Scenario Session

Session Title GP Auckland Scenarios

Level Expectation 1 & 2

Cards Required See Appendix

Created 21/01/2015

Last Updated 03/03/2015

Author Simon Freiberg

Reviewed By

Session Objectives

The objective of this session is to introduce participants to scenario-based training as a

concept, and expose both new and experienced Judges to nuanced situations. Their

behaviour should spark discussion amongst the group, and lead to education and

enlightenment.

Note to instructors: Feel free to mess with the structure of the session and how you

distribute the roles, while still understanding and maintaining the learning objectives of

each individual scenario. Variants may include allowing one Judge to start the scenario,

make some decisions and having a 2nd (and then maybe 3rd) Judge jump in to continue in

their place (if you have large numbers). Alternatively you can pause the scenario at critical

junctures and take a poll to determine the decision tree (like a “choose your own

adventure”).

Make sure the people you pick to be your players in the scenario do not improvise, as this

may compromise the learning objectives of the scenario.

Safety Guidelines

“Safety is the top priority. All participants are to act carefully and be mindful of each other’s

safety at all times. If at any time you feel unsafe or notice something unsafe is happening or

about to happen, call “STOP” and bring it to the instructor’s attention. If you hear this call,

freeze what you’re doing immediately. Any questions?”

Introduction

“Treat all situations as being played at Competitive REL unless otherwise specified.”

If Judges are doing this individually: “You are the Head Judge for the event. Act as though

you are working this event alone.”

If Judges are doing this in pairs/teams: “One of you will be designated Head Judge for the

event, everyone else is considered a Floor Judge. If a Floor Judge takes a call, they have the

ability to confer with the Head Judge (and/or other Floor Judges as appropriate).”

Scenario 1

Setup:

Hand In Play Graveyard Library Exile

Player A Swamp Stain the Mind

Swamp Forest Forest 1 x Wall of Mulch

Empty An amount of random cards

Empty

Player N 2 x Wild Slash

4 x Mountain Empty An amount of random cards

Empty

Play actions:

Player A casts Stain the Mind, naming “Stoke the Flames”. Player N reveals hand.

Player A looks at it, looks at his board, and realises he doesn’t have enough mana to cast the

spell (“I meant to play the land in my hand first”).

N calls a Judge.

Desired outcome:

GRV for A, FTMGS for N.

Discussion points:

Whether or not to back up. It would be quite disruptive to allow A to name a new

card once he’s seen the contents of N’s hand.

Scenario 2

Setup:

Hand In Play Graveyard Library Exile

Player A Empty 5 Forest Courser of Kruphix

Empty 15 Mountain (top one revealed)

Empty

Player N Empty 3 Swamp Empty An amount of random cards

Empty

Play actions:

A draws the card. Goes to flip the next card. “Draw for turn?” and draws the card without

waiting for confirmation and without revealing it.

N calls for a Judge.

Desired outcome:

DEC for A.

Discussion points:

Can we downgrade this infraction since we know the identity of the second card by a

process of elimination?

Scenario 3

Setup:

Hand In Play Graveyard Library Exile

Player A Keranos Cancel Serum Visions Think Twice

15 Islands 7 Mountain Snapcaster Mages

Empty 5 Island Empty

Player N Pact of Negation Negate Island

5 Islands Empty 5 Islands Empty

Play actions:

A casts Keranos. N casts Pact of Negation targeting Keranos, and puts a dice on top of his

library. A tanks for a bit and casts Cancel targeting Pact of Negation. A casts Serum Visions.

N casts Negate. A casts Think Twice. A flashes back Think Twice. A attacks with Snapcaster

Mage. A passes the turn.

NAP untaps, removes the dice, taps his lands (to pay for the “pact trigger”), draws for the

turn. He plays a land, and says “Go”.

Desired outcome:

GRV for not announcing mana? Rewind?

Discussion points:

Do we stop them doing something that’s legal?

Scenario 4

Setup:

Hand In Play Graveyard Library Exile

Player A X random cards

Player N X random cards

Play actions:

Both players shuffling their libraries before the game. Player N turns to the Judge and says

jokingly “Hey Judge, what’s my opponent playing?”

Desired outcome:

Outside Assistance? ML? Caution?

Discussion points:

How harsh should one be?

Alternative Scenario:

Players shuffling for Game 2, one has a big notepad that they’re using for tracking life,

covered in data from previous matches/games including a list of cards in their opponent’s

hand from Thoughtseize from Game 1.

Scenario 5 (with thanks to Riki)

Setup:

Hand In Play Graveyard Library Exile

Player A 5 Islands

Player N Cryptic Command 3 random cards

2 Islands Scalding Tarn Mountain

X random cards

Play actions:

At the end of Player A's turn, Player N casts Cryptic Command bouncing A's Island and

drawing a card. Cryptic resolves, and as Player N begins to untap his lands, he notices that

one of the lands he used to cast Cryptic is a Scalding Tarn. You are called over.

Desired outcome:

GRV for N. FTMGS for A. No rewind (fetchland!)

Discussion points:

See if people realise the shuffle effect is relevant.

Scenario 6

Setup:

Hand In Play Graveyard Library Exile

Player A X random cards

Player N X random cards

Play actions:

Players drawing their opening hands. A has 7 cards. N has 8 cards. Both players have

looked at their hand. N calls the Judge. “I’ve drawn 8 cards”.

ONLY IF ASKED do players confirm that N has mulliganed.

Desired outcome:

ID@SOG – put 3 back – shuffle them in – continue taking mulligan decisions.

Discussion points:

Did they ask the correct questions?

Optional Scenario 1

Setup:

Hand In Play Graveyard Library Exile

Player A Dig Through Time 3 random Blue spells

8 Island N/A Some random Blue spells

Player N 5 Mountain 5 Mountain N/A An amount of random cards

Play actions:

A casts Dig Through Time, immediately drawing 2 cards. He then pauses.

N calls a Judge.

Desired outcome:

DEC? GRV? OOOS?

Discussion points:

Optional Scenario 2

Setup:

Hand In Play Graveyard Library Exile

Player A N/A N/A N/A An amount of random cards

Player N Restoration Angel

3/3 Centaur Token 3 Plains 2 Forest

Call of the Conclave

An amount of random cards

Play actions:

N casts Restoration Angel.

A calls a Judge: “Does A have to target the Centaur with the Angel’s trigger?”

Desired outcome:

“Yes”

Discussion points:

Let them mise?

Scenario Template

Setup:

Hand In Play Graveyard Library Exile

Player A

Player N

Play actions:

Desired outcome:

Discussion points:

Appendix: Required Cards

Stain the Mind

2 x Wild Slash

Wall of Mulch

Courser of Kruphix

Keranos

Cancel

Serum Visions

Think Twice

Pact of Negation

Negate

Snapcaster Mage

Cryptic Command

Scalding Tarn

Dig Through Time

Restoration Angel

3/3 Centaur Token

Call of the Conclave

3 x Plains

3 x Swamp

5 x Forest

15 x Mountain

21 x Island