Welcome to today’s edition of The Rulebook! We’ll be discussing an interesting way of interpreting the Comprehensive Rules when it comes to handling actions within a game of Magic, one that has helped numerous judges advance their rules knowledge. We’re going to talk about game events. What is an Event? Importantly, we’re not talking about […]

Hello and welcome to our June edition of Policy Wonks! Today our topic is a strange little infraction in the IPG, one that is handled differently from every other infraction in the entire document. If you read the title of this article, then you know that I am, of course, referring to Failure to Maintain […]

Welcome to today’s edition of The Rulebook! We’re going to continue our multiplayer focus as the CommandFest events grow ever closer. Today, we’re specifically looking at the following multiplayer-relevant combat mechanics: Dethrone, Goad, Myriad, and Encore. Let’s dive in! Dethrone While the Dethrone mechanic itself is not terribly complicated, it demonstrates a shift in thinking […]

Hello and welcome to today’s edition of Policy Wonks! As in-person Magic events ramp up, it is quickly becoming clear that a lot of The Gathering will be taking place at convention-style events. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience Magic at many different kinds of conventions, from Anime Expo and San Diego Comic Con to […]

Last week, Wizards of the Coast rolled out their Premier Play program for the upcoming 2022-2023 season. There are many details and takeaways from that announcement, but one in particular for judges to notice is the prominence of Pioneer as a competitive format. In light of this, today we will take a look at some […]

Playtests, Proxies, and Counterfeits, Oh My! Hello and welcome to today’s edition of Policy Wonks! Today we’ll be discussing a topic that is sure to become a lot more relevant as paper Magic events return: the various ways that unofficial cards are used to represent real Magic cards and the problems that may arise. We […]

When it comes to quizzing each other on rules questions, few cards will evoke a reaction more than . Often, Humility is paired with for an in-depth look at the layers of continuous effects. This is done so often that “Opalescence and Humility questions” have become something of a boogeyman for judges learning about layers. […]

Hello everyone and welcome to the introductory installment of Policy Wonks! This column will be dedicated to discussing current trends in tournament policy, giving new resources for understanding penalties, and diving into interesting edge cases that put our documents to the test! Today, we’re going to pay some deference to the reality that we’ve been […]

Hello everyone and welcome to the introductory installment of The Rulebook! This column will be for discussing current rules issues, tackling popular problems, and correcting common misconceptions when it comes to the Magic Comprehensive Rules. Today, our job is to do a bit of catch-up. 2021 was a big year for Magic releases, and new […]