When I encounter a rules situation that has a ruling on gatherer, but I believe that ruling to be wrong, How should I proceed? When is it proper to go against the gather ruling?
I'm curious, because I've recently been thinking of the time when gatherer said that you could play lands from the top of your library when melek, izzet paragon was in play. I was just wondering how you decide that it's an error in less obvious situations.
The Gatherer rulings are useful and accurate most of the time, but they bear no real authority themselves, it is always appropriate to ignore them if they contradict the true official game rules document, the Comprehensive rules, which they are supposed to be derived from..
When you spot a mistake in Gatherer, report it using the tracking database (last link in the "feedback" box at the bottom of the Gatherer window).
I'm a former judge (lapsed), who keeps up to date on rules and policy. Keep in mind that judges' answers aren't necessarily more valid than those of people who aren't judges; what matters is we can quote the rules to back up our answers. When in doubt, ask for such quotes.
You shouldn't ever deviate from gatherer rules, unless they're really wrong, lol.
Rules are wrong in the gatherer if they're somehow against what's written in the comprehensive rules, if somehow you disagree with a gatherer ruling, go ahead and consult the comprehensive rules document, if that clarifies that's the oracle is really wrong, be a good samaritan and inform WotC about it
If you're in a sanctioned event, call a judge, if you're in your kitchen table, ask someone or create a specific topic here, lol.
If you don't need an answer immediately, you can also ask the rules manager directly. If the ruling is incorrect, he will let the appropriate person know.
There's also the Gatherer Oddities and Errors thread in the Rules Theory and Templating forum on the Wizard's forum (as well as its partner thread Requested Rulings for Gatherer) where you can post requests and it's the thread that the person in charge of updating the rulings looks at.
Rulings in Gatherer should be considered official, but sometimes, rules change or mistakes are made. And you can't take advantage of mistakes in Gatherer or its rulings because the head judge of the tournament has the ability to override any mistakes that might be found (so even when that ruling existed on Gatherer, the head judge can say "No, you can't take advantage of this incorrect ruling and play lands with Melek")
Scientists have calculated that the chance of anything so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
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I'm curious, because I've recently been thinking of the time when gatherer said that you could play lands from the top of your library when melek, izzet paragon was in play. I was just wondering how you decide that it's an error in less obvious situations.
When you spot a mistake in Gatherer, report it using the tracking database (last link in the "feedback" box at the bottom of the Gatherer window).
Rules are wrong in the gatherer if they're somehow against what's written in the comprehensive rules, if somehow you disagree with a gatherer ruling, go ahead and consult the comprehensive rules document, if that clarifies that's the oracle is really wrong, be a good samaritan and inform WotC about it
If you're in a sanctioned event, call a judge, if you're in your kitchen table, ask someone or create a specific topic here, lol.
Practice for Khans of Tarkir Limited:
Draft: (#1) (#2) (#3) (#4) (#5)
Rulings in Gatherer should be considered official, but sometimes, rules change or mistakes are made. And you can't take advantage of mistakes in Gatherer or its rulings because the head judge of the tournament has the ability to override any mistakes that might be found (so even when that ruling existed on Gatherer, the head judge can say "No, you can't take advantage of this incorrect ruling and play lands with Melek")
Scientists have calculated that the chance of anything so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.