Monarch Events - Rules and Policy

Last updated - March 2021

Introduction

This document, while not exhaustive, is a summary of the governing rules and policies of tournaments held by or with the assistance of Monarch. Even if a person does not violate the letter of these policies does not mean that they have not violated the intended spirit of these rules. Tournament organizers, judges, scorekeepers, and other tournament officials reserve the right to use best judgement to enforce the spirit of these policies and procedures.

Players who do not uphold the policies and procedures outlined in this document are subject to penalty up to and including permanent suspension

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Rules and Policy

1. Timekeeping

Players are expected to keep game time to the best of their ability. While judges may enter a room to notify players of a round ending, players are expected to adhere to the time limit and respectfully notify their opponents when approaching the time limit for the game. If a player is found to be abusing the time limit of games to their advantage, they may be penalized.

If the match time limit is reached before a winner is determined, the player whose turn it is will finish their turn; an additional amount of turns equal to the number of players currently in the match will be taken. Usually, this means each player will take one additional turn. Players taking extra turns may affect this.

2. Tardiness

Players who are not present in their game after five minutes have elapsed will be issued a warning.

Upgrade: Players who are not in their match after eight minutes have elapsed in the round will be issued a Game Loss.

3. Loops

According to the Magic Tournament Rules, 4.4:

“A loop is a form of tournament shortcut that involves detailing a sequence of actions to be repeated and then performing a number of iterations of that sequence. The loop actions must be identical in each iteration and cannot include conditional actions (‘If this, then that’.)”

In an effort to allow more strategies and diversity amongst decks, non-deterministic loops, such as those associated with The Gitrog Monster or Timetwister, are allowed. If a player is unsure of how their opponent's loop functions, or is unsure if an opponent can perform the loop, please immediately call a judge. If a player executing a loop is incapable of concisely communicating the loop to a judge, they may not be allowed to perform the loop.

4. Connection

We play our games online. While connection may present issues with online play, players are expected to maintain reliable connection status. Failure to notify tournament staff and judges when they are unable to connect reliably may result in penalty. Players who have been unable to connect for more than 5 minutes are subject to removal from the match. Further action may be taken at the discretion of the tournament staff.

5. Conceding

Some cards, strategies, or lines of play, such as those associated with Najeela or Dockside Extortionist are reliant on the multiplayer aspect of commander. To facilitate these, players are expected to concede on their turn with an empty stack. This gives all players the opportunity to play to their deck’s strategies.

If a player is made uncomfortable by other players in a match and would like to discontinue a match as a result, please immediately call a judge.

If a player must leave due to an emergency, please immediately call a judge.

6. Table Talk

We understand that discussion between players, planning, and strategy is an integral part of commander play.

The penalty “Outside Assistance” will only apply in either of the following scenarios:

• • When players in a match asks for or refers to information from a person or medium outside the current match other than a judge.

  • When a player not involved in the current match, spectator, or any other person offers or otherwise communicates information to a player engaged in a match.

When discussing cards at the table:

• Players are not required to disclose hidden information, although they may do so if they desire.

• Judges will not enforce contracts or promises. Tournament organizers reserve the right to remove a player from the tournament for unsportsmanlike behaviors.

• When resolving cards like Intuition, Thoughtseize, or similar, a player may choose to solicit advice from their opponents. Be wary. Your opponents do not have your best interests at heart.

7. Kingmaking

In game theory, a kingmaker is a player who lacks sufficient resources or position to win at a given game, but possesses enough remaining resources to decide which of the remaining viable players will eventually win.

One element of a multiplayer format is that players can take game actions that allow other players to win accidentally. Judges will not regulate suboptimal gameplay. Tournament organizers reserve the right to eject a player for unsportsmanlike behaviors. See the Code of Conduct for further information.

8. Digital Limitations

Some cards present unique challenges within the digital space. Call a judge before you start to resolve the following spells. Failure to call a judge may result in penalty. The judge will help you complete their resolution:

• Praetor’s Grasp

9. Deck Registration

Players are allowed to register two decks for each Competitive EDH tournament. Players may switch between these decks between games both in normal rounds. Players must select one deck for final rounds.