Wizards' Tournament III Lines: 573 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + /\/\ __ _ __ _(_) ___ + + / \ / _` |/ _` | |/ __| + + / /\/\ \ (_| | (_| | | (__ + + \/ \/\__,_|\__, |_|\___| + + The Gathering|___/ + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE WIZARDS' TOURNAMENT III GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN You are a planeswalker. A powerful wizard with the ability to craft the magic of the lands. And now is the time to test your strength. Will the white wizard of the plains stand up to the dreaded quagmires of black sorcery? Can the cunning water mages of the islands defeat the Goblins in the fiery mountains? Only one wizard will be left standing after the THE WIZARDS' TOURNAMENT. Chose your arcane weapons well. ,;~;, /\_ ( / (() //) | \\ ,,;;'\ __ _( )m=(((((((((((((================-------- /' ' '()/~' '.(, | ,;( )|| | ~ ,;' \ /-(.;, ) ) / ) / // || )_\ )_\ WHAT: THE WIZARDS' TOURNAMENT is a recurring competition in the Deckmaster Magic: The Gathering game, and has grown to the largest traditional Magic tournament in the world. With 300 different beautifully illustrated cards to chose from and a strategic depth unlike any card game, Magic has smitten a growing legion of savy spell slingers across the globe. WHY: Glory. WHEN: Easter Saturday April 16. Preliminary starting time 15:00. WHERE: THE WIZARDS' TOURNAMENT III will be hosted at an undisclosed location in Gothenburg, Sweden. When you sign up, The Wizards' Council will provide you with the exact adress. WHO: If you want to participate at the WIZARDS' TOURNAMENT III, send an email to wt3@wizardstournament.com and await instructions. ############################# # DECK CONSTRUCTION RULES # ############################# _.--._ _.--._ ,-=.-":;:;:;\':;:;:;"-._ \\\:;:;:;:;:;\:;:;:;:;:;\ \\\:;:;:;:;:;\:;:;:;:;:;\ \\\:;:;:;:;:;\:;:;:;:;:;\ \\\:;:;:;:;:;\:;::;:;:;:\ \\\;:;::;:;:;\:;:;:;::;:\ \\\;;:;:_:--:\:_:--:_;:;\ \\\_.-" : "-._\ \`_..--""--.;.--""--.._=> " 1. A deck must contain at least 40 cards. 2. As per floor rule 4, "fake ante" will be enforced in the tournament. Hence, any cards that state "Remove this card from your deck before playing if you are not playing for ante" must be removed from the deck before the playing. The total number of cards in your deck must be at least 40 *AFTER* these cards have been removed. 3. A second batch of Magic: The Gathering has more recently been released by Deckmaster. This printing has far sharper edges, and can hence easily be distinguished from cards in the original printing. If anyone has gotten their hands on cards from this batch, these cards *ARE NOT ALLOWED* to be played. Only cards with the original corners will be allowed in this tournament to avoid any chance of eagle-eyed players getting an unfair advantage. 4. Some collectors have expressed concern over deteriorating conditions on their cards after multiple duels. To address this concern, players are allowed to protect their cards using baseball card sleeves on all the cards in their deck before shuffling up. If a player opts to use sleeves, it is highly recommended to use the "penny sleeve" version, as the top loader sleeve greatly inhibits shuffling the deck. ################# # FLOOR RULES # ################# /||| /\ |||\ ||| | | ||| \||___--_______________| |_______________--___||/ "| |" /|\---______________--| |--______________---/|\ / | \ | | / | \ / | \ | | / | \ / | \ | | / | \ / | \ \ / / | \ / | \ \ / / | \ / | \ || / | \ / | \ / \ / | \ / | \ | | / | \ ------------------------- | | --------------------------- \_____________________/ .| |. \______________________/ | | | | \ / | | | | __| |__ ___---------- ----------___ |____________________________________| 1. This tournament will use a SWISS system to determine the players proceeding to the elimination rounds. The swiss portion pits players with the same winning record against each other until a group qualifying for the ladder bracket has been determined. The number of rounds in the swiss portion will be log_2(X)+1 rounded down to the nearest whole number, where X is the number of players (e.g. log_2(13)=3.7, +1 is 4.7, which rounds to 4, so 13 players will play 4 rounds, 16 players will of course play 5, etc). The elimination rounds will then use a standard ladder bracket with an even factor of two players (4, 8, etc) using single elimination rules. 2. The tournament will be presided over by a Referee. The Referee may be required to interpret rules, to terminate an excessively long match, to interpret a Declaration of Forfeiture, or make any other adjudication as necessary during the tournament. The Referee is also responsible for maintaining the swiss and ladder charts, and only the Referee is permitted to write on the chart (e.g. listing advancing players on the bracket). 3. A duel is one complete game of Magic. A match is defined as the best two out of three duels for standard rounds, and the best three out of five duels for the final round of the tournament. A player may get 1 point in the tournament swiss portion after successfully winning one match, and reporting this victory to the Referee. In the elimination rounds, a player that successfully wins a match is advanced one step in the ladder bracket. 4. Players must use the same deck they begin the tournament with throughout the duration of the tournament. To avoid any deck metamorphosis during the course tournament, "fake ante" will be enforced. Players will remove a "fake ante" from their decks prior to dueling, using the same process as for real ante. Additionally any cards that require the either player to pay Ante also have to be removed from the decks before playing. "Fake ante" is not claimed by the winner; instead it is returned to the owner's deck at the conclusion of the duel. Players may ante additional cards or items from outside their decks in a "real ante" providing that both participants in the match give their consent. 5. Players may not have any outside assistance (i.e. coaching) during a match. Players in violation will receive one warning; any further infractions will be interpreted by the Referee as a Declaration of Forfeiture. 6. Failure to adhere to the above rules, or the general rules of Magic, or any indication of attempting to receive a victory by any means other than playing a game of Magic, will be interpreted by the Referee as a Declaration of Forfeiture. ############################## # GAME RULE CLARIFICATIONS # ############################## . | , \ _---_ / -_ .' `. _- __ : .---. : __ : \ / : -" `. | | .' "- / |`-'| \ ' ]"-_[ ` ]"-_[ "*" ********************* * 1. Forced tapping * ********************* Cards like Twiddle and the Ice Manipulator lets you tap any card on either territory. These cards will simply "shut down" the card tapped, prohibiting use until untapped. Tapping a card you don't control wont generate an effect at any time. Example: You use Ice Manipulator to tap Elves controlled by opponent during his or her attack exchange. This does not make the Elves attack (nor generate mana for either player), but rather shuts them down until it's owners next untap cycle. This means that the Elves can't attack, block, or generate mana until untapped. ******************* * 2. Enchantments * ******************* Enchantments can broadly be divided into two subtypes: local enchantments and global enchantments. Local enchantments can be placed on any card in play that shares a type with the enchantment. Global enchantments are the cards that simply read "Enchantment" on the type line, and unlike local enchantments they can only be placed on your side. If a global enchantment affects only one player, you have to chose yourself unless it explicitly states otherwise. Example 1: Flight is a local enchantment with "Enchant Creature" that turns a creature into a flying creature. You may place Flight on any summon or artifact creature in play, regardless of owner. You are still considered to own Flight even if you place it on an opposing creature. Example 2: Crusade is a Global Enchantment giving all white creatures a +1/+1 bonus. As this doesn't say anything about players, this affects all white creature in play, regardless of owner. You are still considered to be the sole owner of Crusade even if it affects creatures on both sides. Example 3: Lich is a global Enchantment that turns a player into a zombie that discards cards in play when suffering damage. If you cast Lich, you have to chose it to affect yourself, you are not allowed to play it on the opponent's territory to turn him or her into a zombie. Lich may still be benefitial to caster as zombie is immune to normal life loss and may generate additional card draws. ********************** * 3. Upkeep payments * ********************** Some cards require you to pay an upkeep cost. Upkeep costs containing colored mana is usually written using capital letters representing the colors of mana. Any card requiering upkeep maintenance cannot be used in a turn until after the upkeep cost has been satisfied. Example: Demonic Hordes has the ability to tap to destroy one land as a fast effect. The Demons also require a payment of "BBB" each turn lest they turn on their summoner. "BBB" means "Three black mana from you mana pool", B being shorthand for Black. You cannot use the fast effect of the Demons before you have payed tribute with black mana each turn. ******************** * 4. Special costs * ******************** In the card text, a mana symbol preceding an effect should be read as "For each (mana) spent...". You can spend as many mana as you want in this way, unless the special cost includes tapping the card. Remeber that mana enhanced power or thoughness on creatures only last for the remainder of the turn. Example 1: You can pay two generic mana to Circle of Protection: Blue to prevent the damage from two different blue creatures during a single a attack. Example 2: Celestial Prism is a mono artifact that reads "2: Provides 1 mana of any color. This use can be played as an interrupt". You may not pay four generic mana to provide two mana of any color, as the Prism is a mono artifact and taps as a part of use. ************* * 5. Timing * ************* Timing spells is usually pretty easy, but occasionally multiple fast effects will try to affect a card at once. Most times, you just apply all the effects at once and then look at the state of card affected. Some times it is however impossible to for the effects to happen at the same time. If that happens, the player who created the last effect decides in what order the effects are applied. If one or more of the effects is played with the speed of an interrupt, the other effects will be reviewed after all interrups have done their job. Whenever you play an interrupt, rewind all other spells and fast effects currently being played, let the interrupt resolve, and the review all the other effects being played (if they are still applicable). An interrupt may be responded to with another interrupt. If so, the first interrupt won't happen until the last interrupt announced has happened. Example 1: You cast Giant Growth (+3/+3 this turn) on your Grizzly Bears. Opponent casts Lightning Bolt on Bears as a fast effect. Bolt and Growth happen at the same time, so Bears survive as a 5/5 with three damage marked on it until end of turn. Example 2: Opponent cast Terror on your Grizzly Bears to finally kill it. You respond by casting Unsummon to return it to hand. These things can't both happen at the same time (these are no Schroedinger Bears; they must be either dead or in hand), and you get to chose where the Bears end up as you announced Unsummon after opponent announced Terror. Example 3: You announce Grizzly Bears from your hand. Opponent interrupts with Counterspell. You interrupt their interrupt with a Counterspell of your own. Now your interrupt happen first and remove their interrupt. When it is time to evaluate their interrupt, it is already gone, and so we go back to normal effect resolution. No one has any more interrupts, and Grizzly Bears comes back to your territory. Example 4: Opponent want to deal two damage to that pesky Grizzly Bears using their Orcish Artillery's tap abilty. You interrupt by casting Blue Elemental Blast on the Orcs. As the Elemental Blast is an interrupt, the Orcs will die before they get the chance to shoot the Bears (or the opponent) and the effect will fizzle. The Bears still live! ####################### # CARD CLARIFICATIONS # ####################### o O /`-.__ / \·'^| o T l * _|-..-|_ O (^ '----' `) `\-....-/^ O o ) "/ " ( _( (-) )_ O /\ ) ( /\ / \( ) | \ o o \) ( / \ / |( )| \ / o \ \( / \ __.--' O \_ / .._ \ //|)\ , (_) /(((\^)'\ | | O ) ` | | / o___ / / / _.-''^^__O_^^''-._ / .' / -''^^ ^^''- \--'^ .' .`. `'''----'''^ .`. \ .' / `'--..____..--'^ \ \ / _.-/ \ \ .::'_/^ | | `. .-'| | `-. _.--'` \ / `-. / \ / `-._ `'---..__ `. .´_.._ __ \ ``'''`. .' `'^ `''---'^ `-..______..-' *********** * Balance * *********** Creatures with protection from white are not affected by Balances destruction abilities, but you still have to count them when assessing the fairness of the game state. Example: Opponent has one creature in play, you have a Sengir Vampire and a Black Knight (immune to white magic). This still counts as you having one more creature than the opponent, and you'll have to discard the Vampire. If opponent has zero creatures in play, you of course also have to discard the Vampire, but still get to keep the Black Knight. ********************* * Birds of Paradise * ********************* The mana you get from tapping the birds can be of any color. *********** * Channel * *********** You will permanently lose any life converted to mana; the "is not considered damage" text simply clarifies that you can't avoid the payment of life using a Circle of Protection or similar to prevent it. Your life total will still change. You cannot pay more life than you currently possess. ********** * Charms * ********** Ivory Cup, Crystal Rod, Throne of Bone, Iron Star and Wooden Sphere (often called "the charms") must be activated immediately as someone cast a spell of the corresponding color. Each activation is directly related to the spell being cast; the charms will not give you more life for any additional spell cast later in the turn (unless more mana is spent). This also applies to Soul Net; each activation must correspond exactly with a creature dying. Basically, the charms adds "you gain one life" to the text of a spell for each generic mana you spend. Remember that charms are activated as non-interrupt fast effects, and can not be used to gain life from interrupts (as they are too slow). ***************** * Control Magic * ***************** If Control Magic is discarded while creature lives, creature is returned to original owner rather than discarded. If Control Magic is discarded during an attack exchange, remove the creature from current attack/defense and return it to original owner. ********** * Curses * ********** The "curses" (Cursed Land, Wanderlust, Feedback and Warp Artifact) will only deal damage to the owner of the cursed card during that player's turn. Some of the curses make this more clear than others (compare e.g. the text of Wanderlust to Warp Artifact, there is far more ambiguity in the latter). This was another case where we had to go and look at the development cards to get a clear answer, and from there we can see that they all only pings once per full turn cycle. ****************** * Cyclopean Tomb * ****************** Cyclopean Tomb have official Deckmaster errata. It is to be played as having a mana cost of four generic mana, with no constraint on playing lands the turn you play it. ********************** * Disrupting Scepter * ********************** This card has gotten clarification since Wizards’ Tournament I; like with Mind Twist and Hypnotic Specter only cards from hand can be affected by the Scepter's ability. If opponent has no cards in hand, activating Scepter does nothing. ******** * Fork * ******** Fork looks easy to understand, but occasionally it will create some timing issues if the opponent has fast effects available. Rather than simply considering Fork as doubling the effect of an instant or sorcery, it should be seen as a sort of Clone for spells. The Fork becomes a additional instance of the card played. The only difference between playing two Unsummon spells and playing one Unsummon and Forking it is that the second Unsummon will be red and is played with the speed of an Interrupt. *************** * Goblin King * *************** Goblin King is considered to have two affiliations, he is both a 'Goblin' and a 'King'. As one of the Goblins, he is affected by cards like Goblin Balloon Brigade and (perhaps most significantly) himself. ******************** * Illusionary Mask * ******************** Illusionary Mask can create some tricky situations for the opponent. If the mask makes the opponent make an illegal play or an illegal block, the spell or block will fizzle. A spell that fizzles will be placed in owner's graveyard. At end of game, you have to show what cards you hid under the mask to verify that you didn't make illegal plays. Example: You cast Juggernaut (a 5/3 Artifact Creature for (4) that must attack each turn) paying (2)(U)(U)(R) into the mask to hide what it is. Opponent cast Spell Blast with X=5, trying to counter it. As Juggernaut in fact has total mana cost 4, Spell Blast will fizzle and be placed in opponents graveyard without effect. If opponent then tries to destroy the hidden Juggernaut with Terror, Terror will also fizzle as it can't target Artifact Creatures. If you forget to attack with Juggernaut during your turn (when opponent still can't see it and have no chance of reminding you), the Referee will interpret that as a Declaration of Forfeiture. *************** * Jade Statue * *************** Jade Statue should be interpreted as a Continuous Artifact with no effect outside of attack exchanges. During an attack, interpret Jade Statue as a Poly Artifact (it can be activated, and activating it doesn't tap it). Once it is activated, it is an Artifact Creature until the attack is over. Jade Statue is not considered a creature unless it is currently attacking or blocking. *********************** * Red Elemental Blast * *********************** This card was accidentally printed with the wrong type. It should be played as an interrupt rather than an instant. ************ * Unsummon * ************ Unsummon should be read "Return creature to owner's hand, enchantments on creature are discarded. Unsummon cannot be played during the damage-dealing phase of an attack." ********* * Wards * ********* Protection granted by wards doesn't affect the wards themselves. E.g. if a creature in play is enchanted by White Ward, the protection from white magic doesn't remove the ward, neither is a Blue Ward turned blue by e.g. Thoughtlace discarded from play.