ASK THE JUDGE 02/11/2005: FEATURE FRIDAY

Today I'm going to serve multiple masters. As I have sometimes in the past, I'm going to integrate rules-y stuff in discussing casual formats--but this time it's in direct response to the Ferrett's call for more attention to casual submissions here on the site. I'll challenge to you all to write about your favorite formats and casual and multiplayer adventures and submit them. You never know: you might unlock your hidden talent and become a SCG Featured Writer!

Many of you know my favorite format at home is Elder Dragon Highlander. As we did at Worlds and Pro Tour Columbus, we'll be running another EDH at Pro Tour Atlanta, although because I'm the Head Judge (my first Pro Tour HJ job), I might not have time to put everything together on site. Local Maryland Judges Paul Morris and Cari Foreman (Paul's second Pro Tour, Cari's first) have agreed to do the setup work at the event (wrangling the players, finding a place to play, etc.) so that I can concentrate on the higher-priority task of running the PT. I'm not even sure that I'm going to get to play, but I'm still arranging things beforehand. If you'd like to play, drop me an email at juggernt@charter.net to reserve your General. Already-reserved Generals include:

Pheldagriff (me)

Crosis (Ingrid Lind-Jahn)

Nicol Bolas (Peter Jahn)

Sol'Kanar (Duncan McGregor)

Dromar (Paul Morris)

Treva (Cari Foreman)

Silvos (Josh Reynolds)

If we're sufficiently large, we'll split into two or more groups.

There haven't been any changes to the Banned List or Watch List since the last time I wrote about EDH, but there has been quite some carping about Upheaval (and another card I'll talk about below).

Now let me introduce you to my local gang, most of whom I've been playing Dragon with for the past year and a half or so. They're a great bunch, and I enjoy spending most of my Sunday afternoons with them.

Brian, who plays Crosis. Although he's ceded hosting duties to me, Brian is the anchor of the group. There hasn't been a time that I've played that Brian hasn't. Brian started with Tsabo Tavoc, trying to metagame the environment, but decided he liked the additional color better than the ability to kill everyone's General (not to mention the really good ability of making people discard). Brian's favorite card is Phyrexian Tyranny because "it can be a tricky card to build around, it turns a basic part of the game (card drawing) into an obstacle, it hurts everyone the same, and it is good for multi-player games." When he says "good," what he really means is "paints a target on my head." Brian's must-counter Dragon card is Insurrection.

Phyrexian Tyranny ruling: Its ability is triggered on drawing a card, so by the time the triggered ability resolves, the card is already in your hand. You could, then, use the Stifle that you drew trigging Phyrexian Tyranny to counter the ability.

Chuck, who plays Nicol Bolas. Despite the fact that Chuck can play only every other week (at best) out of job commitments, I think he's the best player of the bunch.* Chuck has recently been annoying us with Myojin of Night's Reach and recurring Mindslaver and/or Sundering Titan with Goblin Welder. Although it's not in his Dragon colors, he says his favorite card of all time is Astral Slide because it gave new meaning to comes-into-play effects and spawned many great deck ideas. Chuck's must-counter Dragon card is that damned Myojin.

Myojin ruling: If you put a Myojin into play via something like Tooth and Nail, it doesn't get the counter. As has been repeated on "Ask the Judge," there's a difference between playing a creature and putting a creature into play.

Justin, who plays Treva. Justin loves his land. REALLY loves his land. If it's not Thawing Glaciers, it's Trade Routes, if it's not Trade Routes, it's Sacred Ground. You get the picture. And he loves the big splash. Justin is like a spider. He likes to take his time, build his immense web, and then control everything. What puzzles me is that Justin's not like a regular spider, which quietly spins the ensuing destruction, he's like Shelob: he obviously builds up major threats--but no one seems to be paying any attention! "Oh, it's only Justin and his big pile of land," they say, until he has 20 lands and Mirari's Wake in play, and then they get upset when he Capsizes everything. Justin's favorite card is Seedborn Muse. He believes that in multiplayer, the more turns between you taking turns of your own, the weaker you are--and Seedborn Muse mitigates that disadvantage. Justin's must-counter card is the newly-discovered Sway of the Stars. He's taken advantage of the fact that the General starts in the RFG zone. If he can get to 16 mana, he'll float it all, play Sway of the Stars,** let it resolve, and then play Treva. You know, it occurs to me that I've probably never before said in a Magic article "...if he can get to 16 mana..."

Seedborn Muse ruling: During each other player's untap step, effects that would otherwise cause your permanents to stay tapped don't apply because they only apply during *your* untap step. For example, Static Orb doesn't apply, and the Couriers from Onslaught will untap.

Amusing second-hand Seedborn Muse story: Justin played Time Stretch, which Brian copied and then Shunted to himself, netting four turns. On those four turns, Justin, taking advantage of his untapping, used Tomoya the Revealer to quadruple the size of his hand, then targeted Brian with the same, decking him.

Todd, who plays Dakkon Blackblade. Todd could be a pretty fair competetive Magic player if he took the time to really learn the game. Instead, he'd rather spend his time with Becky, his wife of just over a year, and I certainly can't blame him. I suspected that Todd would get a cool General kill out of an immense Dakkon, but I've yet to see it happen. Todd says his favorite card is Doomsday because it embodies everything he loves about black: win or die trying. Todd doesn't really have a must-counter card; he goes for more subtlety instead of big, splashy effects, which I think is far more dangerous.

Doomsday ruling: Doomsday is not targeted, so it can't be Misdirected.

Brian, Chuck, Todd, and Justin (and Big Joe, who doesn't play with us any more) were the core of the group I joined. We've since added Little Joe, Molly, and Adam on a regular basis, and Other Jon (we didn't have an original Jon, so I'm not sure where that came from) and Matt on a less-regular basis (though Matt says he's now going to play more since his boss--Chuck--has given him off on Sundays). I haven't yet gotten a good enough look at their Dragon decks to tell you about them. Hopefully, in the future, they'll be laying out enough beatings for me to tell you about them.

See you next week.

* At least who isn't a high-level Judge :-)

** Which, from what I'm hearing locally, is the card that will end Magic forever