So. Mistriggers. Quite a number of arguments I've had over them.
I've played in a lot of playgroups whose leniency with the rules varies from "You tapped the wrong land and color screwed yourself, and now you can't play your spells. That sucks" to players attempting to use that pump spell they forgot to use in their combat once they've passed the turn and I've played cards on my first main.
But mistriggers. The term itself would suggest to me that you forget to do the effect of a triggered ability. That makes sense, if the words are "when X happens, you MAY do this". But what if it is a mandatory effect? For example, Eidolon of the Great Revel doesn't say "may", but I heard about some guy losing a world championship because he mistriggered on it. Once you miss your opportunity, is it too late, even if it's listed as mandatory?
Or what about people forgetting about "creatures you control get +1/+1" or similar effects? There are times I've attacked with a creature, then my opponent tells me "wait that should be dead from combat damage last turn, put it in your graveyard". Does my creature belatedly die? Or does nothing happen and the game just goes on?
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"Life is a jape. Yours, mine, everyone's."
—Tyrion Lannister, A Dance with Dragons
But mistriggers. The term itself would suggest to me that you forget to do the effect of a triggered ability. That makes sense, if the words are "when X happens, you MAY do this". But what if it is a mandatory effect? For example, Eidolon of the Great Revel doesn't say "may", but I heard about some guy losing a world championship because he mistriggered on it. Once you miss your opportunity, is it too late, even if it's listed as mandatory?
In this situation in a sanctioned tournament, if players notice that the game was handled improperly, they should call a judge (see also M.T.R. 1.10).
In sanctioned tournaments, how a forgotten triggered ability is handled depends on what the ability's effect is and the rules enforcement level of the tournament, among other things (M.T.R. 4.5; J.A.R., "Common Issues"; I.P.G. 2.1).
In sanctioned tournaments at Regular rules enforcement level, if a triggered ability with no optional effects (such as Neheb, the Worthy's last ability) (see also C.R. 603.5) is forgotten, and a judge is called, a judge will generally "put the ability on the stack unless [they] think it would be too disruptive [and unless] significant decisions have been made based on the effect not happening" (J.A.R., "Common Issues").
In sanctioned tournaments at Competitive or Professional rules enforcement level, in general, if a triggered ability with no optional effects (such as Prized Amalgam's delayed triggered ability) (see also C.R. 603.5) is forgotten, and a judge is called in the same turn, a judge may assess a Missed Trigger infraction against the player responsible for remembering that ability (I.P.G. 2.1). If so, then with limited exceptions, "the opponent chooses whether the triggered ability is added to the stack. If it is, it's inserted at the appropriate place on the stack if possible or on the bottom of the stack" (I.P.G. 2.1).
In sanctioned tournaments in general, players who intentionally ignore "their own triggered abilities" have cheated (M.T.R. 4.5).
Or what about people forgetting about "creatures you control get +1/+1" or similar effects? There are times I've attacked with a creature, then my opponent tells me "wait that should be dead from combat damage last turn, put it in your graveyard". Does my creature belatedly die? Or does nothing happen and the game just goes on?
In this situation in a sanctioned tournament, if players notice that the game was handled improperly, they should call a judge (see also M.T.R. 1.10).
In any case, an ability that reads "Creatures you control get +1/+1" is not a triggered ability (C.R. 603.1), so the tournament rules and policy relating to triggered abilities and the Missed Trigger infraction don't apply here. (In this case, there is a mandatory action, namely a state-based action [such as C.R. 704.5g], but it arises out of the rules, not from a triggered ability.) In sanctioned games, however, an object's power and toughness is considered "derived information" (or "free information" in Regular rules enforcement level) (M.T.R. 4.1), and every player is entitled to know an object's power or toughness and "players may not represent derived or free information incorrectly" (M.T.R. 4.1). In games sanctioned under Regular rules enforcement level, "judges are encouraged to help players in determining" an object's power or toughness, which is considered free information, but in other sanctioned games, "must avoid assisting players with" this information (M.T.R. 4.1). See also this thread.
I've played in a lot of playgroups whose leniency with the rules varies from "You tapped the wrong land and color screwed yourself, and now you can't play your spells. That sucks" to players attempting to use that pump spell they forgot to use in their combat once they've passed the turn and I've played cards on my first main.
But mistriggers. The term itself would suggest to me that you forget to do the effect of a triggered ability. That makes sense, if the words are "when X happens, you MAY do this". But what if it is a mandatory effect? For example, Eidolon of the Great Revel doesn't say "may", but I heard about some guy losing a world championship because he mistriggered on it. Once you miss your opportunity, is it too late, even if it's listed as mandatory?
Or what about people forgetting about "creatures you control get +1/+1" or similar effects? There are times I've attacked with a creature, then my opponent tells me "wait that should be dead from combat damage last turn, put it in your graveyard". Does my creature belatedly die? Or does nothing happen and the game just goes on?
"Life is a jape. Yours, mine, everyone's."
—Tyrion Lannister, A Dance with Dragons
In this situation in a sanctioned tournament, if players notice that the game was handled improperly, they should call a judge (see also M.T.R. 1.10).
In sanctioned tournaments, how a forgotten triggered ability is handled depends on what the ability's effect is and the rules enforcement level of the tournament, among other things (M.T.R. 4.5; J.A.R., "Common Issues"; I.P.G. 2.1).
In sanctioned tournaments at Regular rules enforcement level, if a triggered ability with no optional effects (such as Neheb, the Worthy's last ability) (see also C.R. 603.5) is forgotten, and a judge is called, a judge will generally "put the ability on the stack unless [they] think it would be too disruptive [and unless] significant decisions have been made based on the effect not happening" (J.A.R., "Common Issues").
In sanctioned tournaments at Competitive or Professional rules enforcement level, in general, if a triggered ability with no optional effects (such as Prized Amalgam's delayed triggered ability) (see also C.R. 603.5) is forgotten, and a judge is called in the same turn, a judge may assess a Missed Trigger infraction against the player responsible for remembering that ability (I.P.G. 2.1). If so, then with limited exceptions, "the opponent chooses whether the triggered ability is added to the stack. If it is, it's inserted at the appropriate place on the stack if possible or on the bottom of the stack" (I.P.G. 2.1).
In sanctioned tournaments in general, players who intentionally ignore "their own triggered abilities" have cheated (M.T.R. 4.5).
See also this thread and this thread.
In this situation in a sanctioned tournament, if players notice that the game was handled improperly, they should call a judge (see also M.T.R. 1.10).
In any case, an ability that reads "Creatures you control get +1/+1" is not a triggered ability (C.R. 603.1), so the tournament rules and policy relating to triggered abilities and the Missed Trigger infraction don't apply here. (In this case, there is a mandatory action, namely a state-based action [such as C.R. 704.5g], but it arises out of the rules, not from a triggered ability.) In sanctioned games, however, an object's power and toughness is considered "derived information" (or "free information" in Regular rules enforcement level) (M.T.R. 4.1), and every player is entitled to know an object's power or toughness and "players may not represent derived or free information incorrectly" (M.T.R. 4.1). In games sanctioned under Regular rules enforcement level, "judges are encouraged to help players in determining" an object's power or toughness, which is considered free information, but in other sanctioned games, "must avoid assisting players with" this information (M.T.R. 4.1). See also this thread.
"Life is a jape. Yours, mine, everyone's."
—Tyrion Lannister, A Dance with Dragons