SG Nationals 2017 Basic Survival Guide

Nationals is just in a few day's time! Have you participated in any large sized events? If you have not, fret not! This guide is suited for you. If you are a veteran competitive player, you should also take a look at this guide!

Basic Information on Nationals
Date: 14th & 15 October 2017 (2 day event)
Format: Mixed (Draft+Standard)
Location: Suntec City Convention Centre Level 3 - Summit Room 2
Important timings to note (Do not be late):
(Day 1): Player's Meeting at 9am,
(Day 2): Draft Pod Seats postings at 8.45am
Onsite registration: Closes at 8.50am ($120)
Byes: Please kindly check with the Tournament Organiser and/or the Head Judge. More information on the tournament byes can be found here.
Decklists: Required (Constructed decklists can be downloaded from here).

Online Pairings *NEW*
Other than the physical check of your pairings, you are now able to check your round pairings online with a facebook messenger bot! Avoid the crowd, and get notifications of your pairings on your handphone!

In order to do that, you will need to visit this page. (You can register in advance for the service)

Or you can access it through messenger code on the right hand side.

Step 1:
Start a chat and type in your DCI number. (The bot will register your DCI number.) The chatbot will notify you of any pairings (if applicable).

Step 2:
Select the auto-notification option from the chatbot. The chatbot will send you notifications of your table number whenever you are paired.

Additional Commands: 
Name - Search for name given (There can be multiple people with similar/same name). If found, will notify you of the pairing. An auto-notification option will be prompted. You may select the option to be auto-notified whenever there are any pairings.

DCI Number - Search for DCI number given. If found, will notify you of the pairing. An auto-notification option will be prompted. You may select the option to be auto-notified whenever there are any pairings.

T(number) - Search for the pairing for the particular table number.

me - It gives you your current pairings, if you have notifications set up.

stop - Stops and removes you for any auto-notification that you have selected.

help - List available basic commands.

Things to look out for
Announcements: They contain very important information for the Players. If you are unable to hear the announcements, you are encouraged to sound out, so that you do not miss out any pieces of important information.

Communication: If you don’t understand what your opponent is doing, it’s your responsibility to ask. If you think your opponent doesn’t understand something you’re doing, tell them clearly. If both of you are not communicating clearly and the game state is unclear, the Judges will be able to assist to clarify on the game state.

Constructed decklist: Make sure that all lines written on decklist corresponds with your physical deck. It should have a minimum of 60 cards in main deck, and 15 cards in Sideboard. Please do not have any truncated card names. All writings, inclusive of name and DCI number should be able be visible and legible.

Deck: If you happen to be playing with any altered cards or foils in your deck, please kindly check with the Judges regarding the legality. If you are using any checklist cards to represent the double faced cards, make sure the checklist cards have been properly marked, and you have the corresponding amount of double-faced card. (ie, you cannot use the same 1 double faced card to represent 4 checklist cards.

Deckbox: Make sure that you only have the cards that you are playing in your deckbox. If possible, do not keep other cards in the same deckbox. If possible, bring a spare deckbox to store cards for the draft portion of the tournament.

Draft decklists: - Make sure that all cards drafted are registered under the total column of the decklist. All cards that you are playing (including basic lands) should be marked under the played column of the decklist. Your name and DCI number should be able be visible and legible.

Drafting: If you are late for the draft pod, you will be sitting out from the draft (which means that you do not get to play in the 3 rounds associated with that draft pod). Keep eyes to yourself, and follow the instructions of the draft caller and Head Judge. The draft is timed, and you only get to look at the cards you have drafted during the pack review time. It is a good habit to randomise the cards just before you pass the packs.

Results: You and your opponent are here to play games of Magic, so please do not collude, bribe or use another other methods to determine game results. If your opponent does makes any sort of offer, do call for the Judge at the earliest possible moment. Try the method: Raise 1 hand up, and keep the remaining hand on your mouth.

Shuffling: Pile shuffling is only a good way to count the number of cards in your deck, but not so good for purposes of shuffling. Please refrain from doing that more than once per game. Refrain from looking at your deck or your opponent's decks while you are shuffling. Pick up opponent's deck to shuffle when it has been presented for you to shuffle.

Sleeves/Card Protector: If possible, use a new set of dark colored uniform sleeves (packs of 80/100). If you happen to be playing any double-faced cards, make sure that the sleeves are opaque, and not visible. You can use checklist cards to represent double-faced cards.

Spectator: Avoid talking to the players who are still in their matches, or comment on ongoing matches. If you believe you have observed a rules or policy violation, you are encouraged to alert a judge as soon as possible. Spectators are permitted to ask the players to pause the match while they alert a judge.

Sustenance: The event will be a long day. Have a good breakfast, constantly hydrate yourself, keep yourself filled, as and when you are free. Bring along a jacket to wear, you will feel cold.

Things to bring: Other than the sustenance and deck items, do bring along pen and blank paper. You will be using the pen to record life totals and also register your draft decklist. With the blank paper, you can use it as scorepad, and also to use it to record or represent any information.

Unsure of card/rules interaction, or some errors in the gameplay: Raise you hand, and call for a Judge. Judges are impartial, and are here to assist players based on the game rules and policy. You can request to ask a question away from the table.

If you are interested to read up on more information regarding tournament roles, do visit the 2 part instalment of "Hmm, what's our roles..." Part 1 & Part 2.

Lastly, enjoy your Nationals experience! Share your experience with people, and give feedback to them! Read here on why we should always give feedback if possible! And if you're interested to know more about the upcoming PPTQs and RPTQ, here it is!

Alternatively, if you like to have fun, there are mind games for [XLN] & [HOU] for you to try out.

~Sign off
SGJudges(Dennis Xiao)

[XLN] Mind Games

Hello again!

How has your Draft Weekend (Release weekend) been? Did you manage to snap up a few copies of this nice shiny promo, Bishop of Rebirth!

 

Every new expansion, we have a mind game for you. It makes you look through all the Ixalan cards and your deck-building spirit! (Courtesy of Michael Wiese, a judge from Germany) So, let us start with that the objective of this mind game. I will try to find some random prizes for the entries!

Objective: To deal as much damage to our opponent, from the start of the game until our 4th turn. The game only ends after our 4th turn, which means that you can deal more than 20 damage to your opponent and your opponent doesn't die due to state-based effects for having 0 or less life.

Rules:

1. You are participating in Ixalan Constructed format which means that only cards from Ixalan can be used. The link to XLN cards is here.
   (No cards from the intro deck are allowed.) 
2. The opponent is the starting player, who is playing a deck with 60 forest lands, and lays a land on his turn, without other interactions.
3. Unlike the normal game of magic, you get to decide what your starting hand of 7 consists, and get to decide what you would draw whenever you get to draw a card.
   (Eg, You need a forest on your draw step, you draw it. Your Ruin Raider raid triggers , and choose the card that you will be putting into your hand.)
4. Golden Rule: If your opponent has a choice, the opponent will choose whichever option that is worse for you.
5. For ease of standardisation, your deck only contains 60 cards.
6. Feel free to ask any questions if you are unsure.

Your email submission to us should include:

1. Your name (if you want to be featured)
2. Your decklist of 60 cards.
3. Step by step of your turns.
4. Calculation of damage. (Eg, Ans: 3: attack in turn 2, 3 and 4 for 1 damage each)

Please submit your answer through here.

You may submit more than answer.

Feel free to discuss and share this Mind Game with others, and also through other mediums, but please do not spoil the the answer to others if you know have tried this game on another forum.

The game ends on 11.59pm on 15th October 2017. The results with the maximum damage will be posted on  20th October on this post. Reader's solution with the maximum damage will also be featured here.

~Sign off
SGJudges(Dennis Xiao)

[DOM] PPTQ/RPTQ & [RIX] RPTQ Info

Dominaria PPTQ & RPTQ Information

With the release of Ixalan, we will soon have a new season of Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier (PPTQ) available starting from 14 Oct 2017 to 07 Jan 2018. 
Let us take a look at the events sanctioned for the season:-

Date	Tournament Organizer	Format	Attendance/ Status
15 Oct (Sun)	Games Haven	T2	42
22 Oct (Sun)	Grey Ogre Games	T2	52
29 Oct (Sun)	J Cube	T2	32
4 Nov (Sat)	Monarch Affinity	T2	30
4 Nov (Sat)	Alexandrian Legacy (in JB)	SD	22
5 Nov (Sun)	Dueller's Point	T2	34
11 Nov (Sat)	Mag-Strength Marketing	T2	18
12 Nov (Sun)	Project EXT	SD	26
19 Nov (Sun)	Gamersaurus	T2	10
19 Nov (Sun)	Games Haven (Jurong East)	T2	18
26 Nov (Sun)	Millennium Games World - Paya Lebar Branch	SD	36
2 Dec (Sat)	AGORA HOBBY	T2	25
2 Dec (Sat)	Card Nation	T2	16
3 Dec (Sun)	The Card Geeks	T2	20
9 Dec (Sat)	Bricks Play	SD	23
10 Dec (Sun)	Flagship Games	SD	58
6 Jan (Sat)	MTG-Asia.com	T2	35
6 Jan (Sat)	MTG-Asia Event Centre	T2	No HJ

We have a total of 18 events within our proximity, 17 in Singapore and 1 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Of which:- 

05 Sealed Deck PPTQs 

13 Standard PPTQs 

Original details for Dominaria RPTQs can be found here. 

The nearest RPTQ location are at:-
RPTQ Dominaria (Sealed Deck - Top 8 Booster Draft) by Magic Century (In TH)
Location: Amarin Plaza Food Court
Entry Fee: THB 1,500 (Pre Registration: THB 1,250)
Date: 17 - 18 March 2018

RPTQ Dominaria (Sealed Deck - Top 8 Booster Draft) by Game Square/ 遊戲平方 (In TW)
Location: Game Square/ 遊戲平方Entry Fee: TBC
Date: 17 - 18 March 2018

Rivals of Ixalan RPTQ Invitation Information

Once again, congratulations to the players who have won an invite to the Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers (RPTQs) for Pro Tour Rivals of Ixalan in Bilbao, Spain. There are multiple RPTQs held all over the world on November 11-12 and 18-19. You can play in any single event that you prefer. 

For Magic Online RPTQs and invitation list, please refer to this.  

The nearest RPTQ location is at:-

RPTQ Rivals of Ixalan (Modern) by Decards Enterprise (In MY) 

Location: Level 1, The Summit USJ, Subang USJ Persiaran Kewajipan USJ 1, 47600 Subang Jaya

Date:18 - 19 November 2017

For more details:https://rptqrixkl.wordpress.com

Who can I talk to if I have any further questions with regards to RPTQ in general?

You can also provide your RPTQ experience to Wizards directly and provide them with the date and date and location of the event(s) you participated in and a brief description of your experience. 

You may also contact the regional WPN representative, who may be able to provide localised support.

~Sign off
SGJudges(Dennis Xiao)

Judge Tokens (Magic Judges Feedback Form)

Look at these sweet custom art "Warrior" and "Zombie" Magic Judge tokens for Amonkhet illustrated by our by Zie Aun (@eloneth). Support his works if you like the art!

So, why do we start having these sweet custom tokens? These tokens serve well for our limited and constructed events "Purrrrrfect".

The main idea of these tokens is actually to advertise the Magic Judge Feedback Form.We thank the Judge Token project members (Milan Majerčík, Todd Rix & Zie Aun Tan)

What is the Feedback Form about, and why do we have that?
Magic Judges are members of Judge Programme within the Magic community, who are perhaps best known as neutral arbiters and enforcers of policy and rules. They are also passionate about the game. That is why they have become a Judge to give back to the community by ensuring events that are fair and welcoming to players. They also educate players of the policy and rules and try their best to promote great play experiences for the community.

Being human also means that they can make both good judgments and not so good judgements. Through mistakes, Judges learn. Through hard work, Judges are also appreciated by other members of the community, such as Players, Tournament Organisers, and also other Judges.

All these are made possible because there is feedback from another party. Of course, a face to face feedback session is preferred as it would allow both parties to discuss their point of views, and get a better understanding of where the other party is coming from. However, there are also times whereby a face to face feedback session cannot be done, due to constraint of time, heightened emotions, unfamiliarity or other factors.

Thus, the feedback form can also act as a tool for the community members to be in a comfortable setting and reach out to communicate, provide constructive feedback to the parties involved and the Magic Judge community.

The idea of judge tokens is then born. Tokens, which are also commonly used by players in gameplay, serve as a aid for the game state. Likewise, these Judge tokens also serve as a aid to remind players to constantly provide feedback for learning and also to show appreciation (be it good or bad) to these Judges (especially important in our SEA culture).

On the flip side of the tokens, it contains information of the Magic Judge Feedback Form!

If you would like to get some copies of these tokens, do drop us an email to request for them.
These tokens will also be distributed at various events.

Lastly, remember that effective and constructive feedback are critical components to a successful community!

~Sign off
SGJudges(Dennis Xiao)

Hmm, what's our role ... ... (Part 2 of 2)

in any tournament setting. ^_^ This is part 2 of 2 series, where we will cover the roles of Players and Spectators. They are expected to follow all instruction given by the Tournament Officials. For more details on the roles of Tournament Officials, click here for part 1 of this series.

Let's get to the point! Everyone has been a Player or Spectator before, but do you really know your own roles? Write down what you think your roles are, before you scroll down, and compare between what you have written down against what is written here.

The original MTR can be found here.

Let us take a look at the roles of Players and Spectators:-

1.      Player      

The person in the Magic community, who enjoy games of Magic (of any sexes, ages, from just being introduced to the game to the pro players), that is playing in the particular tournament. Responsibility includes:-

1.1.   behave in a respectful manner towards everyone, inclusive of Tournament Organiser, other tournament participants and Spectators

Good Practice👍: Be respectful to others. Look and smell decent. Be sensitive to others. Don’t be a jerk, nobody likes a jerk. You are an ambassador for people who are looking to play and enjoy the game.

1.2.   refrain from unsporting conduct at all times

Good Practice👍: Refrain from activities that affect the safety, competitiveness, enjoyment or integrity of a tournament in a significantly negative fashion (Unsporting is not the same as lack of sporting behavior). For more information of what constitutes as unsporting conduct, please refer to section 5.4 of the MTR. Everyone shares the enjoyable atmosphere of the tournament, and being unsporting spoils the moment for others.

1.3.   maintain a clear and legal game state

Good Practice👍: Use pen and paper to record and confirm any life total changes with opponents.

Good Practice👍: Communicate to your opponent clearly of your intentions, clarify with your opponent to resolve any ambiguity in game state and keep different piles of cards distinct from each other.

Good Practice👍: Call for Judges if assistance is required. Judges are here to assist you. Although games can sometimes be complex, frustrating and/or stressful, it is not an excuse for Judges not to intervene and/or penalize when Players are playing unclearly.

1.4.   comply with announced start times and time limits

Good Practice👍: Plan and arrive slightly earlier before the announced stipulated times to account for any unforeseeable delays. Tournaments can be delayed as a whole when people are late or do not complete the tasks on time. It is unfair to people who are on time. Tardiness penalty may apply, if the timings are not complied.

Good Practice👍: Familiarise with your deck, and play at a reasonable pace. It is not an excuse to play at a slower pace if you are not familiar with the deck.

Good Practice👍: Analyse and think ahead of what you will do for your turn during your opponent’s turn. The current game state is an accumulation of past turns game state.

Good Practice👍: Inform the Tournament Officials if you are leaving the tournament area (toilet break, smoke break, getting supplies, dropping from the tournament).

1.5.   bring to Judge’s attention to any rules or policy infraction

Good Practice👍: As soon as any rules or policy infractions are noticed, call for Judges and keep hands raised so that Judges are able to identify your table. Failing to notice mistakes or intentionally ignoring mistakes may result in infractions.

1.6.   bring to Judge’s attention to any offers of bribery, wagering, improper game result determination, and any discrepancies in their tournament match record

Good Practice👍: Never commit the abovementioned offers, as they are serious infractions that violate the integrity of the game and tournament. It should not be performed and should be informed to a Judge immediately. Failing to do so may result in a severe penalty for both the Player offering and the Player who did not call attention to the illegal action.

Good Practice👍: Check that the results slips are filled with the correct scores. Discrepancies in tournament match should be informed to any Tournament Officials as soon as possible, as it affects subsequent pairing of matches. Intentionally taking advantage of the discrepancy is a serious infraction.

1.7.   report or file any appeals to the Wizards due to any discrepancies or anomalies in the overall match history, rankings, or Planeswalker Points

Good Practice👍: Periodically check the records on Planeswalker Point website and log a report via Wizards account if there are any discrepancies. Due to privacy concerns, reporting to Wizards directly is preferred as compared to reporting to Tournament Officials. Wizards is always looking forward to the feedback from the community.

1.8.   have a single DCI number. Individuals holding more than one number must contact Wizards to merge their numbers

Good Practice👍: Convert your existing DCI number to a Wizards account. If you have multiple DCI numbers, merge your existing DCI numbers via http://www.wizards.com/customerservice, so that all your play records and Planeswalker Points exist together. Some Premier events such as Nationals or Grand Prix takes into account your Planewalker Point for entry or byes eligibility.

1.9.   refrain from enrolling in tournaments you are not allowed by policy to participate in (e.g. People with invites to Pro Tour and/or invites to Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers of a particular season are barred from playing in further Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers of that season).

Good Practice👍: Keep personal records of tournament eligibility and contact Wizards if you need any assistance. Enrolling into tournaments without the eligibility may cause events to be invalidated.

Good Practice👍: If your DCI account has been suspended, you are not allowed to create another account to bypass the suspension.

1.10.   being familiar with the rules contained within this document

Good Practice👍: Understand and adhere to the MTR. If you have trouble understanding particular parts of the MTR, you can seek assistance by contacting either Wizards or Judges.

1.11.   being physically present for the tournament. Players are not permitted to register for a tournament solely to collect participation Planeswalker Points

Good Practice👍: Don’t commit tournament fraud by registering for an event without being present.

Players must bring the following items to a tournament in order to participate:-

a)      Valid DCI number registered in your name. New players may register for a DCI number to participate in the tournament.

b)      Items that allow physical, visible and reliable method of recording game information (eg. tokens, counters, pen and paper).

c)      Materials specifically required for a particular tournament format (eg. Deck and/or decklists for constructed tournaments).

Individual members of a team are considered Players, and are equally responsible for required tournament procedures, such as accurately filling out their match result slips. Players are only responsible for the games they play themselves and not separate games being played by their teammates, but are expected to point out rules violations they observe in their teammates’ matches.

Players retain their responsibilities even if Judges provides them with extra assistance.

Players who do not fulfill their responsibilities may be subject to penalties and review by the DCI. Wizards reserve the right to suspend or revoke a player's membership without prior notice for any reason they deem necessary.

2.      Spectator

Any person physically present at a tournament and not in any other categories are a Spectator. Responsibility includes:-

2.1.   remain silent and passive during matches and other official tournament sections in which Players are also required to be silent.

Good Practice👍: Maintain the venue as comfortable as possible to the Players during their matches, by preventing the Players from losing focus due to excessive noise.

Good Practice👍: Prevent the chances of committing outside assistance from comments by remaining silent.

2.2.   encouraged to alert Judges as soon as possible, if any rules or policy violations are observed

2.2.1.      [Regular and Competitive Rules Enforcement Level] permitted to ask Players to pause the match while the judge is being alerted.

2.2.2.      [Professional Rules Enforcement Level] not permitted to interfere with matches directly.

Good Practice👍: Judges are people, and sometimes errors or even suspicious activities are missed. Spectators can help Judges to maintain the integrity of the tournament by alerting Judges. On the other hand, Spectators may also mistakenly identify an action or board state as illegal (eg. missed trigger), and unwittingly give information to the Players during their matches. Thus, it is preferred that as soon as a Spectator observes any violation, to inform the Judges promptly of any errors of suspicious activities as soon as possible.

Players may request that a spectator not observe their matches. Such requests must be made through a judge. Judges will typically honor the request if it is reasonable. Judges also reserve the rights to refuse if the request is unreasonable.

Tournament Officials may also instruct a Spectator not observe a match or matches.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or email to us! Hope that you have take away something from this series of articles. We look forward another series of articles in the upcoming weeks.

~Sign off
SGJudges(Dennis Xiao)