So, after about 3 years being back in the Magic Game again, I think it’s about time to take a hiatus. Things are just, well, nuts, and the past couple of weeks have just ended with at least one person walking out duee to ‘rules lawyering’. I’m just sick of the game any more. What started out as a game has been just turned into a literal hell.

For starters, people have turned it into so much of a ‘business’, one of winning, nothing more. The ‘fun’ is gone. I mean, games take hours, because people choose not to win, through keeping ‘defense’ creatures (I’ll admit, I’m somewhat guilty of this), despite the fact that they could take individuals out easily.

From there, we have the constant ‘rules lawyering’. There is just way too fucking much left for interpretation any more, and, of course, with the ‘lawyering’, everyone’s got their own damn interpretation, and it’s right, despite the actual MTG rules, or the fact that they’re actually wrong .

A couple of examples here:

Player A attacks player B
Player B declares blocks
Player A (or player C), in response to blocks, before damage, uses an instant to destroy blockers.

Now, there are two schools of thought on what happens here, locally

School one (the improper school):
The blocks have been declared, no damage is done, despite there’s nothing TO block the damage.

School two (the proper school, as defined by the rules ):
The blocks have been declared, the creature is destroyed (through the instant, etc), the blocker does no damage, and the damage goes through.

How is this interpreted as the proper way?
As soon as the blocker is assigned lethal damage, said blocker is no longer a blocker, as stated:

A creature that’s removed from combat stops being an attacking, blocking, blocked, and/or unblocked creature.

Example two:
Creature (a liege) is removed from game (through to something like oblivion ring)
Oblivion ring is removed
Creature returns to the game (to play)
Godhead of Awe is in play

Now, again, there are a couple of schools of thought here:

School One (personally, the one I think that is wrong):
Despite the creature being returned to game , the affects of said creature do not take place . I’m not talking about ‘come into play’ affects (such as you gain life, etc), but static creature affects (such as all creatures of X color gain +1/+1 , all creatures of Y colors gain +1/+1). This is an inconsistent and improper school.

School Two (my own school of thinking):
The creature comes into play, static affects are played just like anything else. If I’d played the creature during my phases, Everything else would have gained the same affects. This is absolutely no different here.

This is the kind of petty bickering and rules lawyering that I’m done with. I can’t stand this any more, and I’m just sick and tired of it. I’m tired of people like Jonah using ‘net decks’, I’m tired of the lack of creativity, I’m just tired of it all.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the cards yet. I’m not even 1000% sure I’m giving the game up, I just know that I have to take a break for a few months.

I can’t ‘give’ the cards away. Well, I COULD, but I’d be out quite a bit of cash. I mean, the cards I’ve got are worth a bit (Garruk alone is going for $20 still, not to count the playsets of Lieges that are worth 20-30, a number of other rares that are somewhat money rares). I’m uncertain of the future in the game right no, but I’m pretty (90%) certain that this is the last set I’m going to pick up anything out of.

Tip:
When making a game, rules are important, clearly defined. Phases of the game must be clearly defined. Leaving the rules up to ‘interpretation’ will simply leave room for massive arguments and fights, and God knows we don’t need that.

When creating a ‘deck’ of playing cards (MTG, etc), you need to be CREATIVE, not take ‘net decks’ and build from them. That’s just cheap.

Anyways, it’s time to step back for a couple months. Who knows, I may pick it up again in a month or two, but I’m definitely out until my birthday (Nov 11th).

Tom