It seems we have a tradition here on JudgeCast. Every 5 years we do a two-part series on Card Types. However, in the last five years the game has added several new types and subtypes (Like Dungeons, and Battles, and Sagas). Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we talk about all your favorite card types, as long as they start with a letter between A a…

Uh…what happened this week? Bryan, Charles, and Marcus talk about the recent commander bans and the community response that became so reprehensible it culminated in the RC ceding ownership of the format to Wizards in order to protect themselves. Oh, and there were some policy updates to Missed Trigger and such. That’s what you are really here for. …

On this episode, follow Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as they run, Scooby Doo style through multiple Rooms in the House of Horror release notes! The Eerie vibes of the house, combined with their ability to Manifest Dread makes us all question our hero’s chances of Survival, especially when you factor in the Impending doom that awaits them behind every…

Bryan, Charles, and Marcos were at SCGCon Tampa this past weekend working Magic events. However, there were THREE other TCGs at the SCGCon; Lorcana, Star Wars: Unlimited, and Flesh and Blood. We took the opportunity to speak to three head judges for the three games this weekend. Join us as we gain a little insight into other games, and their judge …

Bryan, Charles, and Marcos all have SCGCon Tampa this weekend, so we need a small episode with little prep. Or thats what we THOUGHT. Join us as we take turns stepping on and off the soapbox for topics like: the recent bannings, excessive charging for store championships, Wizards giving Judges the finger AGAIN, the new Spotlight Series of Tournamen…

Judges are not immune to twitter drama. We get sucked in the same way players do when there is a post about a potentially bad judge call. In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos talk about how judges respond when we hear about an issue on social media, and how we go about trying to figure out what really happened, and how we attempt to reconcil…

Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we forage over the mechanics of the newest set, as well make a valiant effort to review some cards that you might have questions about at your prerelease or local commander game. We spring off into a tangent about a punk band, and have an otter ridiculous Mickey Mouse impersonation (Steamboat Willy version), and d…

Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos this week as they talk about the system Magic uses to determine which player can act when, what they can do, and how the game advances to the next part. This is a fundamental MTG topic, so if you are looking to become a judge, an existing judge looking to brush up, or an old-timer just listening to hear them say thin…

Is it a reference to a Celine Dion Song, or a little-known skit from The State. How about both? Both is good. Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we talk about the Judging at Regular Policy document. This document governs judging at Regular Rules Enforcement Level (REL), which covers the vast majority of events. Everything from 8-player Wednesday ni…

Did you know there are a lot of rules regarding ending the game? There sure are! Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we go into the rules around ending the game. There’s a surprising amount of rules around this seemingly simple task. And not just the Comprehensive rules, we talk about Tournament rules and Infraction procedures. There’s even a “blink…

Modern Horizons 3 has a LOT of mechanics, and a LOT of cards. So for this release notes episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos decided to try something a little different. We each chose our 6 favorite cards from the set to talk about, along with covering a selection of mechanics that may need an in depth refresher for your MH3 Prerelease events this w…

Prompt: Write a 2 paragraph description of a Podcast episode JudgeCast where the hosts Bryan, Charles, and Marcos talk about AI in MTG Judging, and then ask ChatGPT a bunch of policy/rules questions and then discuss how well it did. Response: In a recent episode of JudgeCast, hosts Bryan, Charles, and Marcos delve into the intriguing intersection o…

In this episode Bryan and Marcos go over the April Policy updates. But that’s not enough for a full episode, so we bring in three other smaller topics. – The Judge contradiction of “I want to be staffed because of what I know, not who I know” vs the sense of entitlement when all the TOs know you. – When new information is gained with respect to Rev…

Bryan, Charles, and Marcos work an event together. We talk about our time at SCGCon: Atlanta, and then we do micro interviews with many of the judges working the event. Who are you? Why do you keep judging? Do you have a PG rated story you could share? Big thanks to all the judges that took time out of their shift to talk to us, and big thanks to S…

Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we tour this western planet of hats and discuss the new mechanics such as Plot, crime, Saddle, and Spree. We go over nearly 50 cards to help you get ready for your prerelease. The only thing missing is a in depth discussion regarding the different between the Cattleman, the Gambler, the Pinched Front, and the Gus.…

Bryan, Charles, and Marcos venture once again into the Unknown. But why? Is it an Unfulfilled quest? Is it an Undercover task to Unseat some evil? Join us for an Undeniably special treat. You won’t want to miss this one, the clock is ticking!Oleh JudgeCast

“Hey Judge, Can I offer my opponent any extra cash for the RC invite? In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos discuss the rules around bribery; what it is, isn’t, what’s legal, what isn’t, and how to handle some common questions that you might run into at your RCQ. If you are a player, this episode will help you stay out of trouble, but it won’…

In this episode, the JudgeCast hosts welcome David Hibbs and Joe (TxJoe) Klophic, to talk about the Hunter Burton Memorial Open (HBMO). The HBMO is an annual Dallas based tournament designed to raise awareness of the impact suicide can have on our lives, and the importance of having a place you are welcome. David and Joe were the HJ and TO, respect…

Completely unrelated to any twitter drama you might have read about, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos talk about the types of information in Magic. We talk about what types of information you have to tell your opponent, what questions you have to answer, and what types of things do you have to be truthful about and what you can even lie about. Lying? Not…

During the winter break, we asked listeners for their “Judge New Years Resolutions”. One of our listeners said they wanted to work on confidence. In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos bring on L2 from Tennessee, Madison Henry to talk confidence. We talk about things that can rattle your confidence, tips and tricks to build confidence, and we …

Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we discuss the ins and outs of the latest MTG Set, Murders at Martina Navratilova Manor, and go into more detail than you probably wanted about the new cards and mechanics. Want to know about Morph 2.0? We got you covered like a fedora. Want to know about Manifest 2.0, we got you covered like a cloak. Want to know…

In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Mark talk about the rules and policies around Marked Cards. Do you ever wonder what the criteria for an upgrade is? How to protect yourself as a player? What to look for as a judge? Are all foils inherently marked? Join us as we take a guided tour through all these questions and more. Links: JudgeCast Discord: h…

In this episode Bryan, Charles, and Marcos celebrate Festivus, JudgeCast-Style. We have our own Festivus dinner (questions from our discord), the airing of grievances, feats of strength, and finally acknowledgement of the Festivus miracle that we are still judging at all. Links: JudgeCast Discord: https://discord.gg/hQd48guKFR…

In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos talk about reviews. We go over the history of reviews within the various judge programs of the past, their requirements in the future. We also talk about the importance of reviews, and a few tips on how to write a good one, and pitfalls to avoid. We even write a few review snippets on the fly. You can als…

It’s a brave new world, with the announcement of Judge Foundry’s launch date coming next week. In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos welcome Joe Klopchic, one of the founding exploratory committee members of Judge Foundry, and we ask the hard hitting questions you want to know about Judge Foundry. Things like will there be judge foils, what l…

Bears, Beats, Bad Seques into the next card It’s a prerelease episode. You know the drill. Oh, and WOTC is changing some card types. Here’s the info: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/card-updates-coming-with-khans-of-tarkir-on-mtg-arenaOleh JudgeCast

After the serious/heart-wrenching episode that was last podcast, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos take a significantly less serious approach to this episode. Everyone loves a good tier list. “Everyone” loves state-based actions (or would if they knew what was good for them). Watch these donkeys push the ball around the metaphorical barnyard as we rank al…

We do circle back on Anger a few times. And acceptance is a bit iffy, but…. In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos talk about the most recent Judge News. In case you haven’t heard, Wizards of the Coast has cancelled their relationship with Judge Academy effectively killing the company and abandoning judges. In a substantially more candid episo…

You down with OPOP? (Other People’s Organized Play) Yeah, you know me. Join Bryan, Charles, and Marcos as we have special guest Niccolo Paqueo. Niccolo has been an L2 judge in the Flesh and Blood Judge Program for several years, and the current team lead for the FaB Rules Team. We discuss their game, their organized play, and similarities and diffe…

In this episode, Bryan, Charles, and Marcos delve into the updates from the first IPG update in over 900 days. Strap in, it’s going to be a doozy. Actually, the changes aren’t that big. But like a thirsty man in the desert, we are going to savor this little bit of a stretched metaphor as much as possible. Toby’s Policy Perspective Blog: https://blo…

Bryan, Charles, and Marcos respect the oxford comma. We also discuss the new mechanics for Wilds of Eldraine. Want to know how Adventure cards work? We can help. Want to know what happens if you triple a triple, we have the answers. Want to know what all the seven different role enchantments do? You are on your own. But we do talk about the generic…

New Host, who dis? Join Bryan, Charles, and… Marcos Sanchez, a level 2 that recently made the [poor] decision to move to Florida [at the start of hurricane season], to talk about a different kind of new start. In this episode we take a whole hour to talk about all the things that happen when you start a game. Do you know exactly when you are suppos…

In this episode Bryan and Charles have on Matt Williams (aka Billy Willy) to talk about what goes into Head Judge Announcements. Do you want to know what to include in your Prerelease Announcements? What about your RCQ? How about that 2HG event at a Convention? It should be no surprise that while your announcements will have many things in common, …

This is SPARTA! Wait, no. This is…our 300th Episode! While my favorite topic to talk about is myself, we put the breaks on that celebration to invite on a few other judges active providing content for the masses. We talk about what makes their projects special, what keeps them motivated, and how it helps others. Charlotte Sable – Ask a Magic Judge …

Have you ever wondered about the planning that goes on before an event? Join Bryan, Charles, and special guest Jared Sylva from Star City Games to discuss Event Management with a focus on SCG Con Baltimore. For information on upcoming SCGCons, check out https://scgcon.starcitygames.com/ and look for events: Columbus Sep. 1 – 3 Dallas-Fort Worth Oct…

Bryan and Charles welcome back Marcos Sanchez to talk about interesting cards from the newest Straight to Modern set to come out of Wizards. Join us as we take a tour of the Shire, take a shortcut to mushrooms before skulking through Mirkwood and wondering just how many different Gandalfs are in this set.…

In this episode Bryan and Charles discuss several smaller “bite size topics” while we gear up for the LoTR Prerelease episode. We go over: What is a Called Draft and should I do one at my RCQ Answering Judge Questions Outside of an Event Giving Too Much Negative Feedback MagicKids by Weirdcards in the Partnership Education track of Judge Academy…

Join Bryan and Charles with special guest Vona to talk about 2HG. And not just the rules, on no, dear listener, we talk about special considerations in running 2HG events, from the logistics to the pack distribution to increased time in investigations. Give it a listen, and you might learn a bit about why we dont do Comp Rel 2HG events anymore.…

In a bout of unintended irony, Bryan and Charles spend an hour talking about how important it is to be brief in your cover letters. We talk about what you should/should not include and how certain choices may/may not help your chances of being accepted.Oleh JudgeCast

Want to know how battles work? what about transforming tokens? How about Copy effects and Backup. We got you covered. If you also want to know the lore of Segovia and listen to Bryan yell at clouds, we have you covered there too. Its a Release Notes episode. We talk nonsense.Oleh JudgeCast

Judging is a Customer Service gig. However, customer service at small events and large events can look very different. In this episode Bryan and Charles are joined by L2 Marcos Sanchez to talk about what things you can do at large events to up your customer service game.Oleh JudgeCast

In this episode Bryan and Charles talk about one of the more subjective infractions in the IPG; Slow Play. We talk about its definition, it’s subjectivity, why it can’t have an objective definition and how to deal with players that might get upset you give them Slow Play. We even talk about Chess Clocks. No, really. Thats been a suggestion. And, to…

In this episode Bryan and Charles talk to @BonafideVonafyd about their recent experiences at MagicCon Philly, including but not limited to: wearing good shoes, dinosaurs with hand-rails, breaks, how so many concurrent event were managed, and a myriad of non-standard events.Oleh JudgeCast

In this episode, Brian and Charles go over the few rules updated with All Will Be One and then we delve into a smorgasbord of recent reddit threads that have caught our eye while we wait for MagicCon Philly. Topic 1 – Hold Priority: https://www.reddit.com/r/EDH/comments/10xqd6x/players_that_hold_priority_for_a_whole_phase/ Topic 2: Card quality/dif…

In this episode, Bryan and Charles go over the mechanics and notiable cards from Phyrexia: All Will Be One. Toxic, Compleated, Oil Counters, and that one mechanic that has an exclamation point. Also at the end of the episode we talk about a workaround in EventLink for running a Sealed RCQ.Oleh JudgeCast

In this episode Bryan and Charles go over the zones of Magic, as well as all the exceptions to the well-known rule of “objects changing zones are considered new objects”. Turns out, there are a lot of exceptions.Oleh JudgeCast

Happy New Year! It’s a time for celebration and resolutions for the new year. In this episode Bryan and Charles are joined by Brook Gardner-Durbin (@TheBG_D) to discuss the factors that go into your decisions for fair compensation at the various levels. Is judging your hobby, career, or side hustle? What is the complexity of the event you are going…

Talking about missed triggers has been all the rage lately in the twitterverse, and Bryan, Charles, and Samma thought we would bring it to your podcast listening device. In this episode, the JudgeCast crew talk about the philosophy behind Missed Triggers, how to identify one, what the opponents’ responsibilities are, and a little bit of a history l…

Bryan, Charles, and Samma discuss the recent level updates announced by Judge Academy. Samma and Charles also go over their Magic 30 experience, including a behind the scene look at the massive Unfinity Draft. We also stop recording right before Samma admits Bryan was 100% right about [redacted] and Bryan doesn’t even say ‘I told you so’, so he ins…

Following the BRO Code, Bryan, Charles, and Samma battle their way through new mechanics, new cards, and very bad puns. We discuss Prototype, Meld, Unearth, zone change triggers, 50% off of 50% off coupons. Stick around and you might just learn something. Probably not, but it could happen.Oleh JudgeCast