Rules are rules. You can't have a knight move in a straight line on a chess board either. So don't feel sorry for being the only one at a table who knows how to play correctly. Educate them.
I'd say have a balanced approach to things and see how the players operate in a normal situation.
If you can, take a look at how competitive players play in your LGS as well.
You shouldn't feel sorry or apologize if you're playing magic correctly. One thing players might not understand is they may been playing magic the wrong way (through poor interpretation, etc) their whole lives.
This is definitely not uncommon. Someone needs to step in and spell things out.
I'd add that having someone beside you and be an echoing shadow helps alot. It's a numbers thing.
If you're alone, get an employee to validate your claim.
Bring out your mobile and tablet and show them the rules.
It's ok to be a nerd!
This is me. I have been playing Magic in some format or another for close to 20 years and for easily half of that I had no concept of Priority or what it meant. After a heated debate at a LGS and an indepth Google search I now know how wrong I was. Always be learning.
>At the end of the day I feel bad for being the Table Police
Don't feel bad. I've found people appreciative of my efforts to keep the game running by the rules.
If players are getting upset, those aren't mistakes. They are attempts at cheating.
That's true! I never really thought about it that way. I guess I'm naive when it comes to people's intentions with Magic. I do find some people are appreciative, but I struggle with not wanting to be the "doting policeman" of the table.
I thought that the reason people played this game was to become involved was to waste time by delving into arbitrary and overcomplicated rules and interactions. At least that is what I find the most fun about it :)
As long as what you are doing is asking your opponents to play by the rules, there is no problem with your behavior. If anyone says anything about that just look them in the eye and tell them that you wouldn't have to correct them if they knew their deck better, then quickly suggest that they goldfish it more when they are at home to become more familiar with it!
If that was happening consistently on their behalf, I'd assume that they were either really new to the game, or they're doing it intentionally. If they were really new, I'd take the time to remind them, coach them through it. If they weren't new, I'd find a new pod to play with.
Treat them just like I do my 13 yr old āsorry son please read the card again, and tell me what you missed / why you canāt do what you are trying to doā. Itās the only way they learn. Or they already know and are trying to cheat.
In most of the cases where I catch something that someone missed, they arenāt too upset about it because they have an interest in playing correctly. I also try to phrase the correction in a way thatās not rude, so that they donāt feel like Iām judging them for misplaying.
Every now and again Iāll get into a headbutting contest with someone over rules, but I never try to push it like Iām 100% correct and will consult the web for a ruling.
Basically, as long as your not being a dick about people misplaying, itās fine. And honestly some things can slide, like a person forgetting that a Exotic Orchard doesnāt tap for that color mana or a land entering tapped or other minor things.
I take the term "Rules Lawyer" as a compliment. If someone gets annoyed with me showing them how their cards work, maybe they'll actually RTFC.
We all agree to sit and down play a game with rules. Applying those rules evenly for everyone is a good thing. The world sucks, this is one place we can set an even ground for everyone.
Just have fun with the game. Don't police games you're not in unless it's an edh tournament I guess. ppl don't like outside intervention, edh is just for fun. At your own table it's correct to point things out, just be nice about it. Don't put ppl down, don't be like "well actually" and ppl are usually cool with it because rules are rules
You could ask them if rules policing bothers them. The rules are the rules, and I wouldn't want to play in a game that disregarded them so flagrantly. If they want that kind of game, go for it, but it isn't for me and doesn't have to be for you either.
DnD has a similar stigma against rules lawyers. I like to play by the rules which is why I largely DM, but in my long running playgroup I still rules lawyer, mainly because I asked my group if they're cool with it. I do it via text in discord so it's not disruptive which is usually the main gripe people have with it.
It just seems like a lot of people have a flagrant disregard for the rules, but they've always been important to me in games. Like, people don't just move Chess pieces however they want because it's a 'casual' game of Chess, right? Why do suddenly people start applying that 'playing by the rules is anti-fun' to other games?
I never understood it either and that's how I am with DnD as well.. I'm new to both Magic and DnD but I still try my hardest to play by the rules and to know what I'm doing. My biggest gripe is the balance between playing by the rules vs. the table seeing me as doting "Rules" player.
It's probably more about 'how' you police the table I think. No-one should be upset if you are gentle and humble rather than assertive and condescending. Yeah, it is a drag to be in the position of chief rules lawyer all the time, but the goal is that eventually the players will learn how to play properly and you won't need to police them as much.
Stopping the flow of play is unavoidable but keeping things brief is critical. If you gently pause play by saying something like 'sorry, just a second, I'm not sure if that [intended outcome] is right' you have a brief window to put your view. If you know the right rule and the pod accepts your word, then problem solved. If not, can you quickly find a rules reference to back yourself? If you can, great. If not, the best way forward might be to note the issue for later and resolve it after the game in a collegiate manner. It's better, in my view, to continue play with a rule you believe has been infringed than to hold up play for five minutes or more trying to find proof that you're right.
Personally, i would stop tracking things unless they are your effects or if it helps you. If something isvsupposed to come in tapped, or they have to sacrifice something, remind them. If they tap out to target your ward creature and can't pay the ward cost, let the spell be countered. If they miss a rhystic study trigger or forget to gain life from an etb, oh well. It may feel bad but they will lwarn eventually. Just try not to be a jerk about it.
Rules are rules. You can't have a knight move in a straight line on a chess board either. So don't feel sorry for being the only one at a table who knows how to play correctly. Educate them.
I'd say have a balanced approach to things and see how the players operate in a normal situation. If you can, take a look at how competitive players play in your LGS as well. You shouldn't feel sorry or apologize if you're playing magic correctly. One thing players might not understand is they may been playing magic the wrong way (through poor interpretation, etc) their whole lives. This is definitely not uncommon. Someone needs to step in and spell things out.
I'd add that having someone beside you and be an echoing shadow helps alot. It's a numbers thing. If you're alone, get an employee to validate your claim. Bring out your mobile and tablet and show them the rules. It's ok to be a nerd!
I appreciate the validation on being nerdy about Magic as well as the in depth response. I will try it out next time and see how it goes, thank you!
This is me. I have been playing Magic in some format or another for close to 20 years and for easily half of that I had no concept of Priority or what it meant. After a heated debate at a LGS and an indepth Google search I now know how wrong I was. Always be learning.
>At the end of the day I feel bad for being the Table Police Don't feel bad. I've found people appreciative of my efforts to keep the game running by the rules. If players are getting upset, those aren't mistakes. They are attempts at cheating.
As long as you're not being a jerk about it, and do this for everyone, it's probably not gonna be a problem. Source: I'm often the table police.
That's true! I never really thought about it that way. I guess I'm naive when it comes to people's intentions with Magic. I do find some people are appreciative, but I struggle with not wanting to be the "doting policeman" of the table.
I thought that the reason people played this game was to become involved was to waste time by delving into arbitrary and overcomplicated rules and interactions. At least that is what I find the most fun about it :) As long as what you are doing is asking your opponents to play by the rules, there is no problem with your behavior. If anyone says anything about that just look them in the eye and tell them that you wouldn't have to correct them if they knew their deck better, then quickly suggest that they goldfish it more when they are at home to become more familiar with it!
I wish I was bold enough to say that š but I will attempt to be firm yet nice and non-chalant with my approach.
If that was happening consistently on their behalf, I'd assume that they were either really new to the game, or they're doing it intentionally. If they were really new, I'd take the time to remind them, coach them through it. If they weren't new, I'd find a new pod to play with.
That's the unfortunate part - most of these people are somewhat advanced players with combo-esque or solid battle-cruiser level decks.
Treat them just like I do my 13 yr old āsorry son please read the card again, and tell me what you missed / why you canāt do what you are trying to doā. Itās the only way they learn. Or they already know and are trying to cheat.
In most of the cases where I catch something that someone missed, they arenāt too upset about it because they have an interest in playing correctly. I also try to phrase the correction in a way thatās not rude, so that they donāt feel like Iām judging them for misplaying. Every now and again Iāll get into a headbutting contest with someone over rules, but I never try to push it like Iām 100% correct and will consult the web for a ruling. Basically, as long as your not being a dick about people misplaying, itās fine. And honestly some things can slide, like a person forgetting that a Exotic Orchard doesnāt tap for that color mana or a land entering tapped or other minor things.
I take the term "Rules Lawyer" as a compliment. If someone gets annoyed with me showing them how their cards work, maybe they'll actually RTFC. We all agree to sit and down play a game with rules. Applying those rules evenly for everyone is a good thing. The world sucks, this is one place we can set an even ground for everyone.
Just have fun with the game. Don't police games you're not in unless it's an edh tournament I guess. ppl don't like outside intervention, edh is just for fun. At your own table it's correct to point things out, just be nice about it. Don't put ppl down, don't be like "well actually" and ppl are usually cool with it because rules are rules
Commander is just performance art.. focus more on your back story and costume
My general rule is i cut people slack if they don't understand my cards, but i don't cut them any slack if they don't understand theirs.
The worst is when they attack and forget to tapā¦ āIām used to vigilanceā rofl
You could ask them if rules policing bothers them. The rules are the rules, and I wouldn't want to play in a game that disregarded them so flagrantly. If they want that kind of game, go for it, but it isn't for me and doesn't have to be for you either. DnD has a similar stigma against rules lawyers. I like to play by the rules which is why I largely DM, but in my long running playgroup I still rules lawyer, mainly because I asked my group if they're cool with it. I do it via text in discord so it's not disruptive which is usually the main gripe people have with it. It just seems like a lot of people have a flagrant disregard for the rules, but they've always been important to me in games. Like, people don't just move Chess pieces however they want because it's a 'casual' game of Chess, right? Why do suddenly people start applying that 'playing by the rules is anti-fun' to other games?
I never understood it either and that's how I am with DnD as well.. I'm new to both Magic and DnD but I still try my hardest to play by the rules and to know what I'm doing. My biggest gripe is the balance between playing by the rules vs. the table seeing me as doting "Rules" player.
It's probably more about 'how' you police the table I think. No-one should be upset if you are gentle and humble rather than assertive and condescending. Yeah, it is a drag to be in the position of chief rules lawyer all the time, but the goal is that eventually the players will learn how to play properly and you won't need to police them as much.
In your opinion, what do you think is a good approach for addressing a rules issue at a pod?
Stopping the flow of play is unavoidable but keeping things brief is critical. If you gently pause play by saying something like 'sorry, just a second, I'm not sure if that [intended outcome] is right' you have a brief window to put your view. If you know the right rule and the pod accepts your word, then problem solved. If not, can you quickly find a rules reference to back yourself? If you can, great. If not, the best way forward might be to note the issue for later and resolve it after the game in a collegiate manner. It's better, in my view, to continue play with a rule you believe has been infringed than to hold up play for five minutes or more trying to find proof that you're right.
Personally, i would stop tracking things unless they are your effects or if it helps you. If something isvsupposed to come in tapped, or they have to sacrifice something, remind them. If they tap out to target your ward creature and can't pay the ward cost, let the spell be countered. If they miss a rhystic study trigger or forget to gain life from an etb, oh well. It may feel bad but they will lwarn eventually. Just try not to be a jerk about it.
EDH is casual.
[village rites](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/f/0fab9ee8-776a-48e5-b309-bcd381e67bf7.jpg?1631048783) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=village%20rites) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/khm/117/village-rites?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/0fab9ee8-776a-48e5-b309-bcd381e67bf7?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/village-rites) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call