fbpx

FINAL JUDGEMENT: Rules Answers

The man is back with the answers to his ten-question quiz – could YOU be a judge?

By

Thanks to all the folks who sent me answers to this quiz; there are too many of you to mention individually. I appreciate the huge response. Obviously, we’ll have to do this more often. Before we get to the answers, my friend and fellow Level III Judge Rune Horvik from Norway alerted me to an additional artifact that turns off when it’s tapped: Storage Matrix (from Urza’s Destiny). Thanks loads, Rune!

Okay, let’s get to the answers:


  1. It’s Shelley’s Draw Step, and she has two cards left in her library. She knows that top card is a Legacy Weapon. Kathy controls a Millstone. After Shelley puts her draw action on the stack, Kathy activates the Millstone. Will Shelley lose the game during this turn?

    2. Legacy Weapon reads”If ~this~ would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, reveal ~this~ and shuffle it into its owner’s library instead.”


    1. Yes. The Legacy Weapon doesn’t trigger until after Shelley’s draw resolves. She loses the game as a State-Based effect because she is forced to draw a card that she can’t.

    2. Yes. Before the Legacy Weapon’s replacement ability kicks in, Shelley’s library becomes empty. She loses the game as a State-Based effect.

    3. No. The Millstone resolves, putting both cards in the graveyard. The Legacy Weapon triggers and goes on top of the stack. It resolves, going back into the library. Shelley successfully draws a card, which is the Legacy Weapon.

    4. No. The Millstone resolves, putting both cards in the graveyard. The Legacy Weapon’s ability modifies this, putting it back in the library instead. Shelley successfully draws a card, which is the Legacy Weapon.

    5. No. The Millstone resolves. Shelley reveals the first card, sees that it’s a Legacy Weapon, and shuffles it back in the library. She then reveals the next card. If it’s the Legacy Weapon, she shuffles it back in again. If it’s not, she puts the card in the graveyard. Either way, she successfully draws a card.

    The correct answer is D. Legacy Weapon’s ability is a replacement, not a trigger, so A and C are not true. B is not true because an empty library is not a loss condition. E is not true because both cards from the Millstone are revealed as an indivisible action.


  2. True or false: Duress is a valid target for Misdirection.

    3. True. When Misdirection resolves, however, it won’t find another legal target for the Duress, so the Misdirection will fail to do anything.


  3. Adam has a City of Brass, Adarkar Wastes and a Rune of Protection: Lands in play. He wants to tap his lands for mana without taking any damage. Assuming he taps for white mana, which of the following is true:

    4. Adarkar Wastes reads: {Tap}: Add one colorless mana to your mana pool. ; {Tap}: Add {W} or {U} to your mana pool. ~this~ deals 1 damage to you.


    City of Brass reads: Whenever ~this~ becomes tapped, it deals 1 damage to you. ; {Tap}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.


    1. He can use the mana from both to activate the Rune of Protection.

    2. He can use the mana from the City of Brass but not the Adarkar Wastes to activate the Rune of Protection.

    3. He can use the mana from the Adarkar Wastes but not the City of Brass to activate the Rune of Protection.

    4. He can’t use the mana from either to activate the Rune of Protection

    I got numerous emails regarding the obvious fact it’s Rune, not Circle. Thanks to everyone for keeping me honest. I’ve corrected the text here. The correct answer is A, but he must do it correctly. The triggers for City of Brass and Adarkar Wastes are different. The City triggers on the land being tapped, so it will use the stack. The Adarkar Wastes triggers on it being tapped for mana, so the damage doesn’t use the stack; it resolves along with the mana ability (411.3). To do this correctly, Adam must take the following steps, in this order: Tap the City of Brass for white mana. Put the trigger on the stack. Respond by activating the Rune, using the one white mana in his pool to pay the cost. Let this activation resolve, naming the Adarkar Waste as the source. With the City of Brass trigger still on the stack, activate the Rune again, tapping the Adarkar Waste for white to pay the cost. The first Rune activation will prevent the damage from the Waste. When the second Rune activation resolves, name the City of Brass as the source. Finally, let the City’s trigger resolve, the Rune preventing the damage.


  4. Gini has a Crimson Acolyte and Alabaster Leech in play. Ferrett targets the Leech with Urza’s Rage with Kicker. Gini responds by using the Acolyte’s ability, targeting the Leech. What happens?

    5. Crimson Acolyte: 1/1, Protection from Red. ; {W}: Target creature gains protection from red until end of turn.


    Alabaster Leech: 1/3. ; White spells you play cost {W} more to play.


    Urza’s Rage reads Kicker {8}{R} (You may pay an additional {8}{R} as you play this spell.) ; ~this~ can’t be countered by spells or abilities. ; ~this~ deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If you paid the kicker cost, instead ~this~ deals 10 damage to that creature or player and the damage can’t be prevented.


    1. When Urza’s Rage goes to resolve, the Leech has Protection from Red, making it an invalid target. The Rage fizzles.

    2. When Urza’s Rage goes to resolve, the Leech has Protection from Red, meaning red damage is prevented would normally be prevented. Since the damage can’t be prevented, the Rage resolves normally, destroying the Leech.

    3. When Urza’s Rage goes to resolve, the Leech has Protection from Red, making it an invalid target. Normally, this would counter the spell, but since Urza’s Rage can’t be countered, it resolves normally, destroying the Leech.

    4. When Urza’s Rage goes to resolve, the Leech has Protection from Red, making it an invalid target. The Rage is countered.

    5. When Urza’s Rage goes to resolve, the Leech has Protection from Red, making it an invalid target. Normally, this would counter the spell, but since Urza’s Rage can’t be countered, it resolves normally. Since the Leech has Protection from Red, the damage is prevented.

    The correct answer is D. Urza’s Rage can’t be countered by spells or abilities, but it can be countered by game rules (this one is 413.2a). A is not correct because there’s no such thing as”fizzle.”


  5. True or False: Bind (a green spell) cannot counter the activation of Spectral Lynx’s regeneration ability, because the Lynx has Protection from Green.

    6. The answer is False. Bind can counter the ability, because the ability exists independent of its source (402.6). The ability doesn’t have Protection from Green.


  6. Jessica controls a Spectral Lynx and a Desolation Giant (a 3/3 creature). Sara has enchanted the Lynx with Shackles. She announces Orim’s Thunder with Kicker, targeting her own Shackles and the Giant. She responds by activating the Shackles. What happens?

    7. Orim’s Thunder reads: 2W. Kicker R. Destroy target artifact or enchantment. If you paid the kicker cost, ~this~ deals damage equal to that artifact or enchantment’s converted mana cost to target creature.


    Shackles. Enchant Creature. 2W. Enchanted creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s untap step. ; {W}: Return ~this~ to its owner’s hand.


    1. The Orim’s Thunder resolves, destroying the Shackles and doing 3 damage to the Giant, because the converted mana cost of Shackles is 3 while it’s in play. The Shackles’ activation does nothing because it’s no longer in play.

    2. The Shackles’ ability resolves and it returns to her hand. The Orim’s Thunder is then countered on resolution because its primary target is invalid.

    3. The Shackles’ ability resolves and it returns to her hand. The Orim’s Thunder resolves. It does nothing in regard to the Shackles and deals 0 to the Giant, because when it tries to read the converted mana cost of the Shackles, it’s no longer in play and therefore returns a value of 0.

    4. The Shackles’ ability resolves and it returns to her hand. The Orim’s Thunder resolves. It does nothing in regard to the Shackles and deals 3 to the Giant, because the converted mana cost of Shackles is 3 regardess of what zone it’s in.

    5. The Shackles returns to her hand because it’s part of the activation cost of the ability. The Orim’s Thunder resolves, destroying the Shackles and doing 0 damage to the Giant, because the converted mana cost of Shackles is 0 because it’s it’s no longer in play.

    The correct answer is D. A isn’t true because the Shackles resolves first. B isn’t correct because a spell with targets is only countered if ALL of its targets are illegal/invalid on resolution (413.2a). C isn’t correct because the converted mana cost of Shackles is 3. E is additionally wrong because returning the Shackles is the resolution of the ability, not the cost.


  7. True or false: The baseline penalty for Failure to Agree on Reality is a Warning for both players.

    8. False: There is no such penalty in the DCI Penalty Guidelines as Failure to Agree on Reality.


  8. Rob controls a Lashknife Barrier and a Desolation Giant (a 3/3 creature). Jeff plays Orim’s Thunder with Kicker, targeting the Lashknife Barrier and the Giant. What happens?

    9. Lashknife Barrier (cost 2W) reads: If a source would deal damage to a creature you control, it deals that much damage minus 1 to that creature instead.


    Orim’s Thunder reads: 2W. Kicker R. Destroy target artifact or enchantment. If you paid the kicker cost, ~this~ deals damage equal to that artifact or enchantment’s converted mana cost to target creature.


    1. The Barrier is destroyed and the damage is dealt simultaneously. The Giant takes 2 damage and survives.

    2. The Barrier is destroyed, then the damage is dealt to the Giant. Since the Barrier is no longer in play, its replacement effect no longer affects the damage. The Giant takes 3 and is destroyed.

    3. The Barrier is destroyed, then the damage is dealt to the Giant. Since the damage was locked in on resolution of the Thunder, the Giant takes 3 and survives.

    4. The Barrier is destroyed, then the damage is dealt to the Giant. Since the game sees this is a single event, the Barrier’s replacement effect will change the damage from 3 to 2. The Giant survives.

    5. The Barrier is destroyed and the damage is dealt simultaneously. The Giant takes 3 damage and is destroyed.

    B is the correct answer. When there are multiple instructions on the card, you follow them in order written (413.2b), even though the game considers the resolution of a spell a single, indivisible action (413.2). As soon as the Barrier leaves play, its effects leave play with it (418.4b).


  9. True or False: A player can waive a penalty that his opponent is about to receive.

    10. The answer is False. A common misconception, but a Judge is the authority in issuing a penalty, and the Head Judge is the final authority. A player has no right in this regard.


  10. True or False: Losing the game because of poison counters is a State-Based effect.

The answer is True (420.5h).

Again, thanks for all the support for this effort. Sorry to keep you all waiting so long for the answers. If you did relatively well on this quiz (seven or better correct), then you’re a prime candidate for the DCI Judge Certification Program. Contact your local Level III to get the process rolling. You probably won’t have much trouble with the Level I test.

And that’s my Final Judgement.

Sheldon K. Menery