General House Rules Last Update: March 14, 2001 Setup * Every game must start at the same time (so no one game has more time than any other) * The winner of a high roll or coin toss before the game will be the person who goes first for a given game * Deck restrictions * No deck may have more than 4 cards of any one name other than basic and snow-covered lands * Draft decks may have no fewer than 40 cards * Non-draft cards may have no fewer than 60 cards * Unglued cards are allowed, but restricted as per the unglued rules * If a sideboard is allowed, it will contain 15 cards at all times. At the beginning of every match, the sideboard will be returned to it's original state (i.e. can't stack your deck based on knowing your opponent's deck). After the first game in a match you can exchange cards one for one between your main deck and your sideboard. Your main deck must conform to all other specified deck restrictions after the exchange. You don't have to use a sideboard if you don't want to. * If a float is allowed it may contain up to 5 cards at any given time, but never more than 5. Before the start of a game, you will have time to consult with your partner and trade in or out of your float any number of cards to your deck (not to your teammates). This allows you to add any cards that may be beneficial to your team, or remove any cards that may be harmful. Once the game starts, you may not change the float until the beginning of the next game. Your main deck must conform to all other specified deck restrictions after using the float. You don't have to use a float if you don't want to. * No proxy cards are allowed. * No cards with the word "ante" in it are allowed. * Any banned cards used or played during any game will be removed from the game with no replacement (either in your hand or in your deck). Play Time * All games will have predetermined time limit - a timer will be set to indicate when this time is up. * If the timer indicates that an Armageddon Clock begins play, then the at timer expiration, the game continues as follows: When the Armageddon clock is activated, every player will add a "tick" to the Armageddon clock at the beginning of their upkeep phase. At the end of the upkeep phase, every player in the game will take an amount of damage equal to the number of "ticks" the Armageddon clock has on it. The damage is colorless and cannot be countered, redirected, reduced or otherwise avoided. It does not go on the stack. The game ends immediately when at least one team has all players at or below zero life. * If an Armageddon Clock is not in play, then continue playing until every player has played the same number of turns. The game ends during the end phase of the last player's turn. Play * During the tournament, no one may change their deck in any way except through the use of a sideboard. The one exception to this would be in order to exchange one card for another that is exactly identical (in case a card is damaged). No mana may be added or removed, no creatures, etc. * All should clearly indicate a tapped card by turning it 90`. This makes it easier for all players to see what is tapped and what isn't. * All players should try to clearly indicate the phases of their turn. For example, while untapping, say "UNTAP", when attacking "I'm attacking" and when you are done for the turn say "your turn". This allows your opponent to react to the phases with fast effects, instants, etc. Play Reversal * You are allowed to take back any one play as long as no other action has taken place in the game. * If you are unsure of doing something, tell your opponent to "hold on" before continuing. * If you want to react to your opponent just having done something, give them a reasonable amount of time to consider their move and then make yours. At this point they will be locked into what they have done. This will prevent people from seeing what you are going to do and then change their mind, but it also gives them opportunity to take their move back on their own. * If you are planning to do something really tricky and they look like they aren't sure they wanted to do what they just did, good sportsmanship would dictate the you ask "are you done with that". * You can prevent yourself from taking back your play by doing another action yourself. This includes things such as casting a spell and then casting an instant right after (the original spell is played). * Exceptions to play reversal * Targeted spells: as detailed in the game rulings, you must have a legal target in order for a spell, pseudospell or ability to be played. If it is noted, even sometime later, that the target is not legal, you must take your card back because you really couldn't have cast it in the first place. This may at some point be too hard to accomplish since too many things would have to be reversed. It is up to the players to decide what can and cannot be taken back as far as targeted spells are concerned. If you are the target of something that can target you but can't affect you, then you saying, "my creature has been affected by your spell" (this is an action) will disallow your opponent from taking their spell back. Again wait an "allowable" amount of time before doing your action. * Required Actions: Any event that must happen but is missed must have play resolved in order to fix the problem. I.e. echo must be paid or have the creature sacrificed. If you missed doing one of those actions, you must reverse play and choose one of them to do. You may have forgotten to do pay the echo fee, but you also didn't sacrifice the creature. Back up the game and fix it. Getting Help * At any time you may ask a question about any card in your hand or on the table, however you can only ask playability questions, not strategy questions. For instance you can ask "Can I target this spell at that creature", however you can't ask "Should I do this to that creature" or "if I do this, what will happen". If you don't know what an opponent's card can do, you may ask your opponent what it is, but your opponent is not obliged to describe it to you. This point is specified here because the owner may have some strategy that may not be clearly obvious but may be given away if they describe the card themselves. In the case where the owner does not want to describe it, you must read it yourself and then ask any playability questions about it yourself. * There is a good chance that everyone will see cards they have never seen before. Don't hesitate to ask questions whenever you aren't sure about what is going on, but try to keep the flow of the game up. As well, sometimes you may have to spend time thinking about your next move, however you should endeavor to complete your turn in a timely manner Game & Card Rulings * The most recent DCI rules will be used (all rules from the small books with the most recent taking precedence of the older ones) and can be found in the green binder or on the Palm. * Game rules are in the "General Rulings Summary". These cover all aspects of a turn, abilities and definitions of game terms. * Card rulings are in the "Card Rulings Summary". This printout describes in detail all cards and any possible misunderstandings or updates that should be applied when using those cards. ##Note## Some cards may have changed texts. The most recent text is the one listed in the Summary that is the one that will be used, regardless of what the card says. * Comprehensive rulings are in the "Comprehensive Rules". This printout describes winning and losing, turn structure and spells abilities and effects. * Any ruling not covered or described by these documents will be decided upon by the other players. All decisions are final (whether by the DCI rules or the other players). * If a rule was misplayed and then discovered later in the game, the misplayed rule will be the one used for the remainder of the game. At the end of the game, the correct ruling will be played from that point on in all other games. Winning a Game * The winner of a game is the person who has life left when the other person has 0 or less. It is possible for both players to go below 0 at the same time. In this case the game is a draw. * A draw can also occur when time runs out on a game and no one has dropped below 0 life points. This is true regardless of life totals. Note: This is only valid when there is no Armageddon clock in play. Winning a Match * The winner of any given match is: Single Game: The winner of the game. If the game is a draw, then the match is a draw. Best 2 of 3: The winner (draws do not count) of the most number of games out of 3 (i.e. you will play, at most, 3 games per match max). If each person/team has won one game and the third is a draw, or one game takes the entire time allotment and ends in a draw, then the match is a draw. * Match lengths are pre-determined have a minimum 5 minute break between them. * Do not start another game in a match if there is less than 10 minutes remaining in the match. Doubles Last Update: March 14, 2001 Partners sit across from each other. Play proceeds in a clockwise manner. Life * Each player begins the game with the standard life total of 20. Damage done to any player reduces their own personal life total. When a player reaches 0 life, all subsequent life points get removed from their partner's life total. The player with 0 life points continues to play and may increase their life total using any means at their disposal. When both players on a team reach 0 life points, the game ends and their team loses. * When a player has 10 or more poison counters, their life total is immediately reduced to 0 and they cannot increase their life total. Poison counters do not transfer between teammates (like damage does). If the number of poison counters is subsequently reduced below 10, that players life total remains at 0, but can be increased again through ordinary means. * When a player is required to, but cannot draw any more cards, their life total is immediately reduced to 0 and they cannot increase their life total. If the draw pile subsequently renewed, that player can begin drawing again but their life total remains at 0 (although it can be increased again through ordinary means). New Legal Plays * You may cast one permanent into your partners play area once per turn during your normal "play sorceries" phase. Once there, the permanent is fully under the control of your teammate. New Turn Option * A 4th phase, "Move a Card", is added to the choices 3 choices during a player's turn; the three being "Play a Land", "Play Sorceries" and "Attack". * The "Move a Card" phase allows you to tap any untapped permanent and pass control of the permanent to your teammate. Any additional cards that are attached to the tapped card, enchantments for instance, move with the tapped card and remain in the same tapped/untapped state. The teammate immediately gains control of the tapped card (and all additional attached cards) and can use it as though it were theirs. Note that the permanent has just come into control at that point, so regular summoning sickness rules apply as appropriate. * A teammate can request a permanent if they so desire. Combat * You can only attack the player to your left. You can still target abilities against any opponent. Certain cards force creatures to attack. In the event that they are eligible to attack (not tapped, and so on) they must attack the player to the left regardless of who forced it to attack. You may not attack any other opponents or your teammate. Targeting Opponents * Cards that say "Opponent" can be used on either of your opponents (not both - unless it specifically says so). If it is a card that has a constant effect on an opponent, you declare one of your opponents at the time of casting. Also, you may not target your partner with any spell or effect that targets your opponents only. A spell with multiple targets can target both opponents. * For example a card that reads "When an opponent..." means "When any one of your opponents...." And "Opponent does this...." means "Target opponent does this....". The first one indicates all opponents, while the second indicates a specific opponent. Cards using the word "YOU" * Cards that use the word "you" refer to the caster of the spell or the controller of the permanent. Unless the card specifically indicates another target, it cannot affect another target (your partner for instance). Communication * During your partners' turn, you can ask for a card to passed to you during the new "pass a card phase". Also, you can ask for a creature during your partner's "cast sorceries" phase. You can also ask if your partner needs a permanent (card already played), but you can't ask if they need something from your hand - whether it's a creature, enchantment, etc. Again - it is illegal to say anything about the cards in your hand. * If you gain knowledge of an opponent's hand, then you can give that information to your partner. Warn them about something etc. but don't refer to anything in your hand. * With the exception of the above two points, you may not say anything in a person's turn that would affect that turn. I.e. you can't ask someone to attack something or get rid of something for you. Also, you can't ask why they aren't attacking or using an ability. When their turn is done, you can ask or suggest things. * * Alternate Possible Rules (not in play unless otherwise specified) * Each team has a total life value of 20 lives times the number of people on a team. Damage done to any player on a given team reduces that team's life total. When a team reaches 0 life, it is out. All cards owned by the team are removed from the game as are any effects that require the card to be there. * The owner of the permanent is still the controller of the card after it has been cast into their teammates area. * You cannot cast a permanent under your partner's control. The only way to pass control is to use the "Move a Card" phase detailed below. * You can cast any number of permanents under your partner's control * You can attack any opponent you choose and can attack multiple opponents at once, but you are still restricted to one attack phase. Certain cards force creatures to attack. In the event that they are eligible to attack (not tapped, and so on) they must attack the player who forced it to attack. You may not attack any other opponents. The same goes for other cards that affect attacking and/or blocking creatures. Also, if an opponent forces your creature to attack, you may not save the creature by passing it to your partner. Note that, because you cannot attack your partner, he/she may not force your creatures to attack. * Widowing Variant In the "individual life total" game, when a player is killed, all of his cards in play immediately become "out of play," but stay where they are (in the same spot on the table). This includes enchantments on creatures, etc., outside of the dead player's domain. They become inactive, but remain attached to the card they were on. The dead player must shuffle the remaining cards in his hand, and then set his hand face down in his domain. The dead player's partner then becomes a Widow. Widows have the following special powers: 1. During her "Draw a card" phase, a Widow may choose to either draw a card from her own library, or that of her dead partner. 2. During her main phase, a Widow has several options regarding her dead partner's cards. She may do any one of the following: a) Tap one of her partner's cards to bring it under her control. This includes any of her partner's cards in his domain (in which case the card - with all enchantments still on it - moves into her domain and is tapped) or any enchantment her partner had played outside of his domain. In the second case, the card stays where it is and becomes tapped, but the Widow now controls it. During her next untap phase, that enchantment will untap and become active again. b) Turn over the top card in her partner's hand. This card is placed face up in a special place - not in any domain. This special area only holds upturned cards from the dead player's hand. c) Take any one card from the special place used in b) above. Cards taken from there are put into the Widow's hand, not into her domain. This card now becomes part of her hand, just as if she had drawn it. She may play it at any time (including during the same turn she took it). * Life Transfer. In a game where all players begin with the normal 20 life and when a player is reduced to 0 life, (with or without further damage), and the end of phase is reached and passed, an immediate Life Transfer Phase is generated before anything else may happen. The only legal effect during this phase is for that player's partner to sacrifice X life to give his partner X life. X may be all the life that that player's partner has. If this X is enough to raise that player back above 0 life, then that player remains in the game at his new life total. There can only be one Life Transfer Phase per partnership per turn. (I.e. if you're at 0 life and your partner gives you 1 life, and then an opponent hits you with a Lightning Bolt, you lose.) Quick Start Last Update: April 25, 2002 - roll dice to determine play order - draw 14 cards instead of 7 - choose 7 which go into your hand - choose 4 which are put into play immediately (in your play area under your control) using the following rules: - comes into play abilities are handled as follows: - if you need to make a choice (i.e. color, creature type, etc.), do so when the card is revealed - if you need to put counters on that permeant, do so when the card is revealed (i.e. this creature comes into play with 2 +1/+1 counters on it) (also, fading counters are handled like this) - comes into play abilities that affect (target) other permanents, your or someone else's, are ignored - use your best judgement on "fair play" cards - i.e. don't use cards that have "comes into play: target opponent gains 10 life. leaves play: that opponent loses 10 life". - Note that some cards just aren't playable on the start as their abilities are based on "comes into play effect" that are ignored - kicker abilities/costs are ignored - echo costs are ignored - you can play enchantments as you would normally (ie. on creatures, land or standalone) - the cards you put into play must result in a permanent when normally cast (i.e. can't use instants or sorcery's) - the total mana cost for all 4 cards cannot exceed 10 (lands count as 0) - a single card cannot have a mana cost of more than 4 - X in the casting cost counts as 0 - choose 3 which go into your graveyard - you choose order - you may mulligan, but you draw 2 less cards those 2 decrease your initial hand total. Multiple mulligans reduce your hand by 2 every time. everyone reveals at the same time. All cards in play are considered immediately usable/tappable - no summoning slickness. Play progresses as normal. Prizes Last Update: March 14, 2001 Prizes I'm going to buy cards for prizes. Everyone is expected to chip in $2 towards these cards. Prizes by Games A number of booster packs sufficient to cover all match prizes will be removed from their packaging, shuffled and placed face down in a pile. This is the prize pool. No one will be allowed to look at the cards at any time. The first game in each match determines whether a prize is won for that match (no other games in a match are used to win prize cards). If the first game in the match does not end in a draw, the winning person or team has each player win a card from the "prize pool" - the winner(s) will take the top card from the "prize pool". This card is theirs to keep or trade as they see fit. Do not take any other cards or trade any cards back into the prize pool. Do not add the prize card to your current deck, sideboard or draft pile. If the game is a draw, no one wins a card. Final Prize Selection When the tournament is complete, the remaining booster packs and remaining unwon cards will be displayed for 10 minutes for everyone to look at. Everyone chooses 1 card in order of placing, continuing on until all cards are gone. You have 30 seconds per card to choose a card. If you haven't chosen a card within the allotted time, the first card on the first row (they will be displayed in a big grid) will be yours by default. The time limit is being enforced because one time we did this, people were taking way too long to pick their cards and time was dragging on. Unglued Cards Last Update: March 14, 2001 Some unglued cards lend themselves to unruly behavior or distractions, however most do have some value in being allowed in a standard deck. The following lists the banned, changed and "play as is" cards. These rules override the text on the cards. Note: Any cards that require you to rip it up or destroy it must be done in order for the effect or ability to take effect. Banned cards: It is illegal to have any of these cards in your deck at any time. Ashnod's Coupon, B.F.M., Bronze Calendar, Bureaucracy, Burning Cinder Fury of Crimson Chaos Fire, Cardboard Carapace, Censorship, Chaos Confetti, Charm School, Clam Session, Clay Pigeon, Common Courtesy, Deadhead, Denied, Free For All, Gerrymandering, Get a Life, Ghazban Ogress, Handcuffs, I'm Rubber - You're Glue, Incomming, Jalum Grifter, Jester's Sombrero, Landfill, Look at me - I'm the DCI, Mirror Mirror, Ow, Prismatic Wardrobe, Psychic Network, Sex Appeal, Sorry, Strategy - Schmategy, The Cheese Stands Alone, Urza's Contact Lenses, Volrath's Motion Sensor as well as any other Unglued card not listed below. Changed: Gus, Hurloon Wrangler, Knight of the Hokey Pokey, Mesa Chicken, Miss Demeanor: All text removed Limited Duration: The cards' text indicates an effect or condition based on events outside of the current game. That effect is removed from the card. If it is a condition, that condition and the resulting effect are removed from the card. Double Cross, Double Deal, Double Dip, Double Play, Double Take, Play as Is: Blacker Lotus, Checks and Balances, Chicken a la King, Chicken Egg, Clambassadors, Clam I Am, Elvish Impersonators, Flock of Rabid Sheep, Fowl Play, Free Range Chicken, Giant Fan, Goblin Bookie, Goblin Bowling Team, Goblin Tutor, Growth Spurt, Hungry Hungry Heffer, Infernal Spawn of Evil, Jack in the Mox, Jumbo Imp, Krazy Kow, Lexivore, Mine - Mine - Mine, Once More with Feeling (restricted), Organ Harvest, Paper Tiger, Poultygeist, Richochet, Rock Lobster, Scissors Lizard, Spark Fiend, Spatula of the Ages, Squirrel Farm, Team Spirit, Temp of the Damned, The Ultimate Nightmare of the WotC, Timmy - Power Gamer, Urza's Science Fair Project Note: Restricted cards allow you to have only one in your deck at any given time.