Q: Sheldon,

I noticed on Star City today that the DCI suspended three players for five years each, for the offense of"Fraudulent Tournament Reports." Now this seems like a pretty hefty penalty, so I was wondering, what exactly does that entail? Do they mean tournament reports such as those that people (including myself) submit to websites? Are they talking about the reports that TOs send into the DCI? It's unclear, and I'm left to worry that if I misremember something in a report I write, whether or not I open myself up to DCI penalty.

Thanks,
Matt Nute

A: Matt,

They're talking about reports that TOs send to the DCI. The DCI doesn't really care if you lie about mising a topdeck to lay down some savage beats. Of course, if you admit to cheating in a tournament report, you're subject to DCI review.

The reason that the penalties are so severe is that tournament fraud undermines the whole DCI rating system. If a TO lies about results, he effectively changes not only the ratings of the players in the tournament he's falsified, but the ratings of everyone who all of those players have ever played. It's serious business.

- Sheldon

Q: Sheldon,

As a Magic player who has been playing on and off for over five years, the rules seem to often change and become confusing at times, and wanted to ask for the"current line" on a ruling.

If one player has a creature with protection from red, either naturally or activated (a la Mother of Runes, Acolyte, etc.) and the other player casts something like Earthquake, Pyroclasm, or pops a Bloodfire Infusion, do the creatures die or do they survive?

Many thanks in advance,
Charles McCormick

A: Charles,

The creatures survive. Protection from a quality (like red) means damage from that quality is prevented. Note that, I still hear some people say, it is not "reduced to zero."

Sheldon

Q: Does Wash Out affect lands as well as creatures and enchantments? I ask this because Rushing River specifically states it only affects nonland permanents.

A: Lands don't normally have a color, so they're not affected by Wash Out. If they were to acquire a color somehow, then they would indeed be affected.