by Charlotte Sable
A few followers of Mana Deprived have been asking for a judge column and now is the time to finally be able to supply the demand. Today, we welcome Charlotte Sable, level 2 DCI Judge, on the team. In her first article, she introduces herself and answers a sample question in order to display her style in discussing rulings.
Welcome to my first column here on Mana Deprived.
Knowledge Exploitation is going be a place where I answer your questions about game rules, tournament procedure, DCI policy, and anything else you might want to know about judging and how our favourite game works. From time to time, I’ll explore a topic in greater depth, but mostly I’ll be answering your questions and discussing topics you suggest. My goal with this column is that you’ll read it and actually understand a little more about how the rules work rather than just the specific interaction of two or more cards.
So in order to get this ball rolling, please send all your questions and any topics you’d like me to discuss to judge_at_manadeprived_dot_com. I may not use every question in the column, but I promise that every question will at least receive an answer via email.
So who am I and why should you send your questions to me?
Well that’s really two questions, so let’s take them one at a time.
“Who are you?”
My name is Charlotte Sable, also known as Jql (i.e. jackal) or JqlGirl most places online. I’m a level 2 DCI certified judge from Guelph, Ontario, and I’ve been judging since Canadian Nationals 2009. I passed my level 2 exam two weeks ago at Grand Prix Toronto. I judge at most of the larger events in the Toronto area, as well as some smaller events in my local area. I’m hoping to get out to more large events in Canada and the U.S. in the next year.
When I’m not judging or working in retail hell, I’m probably spending way too much of my time online. But if I’m not doing that either, it’s likely I’m playing Magic, reading, or watching bad movies. I’ve been playing Magic since Fallen Empires came out, though I only really got serious about it after Time Spiral came out.
“Why should I send you my questions?”
For one, I’m Canadian, and deeply interested in improving the Canadian Magic community as a whole, and since you’re reading this, I hope you are too. Secondly, I’m a huge rules geek, so I know my stuff. I actually played in my first sanctioned tournament just to get a DCI number so I could go home and write the Rules Advisor exam. Most importantly, I’m here to help out you, my readers, so I’m going to make this column about whatever you guys want to learn.
I’m looking forward to answering your questions, so please send all your questions about rules, tournaments, policy, and judging to judge_at_manadeprived_dot_com!
I’ll be back soon with my first real column and a bunch of answers for you guys! Until then, keep your mind sharp and exploit what you know.
This just in!
I’ll be scorekeeping/judging at the PTQ this Saturday in Kitchener, ON. Feel free to say hello and bounce any questions you might have off of me!
~Charlotte
Sample Question (sent in by @PlatypusJedi on Twitter)
“What would you say to me if I was playing at a PTQ and I had just told my opponent that Sword of Vengence gives +2/+0 Haste and Vigilance?” (the Sword in question is in Russian)
Of course my first question isn’t going to be anything straightforward or simple. Here, we’re getting into the sticky world of player communication, where the most un-fun rulings come from.
How a judge would react in this situation depends on what your opponent asked you about the Sword. If you offered the information without them asking you a question, you did nothing wrong. If the opponent asks something like “Hey, what does that do?” then your answer, while incomplete, is still true, and thus not meriting a penalty.
If they asked you for the Sword’s Oracle text, and you accidentally omitted that it also gave trample and first strike, the judge would likely give you a Warning for a Player Communication Violation because you didn’t correctly answer the question. If you knowingly omitted anything, you’re looking at a DQ for Fraud.
That said, it isn’t your job to provide Oracle text to you opponent, it’s the judge’s. The only person allowed to look up Oracle text during a game or match is a judge. (Looking it up on your laptop or smartphone during a match would count as Outside Assistance and score you a sweet Match Loss!) So if there’s any doubt about what a card does, just call a judge and we’ll be happy to get its Oracle text for you.
Kar Yung Tom (KYT) is the Digital Content Manager for Face to Face Games. He oversees the F2FTour.com and Magic F2F websites.