Recommandations mensuelles aux joueurs intéressés par l'arbitrage

I think we need to keep stressing how candidates can prepare for the L1 exam. We need to stress that candidates can use Easy Practice exams to help prepare for the actual exam. We need to stress that all Level 2+ judges can create L1 Practice exams for candidates to discuss together and otherwise develop personalized study goals or review various weak points. We need to stress that candidates review the Basic Rulebook over the Comprehensive Rules for subjects like turn structure, recognizing different types of abilities, and even just a basic understanding of zones like the stack. The Basic Rulebook isn't a perfect document, but it is a more accessible one on these subjects. And we need to stress that candidates review the Judging at Regular REL Guide, to understand the basic approach at Regular REL versus Competitive REL: fix the error if possible, educate the players, and disqualify cheaters.

Trouble Spots for L1 Candidates
The following areas seemed to prove the most troublesome for L1 candidates:

(1) Triggered abilities still represent a problem for L1 candidates. The Basic Rulebook doesn't get into much detail on triggered abilities, but candidates should understand the choices you make as the triggered ability is put onto the stack (e.g., mode and target) versus the choice you make as the triggered ability resolves (e.g., everything else). Sometimes I wonder if candidates believe that the placement of the word "target" is somehow relevant to when a target is chosen. If so, one educational point would just to clarify that anytime a spell or ability targets, you choose it when the spell or ability is put onto the stack. (Or even what "target" means.)

(2) Understanding the stack is also a problem for L1 candidates. Candidates should at least understand that spells and abilities on the stack resolve one at a time and that a step or phase doesn't end just because the last spell or ability has resolved. This relates to a scenario like: "If my opponent pays {3} for Mana Leak, do I have a chance to cast another Mana Leak?" That's not a huge stretch for L1 candidates to understand, given how often things seem to happen involving the stack.

(3) L1 candidates should make sure that any games lost in a match are reported, even if a player concedes the match. This came up in August, but most candidates still get that it is legal to ask for a concession when there is no incentive offered, it is just how the match results need to be reported. Along these lines, candidates should still understand the basic match structure, in terms of how many games need to be played and how to handle drawn games should those occur.

(4) L1 candidates do need to know how the combat phase works. Both the actual names of the five normal steps in the combat phase, as well as what happens in each step of the combat phase. This also relates to the timing of when players can cast spells or activate abilities during the combat phase, especially in terms of when is a player's last chance to give a creature flying so it can block (or can't be blocked). I think the Basic Rulebook is pretty good on this subject, and presents the information in an easy to follow manner.

(5) Lastly, L1 candidates should have an idea of the "APNAP" concept. I am not talking about situations involving discarding to Liliana's ability, but rather how triggered abilities get put onto the stack. In some situations it can be relevant if a creature would get +X/+X versus -Y/-Y, and whether the creature dies or not. Even that when triggers use the stack, what might be a legal target for the ability, which dovetails into my earlier comment on triggered abilities. L2 candidates also have trouble with the concept of triggers, so a larger educational effort on triggers might be very valuable for the judge community as a whole.

Recommendations for L1 Candidates
Again, I think that we just need to be stressing the basics that we've been stressing for the past few months. Stick with learning basic rules and concepts, making sure those are things a candidate has a good grasp on. Use the Easy Practice and L1 Practice exams to help prepare for the exam and identify any trouble spots. Discuss some of the cards currently in Standard to get a feel for different interactions. And look for ways to teach material that doesn't require reading the Comprehensive Rules. That way candidates can get certain concepts in a succinct and direct manner. Whether that's the combat phase and turn structure, or understanding what happens when a spell or ability is put onto the stack versus what happens as it resolves.

This isn't fancy material, but it is highly functional for most situations where a candidate really just has to read a card and understand how the game rules apply. Understanding various card-specific rulings can help, but candidates should be getting more of a feel for the rules themselves. Nothing exacting or technical, but just a good functional feel.

Welcome to another installment of recommendations for those interested in becoming a Level 1 judge! Each month I present this summary, based on my review of tests generated during the prior month. In this case, that would be the tests generated during November. As a set of "rolling recommendations", this just addresses the five subjects that seemed the most difficult for candidates during that month. Previous months have different recommendations, so keep that in mind when studying.

All the recommendations contained in this message are considered public information, which you may distribute or use as you see fit. If you are a certified judge, share it with the candidate you are mentoring. If you are not a certified judge, use it yourself. Or share it with your friends. Exam content itself is strictly confidential, and so you may not discuss what you saw on the exam at all, but this is just a general
message on the things you can study that will help you on both the exam and also as a judge.

With that in mind, let's talk about some of the subjects you will want to study...

(1) Level 1 candidates are tested on triggered abilities and how those abilities work. You will need to know the choices that you make at the time the triggered ability is put onto the stack (e.g., mode and target) versus the choices you make as the triggered ability resolves (e.g., everything else). The placement of the word "target" isn't relevant to when you make choices for a target, it is always as the ability is put onto the stack and is rechecked as the ability resolves. No differently than casting a spell or activating an ability in this regard.

(2) Level 1 candidates are tested on the combat phase and how that works. You need to know the specific names of each step in the combat phase. (Beginning of combat step, declare attackers step, declare blockers step, combat damage step, and end of combat step.) You ay need to recognize how certain keywords may change the combat phase, such as with first strike, and just how the general timing of things work. For example, when an attacker is blocked by multiple creatures, the active player (who is attacking) has to declare the damage assignment order for those blockers in the declare blockers step. That affects the actual assignment of combat damage in the combat damage step itself.

(3) Level 1 candidates are tested on planeswalkers, and how their abilities work as well as how various rules on planeswalkers. When you declare attackers, you attack the planeswalker directly; you do not attack the player and then redirect combat damage. Conversely, if you cast a spell that deals damge and want to damage the planeswalker, you have to target the player when casting the spell; you can redirect that damage to the planeswalker as the spell resolves. And effects that refer to "you" actually mean the player himself, not the planeswalker.

(4) Level 1 candidates are tested on how to handle "Common Errors" that come up at Regular REL events. Keep in mind that the basic principle at Regular REL is to "Identify the problem, fix the problem if possible, and educate the players." If a player accidentally draws an extra card, the procedure would be to put back that card (or a random card) and remind the player to be more careful. While that might be an infraction at Competitive REL, that is not the case at Regular REL. Recognize the difference between the two RELs.

(5) Level 1 candidates are tested on how to handle "Serious Problems" that come up at Regular REL events. In some cases you will encounter a player who decides to cheat at an event. That's bad, and you need to handle it seriously; the appropriate thing to do is disqualify a cheater. It may not be an enjoyable experience, but allowing a cheater to continue playing will send the wrong message to the rest of the players in your event. Don't tolerate that kind of behavior, and even post signs in your local shop to help discourage "Serious Problems" and educate your local shop on things that aren't allowed.

...and that's a hefty five recommendations worth of material to study. This is not a comprehensive list of concepts, but these are definitely
things you will want to know for the test and as a judge. If you can get the basic ideas down (like "Fix and educate." for Regular REL), then you will be well prepared for the actual Level 1 exam.

Keep in mind that you will also want to take both Easy Practice and L1 Practice exams to help you prepare. If your Rules Advisor membership has expired, then you may not be able to create your own L1 Practice exam, but you can certainly ask a Level 2+ judge to create one for you. That is something you want to consider when preparing for the test, as there is a high amount of correlation between candidates who are successful on the actual Level 1 exam who've taken the L1 Practice exam.

Good luck and happy judging!

Brian D. Schenck
Regional Judge
Judge Center Content Manager
Maryland, USA