JudgeCast

In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos are joined by Pastimes' Meg Baum to talk about the "other side of staffing". We have talked in the past about how to apply for events as well as tips and tricks to help you get staffed, but this is the first time we have talked about what it takes to make an event staff. And while we have done staffing for "ballroom sized events", we have never had to st...

MTG Judge Conferences are an amazing resource when it comes to learning and growing as a Judge. However, conferences need presenters and creating a presentation can be daunting if you have never done it before. Topics can range from layers or state-based actions, to more complex topics like Hidden Card error or competing replacement enter effects, or all the way up to investigation workshops. But...

In this episode of JudgeCast, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos talk about upgrades. Those little paragraphs or sentences at the bottom of your favorite entries in the Magic Infraction Procedure Guide. Upgrades are when a certain series of events happen, and the penalty an MTG Judge would normally assign gets bumped up one or two steps. In this episode we talk about all the upgrades, even the FOUR hidden...

In this episode Bryan, Charles, and Marcos go over how to run a successful draft at your LGS. Drafting is a very common way players can enjoy new sets, and running a smooth draft is a skill all judges need to develop. Like many things in running events, preparation and watchfulness will help you detect small problems before they can become big ones. We talk about how to prepare product, how to pre...

BEHOLD... A PODCAST. In this episode, Bryan Charles, and Marcos go over the mechanics from Tarkir: Dragonstorm and a dragon-sized clawful of cards that tickled our collective fancy. Join us as we go over more cards in more detail than you though you needed and perhaps more than you actually wanted. But don't worry, there's lots of big old dragons to give you that dopamine hit we all so desperately...

Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as they spend entirely too much time and go into entirely too much detail on all the things you need to consider when taking a call as a Judge. Quick, what are the first three things you should do when you hear "Judge!". Did you know there are things were supposed to be doing even before that? There are many types of calls you might get at an event. Running all the...

In this episode Charles and Marcos troll Bryan by making him hype his least favorite infraction: Hidden Card Error, aka HCE, aka GRV-Private, aka Super Obnoxious Error. We go over how to recognize when HCE has occurred and when it hasn't as well as the flow chart that handles all the exceptions and variables. It's a fun time. If your last name is De Sade.

Are you expecting a racing pun here? Too bad, because our special guest, Perry Kraker used them all in the episode. Like I would have to resort to Smokey and the Bandit, Days of Thunder, or maybe even Christine puns. And no one wants that. Join Bryan, Charles, and Perry as we talk about all the mechanics in Aetherdrift, and several of the cards you might see in your prerelease. Aetherdrift Missed...

Hello and Welcome to JudgeCast. Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we take a somewhat tongue-in-cheek take on the Top 10 worst rules/mechanics in Magic. We pull from the IPG, MTR, and Comprehensive Rules on this tour-de-force of utter nonsense. We talk about rules, mechanics, and policy that are hard to keep straight or cause problems with judges or events. And no, banding does not make the list....

Whether you are an judge candidate trying to learn the comprehensive rules, or an established L1 trying to learn the IPG, there are certain approaches that can help you learn the materials. One of those approaches involves listening to this podcast, but there are others as well. Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos talk about study tips and advice in tackling the massive amounts of documentation out th...

Happy Festivus listeners! Bryan, Charles, and Marcos are feeling festive, and you all know what that means. Time for an airing of grievances! Modeled after the incredibly relevant and timely episode of Seinfeld from 1997, we share how we find tinsel too distracting, how you've all disappointed us in the last year, and finish off with the feats of strength, where we wrestle an actual bear cub befor...

Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we talk about the things you can do to prepare for a big event. Starting with the application itself, we talk about all phases that lead up to the big day. Be sure to share your own tips via skeet or eXcreet. Links referenced: Annotated IPG: Magic Infraction Procedure Guide - Rules Resources Academy Ruins: Academy Ruins Previous episode on Cover Letters: JudgeCas...

Warning: This episode is light on technical rules/policy content. In the spirit of the US Thanksgiving holiday, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos look back over the last year and reflect on what we are thankful for within the Judging and larger M:TG community. It's a bit sappy, but each host brings several items we are thankful for, and some of us didn't even need to stretch or say the same thing twice o...

Join Charles and Marcos as they discuss the ins and outs of Magics newest set, Foundations. They take a leisurely tour of the returning mechanics and several of the cards that you might have rules questions about. Its good to have a Magic set that actually feels like Magic.

Here at JudgeCast we have multiple traditions. One of those traditions is having a part 2 after a part 1. This here is part 2 of our two part episode on types. Join Bryan, Charles, and not Marcos as we talk about all your favorite card types, as long as they start with a letter between L and Z. And then all your favorite super types. Listen to Bryan fumble-bumble around those planechase/archenemy...

It seems we have a tradition here on JudgeCast. Every 5 years we do a two-part series on Card Types. However, in the last five years the game has added several new types and subtypes (Like Dungeons, and Battles, and Sagas). Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we talk about all your favorite card types, as long as they start with a letter between A and I.Be sure to join us for Part 2 where we finish...

Uh...what happened this week? Bryan, Charles, and Marcus talk about the recent commander bans and the community response that became so reprehensible it culminated in the RC ceding ownership of the format to Wizards in order to protect themselves. Oh, and there were some policy updates to Missed Trigger and such. That's what you are really here for. You can get that commander chatter on countless...

On this episode, follow Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as they run, Scooby Doo style through multiple Rooms in the House of Horror release notes! The Eerie vibes of the house, combined with their ability to Manifest Dread makes us all question our hero's chances of Survival, especially when you factor in the Impending doom that awaits them behind every locked door. Also, there's a very weird math prob...

Bryan, Charles, and Marcos were at SCGCon Tampa this past weekend working Magic events. However, there were THREE other TCGs at the SCGCon; Lorcana, Star Wars: Unlimited, and Flesh and Blood. We took the opportunity to speak to three head judges for the three games this weekend. Join us as we gain a little insight into other games, and their judge programs. Ben Harris - Lorcana Seth Arar - Star Wa...

Bryan, Charles, and Marcos all have SCGCon Tampa this weekend, so we need a small episode with little prep. Or thats what we THOUGHT. Join us as we take turns stepping on and off the soapbox for topics like: the recent bannings, excessive charging for store championships, Wizards giving Judges the finger AGAIN, the new Spotlight Series of Tournaments, and the importance of Online Judge Communities...

Judges are not immune to twitter drama. We get sucked in the same way players do when there is a post about a potentially bad judge call. In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos talk about how judges respond when we hear about an issue on social media, and how we go about trying to figure out what really happened, and how we attempt to reconcile the player version of the story with what we kno...

Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we forage over the mechanics of the newest set, as well make a valiant effort to review some cards that you might have questions about at your prerelease or local commander game. We spring off into a tangent about a punk band, and have an otter ridiculous Mickey Mouse impersonation (Steamboat Willy version), and discuss the proper ways to gift a fish. Oh, frogive...

Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos this week as they talk about the system Magic uses to determine which player can act when, what they can do, and how the game advances to the next part. This is a fundamental MTG topic, so if you are looking to become a judge, an existing judge looking to brush up, or an old-timer just listening to hear them say things you already know, this is the episode for you!

Is it a reference to a Celine Dion Song, or a little-known skit from The State. How about both? Both is good. Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we talk about the Judging at Regular Policy document. This document governs judging at Regular Rules Enforcement Level (REL), which covers the vast majority of events. Everything from 8-player Wednesday night drafts to 200-player Myster Booster Sealed eve...

Did you know there are a lot of rules regarding ending the game? There sure are! Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we go into the rules around ending the game. There's a surprising amount of rules around this seemingly simple task. And not just the Comprehensive rules, we talk about Tournament rules and Infraction procedures. There's even a "blink and you'll miss it" shout out to the old Platinum...