Alternatively titled, "Or, How to Not Lose by Knowing the Rules"

A few weeks ago, I played in the Midwest Masters Series Qualifier in Detroit. While I didn't make Top 8, and got knocked out of the running for top 16 in the last round, it was a learning experience. Also, coming in 23rd in my first larger size tournament made me feel pretty good. Sometimes it's the little things. However, not knowing the rules well enough almost cost me a game.

I was running a Naya Allies build, not dissimilar from the lists that have been faring well on MTGO. My opponent was running U/W control, and testing out some new ROE cards, one of them being Lightmine Field. During my turn, after some quick math, I attacked with a 4/4 Kazandu Blademaster, a 3/4 Hada Freeblade, and an active Raging Ravine, which was a 3/3 with no counters on it yet, thinking the +1/+1 would keep it alive. That was my mistake.

Raging Ravine and Lightmine Field both have triggered abilities that trigger when something attacks. Those triggers are put onto the stack in AP/NAP order, so my Raging Ravine trigger is put onto the stack, followed by my opponent's Lightmine Field trigger. Then they resolve in opposite order, so all of my attackers, including Raging Ravine, are dealt 3 damage, and the Ravine is destroyed before it's +1/+1 counter is applied. Oops.

It was late enough in the game when I made the mistake that I was still able to pull off a win. But had it been earlier, it could have easily turned into a game-changing mistake. Had I been more familiar with resolving spells and abilities, I wouldn't have lost a land because of a mistake like that, which brings me to my point: Knowing the rules better than your opponent can give you a good competitive edge.

I'm not saying that if you want to play on the Pro Tour, you need to be a Level 2 judge, though it certainly wouldn't hurt. However, if your rules knowledge barely exceeds the "How to Play" rules guide that's included with Fat Packs and Intro Decks, you probably want to beef it up. The last thing you want to happen is a rules-related mistake costing you a game, or even a match, and consequently, a better standing.

So, how do you go about learning the rules? I'm glad you asked. WOTC, and the DCI, have a few good ways to get started. The two main documents you want to concern yourself with are the Comprehensive Rules, or CR for short, and the Magic Tournament Rules, or MTR for short. Both documents can be found here: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/rules

The MTR is a fairly short document that can easily be read and understood in one sitting. The CR, not so much. It seems like quite a daunting document, with its many lists, sub-lists and sub-sub-lists. Reading it from start to finish would surely be a feat in itself. But fear not, gentle reader, there is another way.

The DCI Judge Center, along with offering great articles and a list of judges near you, also has the Exam Center. You can use the Exam Center to test your knowledge, and to gain new knowledge by learning about the questions you got wrong. And hey, since you're already studying for it at this point, you may as well try out the Rules Advisor exam once you feel comfortable enough with the hard practice exams. Be warned though, the Rules Advisor Exam is substantially more difficult than the 'hard' practice exams.

Maybe studying, practicing, and taking tests isn't really your sort of thing. Luckily, there are many other ways to boost your rules knowledge. Here are a few that come to mind.

Ask a judge during FNM, or some other regular REL or unsanctioned event. Sure, sure. We all knew this already. However, if you find yourself in a situation similar to the one I was in during a competitive REL or higher event, a judge can't help you. It is their job to be reactive to the game, not to proactively tell you what will happen if you do X, or your opponent does Y. At FNM, on the other hand, judges can operate at a more educational level, which makes them a great asset to you.

Play casually with your judges. Once again, this is another great way to gain extra rules knowledge. I enjoy casual games with my local level 2 judge every Tuesday night, and it has been nothing but a positive learning experience. Especially being able to ask all of those silly corner-case questions that could only happen in a perfect world.

Play formats that have a more diverse meta-game, or casual formats that can result in really interesting board states and card interactions. I'm mostly speaking of EDH here, but there are a lot of great casual formats where you will see card interactions that you wouldn't even dream of seeing anywhere near a type 2 game. Figuring out what happens, how, and why it happens will only further your knowledge in these environments, and you never know, it might prove quite useful at a tournament one day.

There are many more ways to boost your rules knowledge, and I'm sure you can think of some good ones. I'd love to hear about them, or tell me how knowing the rules helped you win a game, or how not knowing the rules cost you. Drop me a comment, or find me on Twitter, @brandonissavvy. Until then, keep your competitive edge.