've got an en-Kor creature and any other
creature, is it legal to play the en-Kor ability on it
even if no damage is actually taken from any source;
just like putting a regeneration shield?
A: Yes. In fact, the redirection shield must be in place
before the damage is dealt.
---
Q: So actually, with a creature like Task Force, it
could become (1/very large) with this trick.
-Alex
A: Correct.
---
Tournament Report - FNM - Diamond Bar, CA - Top 4
The deck:
Affinity, v2
1 Aether Spellbomb
3 Broodstar
3 Chromatic Sphere
4 Frogmite
2 Lightning Greaves
4 Mana Leak
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Override
4 Pyrite Spellbomb
3 Talisman of Progress
4 Thirst for Knowledge
4 Thoughtcast
4 Ancient Den
4 Glimmervoid
4 Great Furnace
1 Island
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Tree of Tales
Sideboard:
3 Naturalize
4 Pyroclasm
3 Sacred Ground
2 Second Sunrise
3 Stifle
We get 33 people, which is most likely 5 rounds. The
pairings are generated, I look over Scott (the head
judge's) shoulder, and I see:
Round 1 - *BYE*
Games: 2-0, Matches: 1-0
So I get to wait around for an hour, and eventually the
second round starts...
Round 2 - James F. - Affinity (Control)
Game 1 - He wins the roll, and goes first. He is stuck
on 3 land, with only one of them being an artifact land.
After some card drawing, I get a Myr Enforcer, and just
go to town.
Sideboard: In: 3 Naturalize. Out: 2 Pyrite Spellbomb,
Thoughtcast.
Game 2 - The land problems continue for him this game,
as his 3 lands are 2 Island and a Mountain (no artifact
lands). Frogmite goes to town, as he gets absolutely no
pressure.
Games: 4-0, Matches: 2-0
Round 3 - Jose G. - BW control
Game 1 - I throw back a one land hand, but keep a 6 card
one land hand. I don't draw any others for a couple of
turns, and as he has the board locked down, I scoop to
give him minimal sideboarding information.
Sideboard: In: 2 Second Sunrise, 2 Stifle. Out:
Override, Chromatic Sphere, Pyrite Spellbomb,
Thoughtcast.
Game 2 - I keep another one land hand, but draw out of
it. he gets no pressure going up to 6 land. I stifle his
Oblivion Stone activation and cast Second Sunrise on
Vengeance, and mop him up with double Myr Enforcer.
Game 3 - He plays first, and drops turn 2 Defense Grid.
So I lost, right?
Not quite. I manage to beat down on him with a couple of
Enforcers, forcing him to Wrath his Exalted off the
table. I always leave enough open to counter spells, and
Second Sunrise a Vengeance again. Later, I am finally
able to drop Broodstar and go to town with counter
backup.
Games: 6-1, Matches: 3-0
Round 4 - Harrison B. - UW control
Game 1 - I get the early Enforcer pressure, but don't
apply enough, as it lets him get to 8 mana, and
Vengeance with Leak backup. It didn't matter, as I
hadn't drawn a counterspell anyway.
Sideboard: In: 3 Stifle, 3 Sacred Ground. Out: 2 Pyrite
Spellbomb, Aether Spellbomb, Lightning Greaves,
Thoughtcast, Broodstar.
Game 2 - I have a slight mana stall, but am able to pull
out. I drop turn 2 Sacred Ground, and he is surprised,
before realizing that my lands would come back off a
Vengeance, making it effectively a Wrath. He stalls on 5
land anyway, and triple Enforcer outraces an Angel, as
he didn't get double white until like turn 5-6.
Game 3 - Once again, I get turn 2 Sacred Ground, but am
not able to outrace the Angel this time, and can do
nothing about the air beatings. I make a mistake to
squander any chance I had of getting though early, as I
cast a Frogmite before attacking, and he had Wing Shards
for my 2 attackers. To further compound the problem, I
waste a counter on one of the copies, forgetting that
one copy would still go through.
Games: 7-3, Matches: 3-1
I look at last round standings, and with a 2/3 match win
% (James had won round 3), I am probably in regardless
of next round's result, as there will be at least 1 3-2
that makes top 8.
We post standings after round 4, and my opponent's match
win percentage has gone up to 70%. I get the play down
match next round ...
Round 5 - Jeff C. - Mirror
Game 1 - He mulligans once, while I keep a one land
hand. Meanwhile, turn 5 rolls around, and I am still on
that one land.
Sideboarding:
1) First, a comment to my deck: "Even though we're in
with a loss, it doesn't mean you can crap out on me!"
In: 3 Naturalize, 2 Second Sunrise. Out: 4 Frogmite,
Thoughtcast.
Game 2: I play around with some Second Sunrise
shenanigans, as I sac Spheres and Spellbombs for cards.
It does nothing for me, though, as double Enforcer, and
later Broodstar ruins my day.
Games: 7-5, Matches: 3-2
Since I played down, there are two 3-2's that make it. I
am the 7 seed, as I expect. Harrison went 5-0, James
went 4-1, and Jeff is 3-2. I don't remember what Jose
was, but it was enough to put me well clear of 8th.
Top 8 - Brandon C. - Goblin Bidding
Game 1 - He doesn't have a die, and that's good for me,
as I am 1 win for the last 3 months on physical die
rolls, while I have only lost one non-die roll. That
trend continues here, as I win the coin flip.
I get an Enforcer down and protect it, while he only
draws one Mountain to go with 4 Swamps. A full
complement of Pyrite Spellbombs clear first his blockers
and then his life.
Sideboard: In: 4 Pyroclasm. Out: 4 Frogmite.
Game 2 - He drops turn 3 Goblin Goon, and I don't have a
counter. However, I clear all other creatures off his
side of the board, and start swinging with a Myr
Enforcer. I draw enough counters and Pyrite Spellbombs
to make sure his Goon remains lonesome, and I take the
match.
Games: 9-5, Matches: 4-2
The top 4 split, and we get to go home.
See you Friday.
Bill Guerin
DCI Level 2 Judge
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