I would think when tapping a land that produces any color of mana you would announce which color you're tapping it for; that seems intuitive; and if the land taps for both colorless and any color, I think if you just tap it without announcing a color you should have to pay the consequences of such an act.
When filter lands were legal in Standard and now in EDH and Cube I always say which colors I'm tapping it for.
I think not announcing which color or ability you're using when tapping something is akin to not announcing the fact that you allowed a Soul Warden trigger to bring your life up one, and just ticking it up without telling an opponent. It's essentially counter-intuitive to how you SHOULD be playing Magic.
Rules change does make sense. I don't even understand why they would have decided otherwise in the first place. It's ruling by intent. When I tap CoS to cast a creature spell of the chosen type, then I intent to make it uncounterable (why else would I tap or even play Cavern of Souls?). There's no reason to assume otherwise.
And when i have a Soul Warden in play and i cast a Spectral Procession i mean to gain 3 life. But, if i either a) forget the trigger or b) don't announce the trigger and change my total anyways then i happen to not get to gain the life or get in trouble, respectively.
Why do you do that? Does it prove to the experienced person across from you that you know the basic rules of Magic? Or does it prove that you're a rules nazi that likes to win and lose on technicality?
I honestly don't get why people try to be as formal as possible with the most mundane actions of magic. Sure, call the creature type at the beginning, that's a given. But anything else is just silly rules lawyering.
Because when you tap a card with two activated tap abilities, you should declare which ability you are using.
There is no such thing as a game state that is too clear. It never hurts to let your opponent know exactly what you are doing, and this extends even down to how you pay for your spells.
I'm of the opinion that you should always clarify which tap ability you're using with Cavern, but if an opponent doesn't, assume they're making the optimal play. Misplays shouldn't exist, in my opinion, and if an opponent makes a mistake due to poor rules understanding, I nearly always give the option to back up and change the play. Magic is, in my opinion, a game about the cards you draw and deck you've built, not your understanding of how the game works, and that seems to be a good route to take for good sportsmanship, too.
Sorry if this was mentioned before. Just got up, got online, read OP, got shocked!
This is utterly stupid, I think.
1) Each player has to keep track of obligatory things. So, since this card has a triggered ability, there's no forgetting to choose a type. If that happens, each player made a mistake.
2) If you tap a land with several mana abilities or an ability that can produce several colors, your choice has to be clarified right then. Again, each player's attention is assumed, so the lack of clarification in this case is again each player's fault.
Some judge correct me please, if I'm wrong.
On 1) The type choice is actually a replacement effect generated by a static ability. Minor difference but important as far as stifle is concerned.
On 2) Lands with multiple mana choices are so widely available throughout the course of the game that specifying every option when more than 1 is available would significantly slow down the game and be to no one's real benefit. Instead I agree with the choice here to simply adjust the ruling towards the true intention/spirit of the card.
Why do you do that? Does it prove to the experienced person across from you that you know the basic rules of Magic? Or does it prove that you're a rules nazi that likes to win and lose on technicality?
I honestly don't get why people try to be as formal as possible with the most mundane actions of magic. Sure, call the creature type at the beginning, that's a given. But anything else is just silly rules lawyering.
This really depends. Sometimes you do want to be very clear where you're getting your mana from to reduce confusion. It also limits any possible mistakes you might make. GerryT made a mistake on camera once because he didn't do exactly that. Should you always do it? Probably not, but if you are in a 3+ color deck and have multiple lands that produce 2+ colors of mana, it's not such a bad thing to get in the habit of doing.
On 1) The type choice is actually a replacement effect generated by a static ability. Minor difference but important as far as stifle is concerned.
On 2) Lands with multiple mana choices are so widely available throughout the course of the game that specifying every option when more than 1 is available would significantly slow down the game and be to no one's real benefit. Instead I agree with the choice here to simply adjust the ruling towards the true intention/spirit of the card.
So, having an Urborg in play and tapping your Maze of Ith you shouldn't have to announce which ability you're choosing? That seems odd, to me. Especially if you do something like, tap Maze, then tap 2 more mana Doom Blade, then tap two more mana and doomblade something else; and then tap more mana and play an X spell.
It leads to a muddy gamestate; you should absolutely have to annouce which ability you're going to use, especially when you're tapping something that has TWO tap abilities that are incredibly different.
I do that too. I admit, when I play monocolor decks or only basic lands where it is clear what mana they produce, I'm not that anal about it and just tap my lands and play stuff. But for example when I tap my Taiga, Mox Diamond and Grove of the Burnwillows to cast Countryside Crusher, I declare specifically that the RR come from Taiga and Mox and that I tap Grove for colorless, so my opponent doesn't even get the idea that he would gain life. Because just as there are people who try to gain advantages/create loopholes by loosely announcing what they are doing, there are just as much people who will try to gain an advantage when their opponent is announcing their stuff loosely.
Okay, I obviously agree with this sentiment, and I do that as well. I'm talking about cavern specifically, and other cases where there is zero advantage or disadvantage to doing so, other than to get called on a technicality.
Guys, we're not talking about cards with special abilities here. We're talking about tapping out for Titan with a Cavern. Or dual lands or something. If I tap out with 6 lands for a Titan, it's completely obvious what's going on and I should not have to announce it to you. Sure, being extra formal is fine, and it sometimes aids your opponent in knowing what's going on. But in the most mundane circumstance, where it matters not at all, it's rules lawyering to be nitpicky about something like that.
my only problem with this ruling is that it seems to dumb the game down a little. As a player who tends to play controlling decks, I have to give my opponent every opportunity to misplay, because those little grindy advantages are what let me get ahead in games. If you forget that you even have cavern in play and play a creature with it, its not my fault you forgot it was in play, why shouldnt i be able to capitalize on my opponents mistake? but in all honesty the ruling does make sense for the "spirit" of the card. maybe im just bitter that my mana leaks are gonna be slightly worse than i would like ;p
So, having an Urborg in play and tapping your Maze of Ith you shouldn't have to announce which ability you're choosing? That seems odd, to me. Especially if you do something like, tap Maze, then tap 2 more mana Doom Blade, then tap two more mana and doomblade something else; and then tap more mana and play an X spell.
It leads to a muddy gamestate; you should absolutely have to annouce which ability you're going to use, especially when you're tapping something that has TWO tap abilities that are incredibly different.
The problem with that example is that it is incredibly complex. Of course you should announce what you are trying to do in that instance. But the game states where you want Cavern uncounterable are not that complex. If the game state moves towards something that is that complex, sure you should be announcing what color of mana you are using, but it doesn't need to be something that you always do. There must be a default setting for the card. R&D wanted uncounterable as the default setting. Hence, we have a new default setting.
So, having an Urborg in play and tapping your Maze of Ith you shouldn't have to announce which ability you're choosing? That seems odd, to me. Especially if you do something like, tap Maze, then tap 2 more mana Doom Blade, then tap two more mana and doomblade something else; and then tap more mana and play an X spell.
It leads to a muddy gamestate; you should absolutely have to annouce which ability you're going to use, especially when you're tapping something that has TWO tap abilities that are incredibly different.
Maze requires a target if you're using it for it's ability. So, no this isn't the same. So, if my opponent taps a maze without picking a target I'll probably ask them about it. Assuming either was the intended purpose leads to miss plays and bad game states. Um, making colorless and colored mana isn't really "incredibly different".
Maze requires a target if you're using it for it's ability. So, no this isn't the same. So, if my opponent taps a maze without picking a target I'll probably ask them about it. Assuming either was the intended purpose leads to miss plays and bad game states.
You're asking them about it; that's exactly my point. It's both players responsibility. It should be announced in some form or fashion.
You're asking them about it; that's exactly my point. It's both players responsibility. It should be announced in some form or fashion.
But this issue here isn't that people want people to announce what they're doing... people want to lawyer their way to a win. And it's just being a poor sport. If my opponent names Humans and taps a CoS to play a human there's no reason to assume that my opponent is a moron. I know he intended for it to be uncounterable. I don't even need to ask in this situation.
my only problem with this ruling is that it seems to dumb the game down a little. As a player who tends to play controlling decks, I have to give my opponent every opportunity to misplay, because those little grindy advantages are what let me get ahead in games. If you forget that you even have cavern in play and play a creature with it, its not my fault you forgot it was in play, why shouldnt i be able to capitalize on my opponents mistake? but in all honesty the ruling does make sense for the "spirit" of the card. maybe im just bitter that my mana leaks are gonna be slightly worse than i would like ;p
As a pilot of a controlling deck, you have to grind out advantage via tempo advantage and card efficiency to generate card advantage. You don't win by your opponent messing up. You win by essentially playing a slightly slower game than your opponent, such that you don't get behind so far that you lose, and then can pull out ahead late game.
If your strategy is to win because your opponent makes mistakes, you forfeit any hope of winning at higher competitions, because the top players aren't going to make many, if any mistakes. No offense intended here, I just think you have the wrong mentality.
But this issue here isn't that people want people to announce what they're doing... people want to lawyer their way to a win. And it's just being a poor sport. If my opponent names Humans and taps a CoS to play a human there's no reason to assume that my opponent is a moron. I know he intended for it to be uncounterable. I don't even need to ask in this situation.
You're missing my point, when something with two abilities is tapped, it should be both player's responsibility to have a formal announcement be made; I understand that a good sport in a game doesn't lawyer they're way to a win, and I understand that you shouldn't treat your opponent as if he was a moron; but this type of thing sets a horrible precedent, i think, when it comes to anything that happens to have two tap abilities. I think they should just put something specific in place saying that you need to announce which ability you're using or face a play warning (similar to how cards with non-may triggers are handled); Not announcing something like that explicitly is just asking for problems.
As a pilot of a controlling deck, you have to grind out advantage via tempo advantage and card efficiency to generate card advantage. You don't win by your opponent messing up. You win by essentially playing a slightly slower game than your opponent, such that you don't get behind so far that you lose, and then can pull out ahead late game.
If your strategy is to win because your opponent makes mistakes, you forfeit any hope of winning at higher competitions, because the top players aren't going to make many, if any mistakes. No offense intended here, I just think you have the wrong mentality.
Competitive gaming is all about properly capitalizing on your opponent's mistake. Whether it comes from a rules mistake or a play mistake. And yes, surely top players make mistakes all the time, whether in ruling or in play. That's how they lose; even when a top player wins they didn't play the game perfectly; there were plenty of play errors, maybe they weren't detrimental to their board position or maybe their opponent didn't pick up on it. But, everyone makes mistakes while playing, in just about every game.
very true, but opponents making mistakes is always a welcome advantage. I do however always point it out after the match so they do get better. im only competitive while the match is going on really lol. I just feel that the ruling seems to promote lazy play by not making the player with cavern think about the abilities and develop good habits announcing the abilities and such that apply to any card with activated abilities. As a player that plays mostly in a Regular REL environment, that might not be an issue, but I do tend to be teaching alot of new players that want to go to bigger competitive level events and I try to promote that style of play even at FNM and it has rubbed off, there are very few issues with anything technical. I guess I just prefer that players, myself included be aware of everything that they are using, and that there are consequences to being forgetful.
I think this boils down to the fact that players now no longer have to declare an ability that they are using, which seems counter intuitive to the way the rules work for a game, you should always declare what your doing outside of tapping an basic for mana in my opinion. I know it seems a little harsh but I try to encourage this at my LGS because we have a large group of young and new players and I want them to be better players so I make sure to point out and have them go through the motions whether its making sure to declare the different parts of a turn to explaining how things like hero of bladeholdcard triggers work, I chose that example because its been brought up a lot in this forum. Regardless declaring creates a better, more fun gaming experience because if players are used to declaring there is no worry of "rules lawyering"
If the player doesn't need the colored mana why would you assume he took damage? Thats ridiculous.
Totally agree it is ridiculous, I almost wanted to change the quote in my signature to the one assuming pple tapped painlands for colored mana when they cast colorless spells. This type of logic is absurd.
If the store owner says that I can't trade in the premises, I'll just go outside. If he says that I can't trade within 10m of his premises, I'll go to 11 meters. If he says that he doesn't want to see me trading, I will put a basket over his head and continue trading.
Yes, he's a local legend. He's only known to take his clothes off before he goes into the Ladies' Lockerroom. Nobody knows what he does in there because he's invisible, but it's almost certainly tons of masturbating.
You're asking them about it; that's exactly my point. It's both players responsibility. It should be announced in some form or fashion.
So, here's an analogy.
In a Competitive-enforcement tournament, players will be registering their decks using written lists. Policy requires that these lists be correct (i.e., match the deck exactly) and legal (meets minimum number of cards for the format, etc.).
Because policy requires that, players always do it, right?
Of course they don't; if I had a nickel for every decklist penalty I've ever issued, I'd be able to buy myself some Caverns. And that's where the problem is: we can lay out policies that explain, clearly and concisely, what we expect of players and what the requirements are, but we will always also have to have policies for what to do when a mistake happens.
And that's why Cavern of Souls is tricky. Suppose you just turn some lands -- one of them a Cavern naming the appropriate type -- sideways and flop a creature down without saying which ability of the Cavern you used. What do we do there? If I ask you which ability you used, then (barring really extreme corner cases like wanting to trigger a Summoning Trap) is it realistic to expect you'd say anything other than "I tapped it for colored mana, my spell is uncounterable"?
Which means that "ask for clarification" is, for all intents and purposes, the same as just saying "assume they used the second ability". And since we need some sort of way to rule consistently on Cavern of Souls, and since it apparently matches up with the way R&D intended the card to work, that's exactly what we do, resulting in a net saving of time, energy and judge calls (since there are probably going to be things that need our intervention much more than this does).
You're missing my point, when something with two abilities is tapped, it should be both player's responsibility to have a formal announcement be made; I understand that a good sport in a game doesn't lawyer they're way to a win, and I understand that you shouldn't treat your opponent as if he was a moron; but this type of thing sets a horrible precedent, i think, when it comes to anything that happens to have two tap abilities. I think they should just put something specific in place saying that you need to announce which ability you're using or face a play warning (similar to how cards with non-may triggers are handled); Not announcing something like that explicitly is just asking for problems.
Competitive gaming is all about properly capitalizing on your opponent's mistake. Whether it comes from a rules mistake or a play mistake. And yes, surely top players make mistakes all the time, whether in ruling or in play. That's how they lose; even when a top player wins they didn't play the game perfectly; there were plenty of play errors, maybe they weren't detrimental to their board position or maybe their opponent didn't pick up on it. But, everyone makes mistakes while playing, in just about every game.
I think YOU have the wrong mentality, here.
So what counts as announcing? Pointing to it? Saying activating? What if they just say using? Do you see the issue at hand? Because all of us discussing it on the judge listserv did. The most important part of a card is its design an intended purpose, and that was made clear by R&D. Just because you can't hope for play mistakes doesn't mean this ruling is wrong, it means your understanding is simply within a narrow, "how can I win" scope as opposed to a design and ruling scope.
Haha, can't believe this is a thing.... I mean people were not announcing the color of mana they were producing, for making their creature uncounterable? And to fix it they noob'd the heck out of it. Is that what I'm reading? I'm losing faith my friends, losing it fast. If it is, it's only further proof WoTC cares more about scrubs than people that actually can play this game.
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Haha, can't believe this is a thing.... I mean people were not announcing the color of mana they were producing, for making their creature uncounterable? And to fix it they noob'd the heck out of it. Is that what I'm reading? I'm losing faith my friends, losing it fast. If it is, it's only further proof WoTC cares more about scrubsbeing social than people that actually can play this gamemy ego.
While this ruling probably does send the wrong message (hey, don't worry about remembering and announcing key moves, we gotcha covered), it will probably clear up a lot of potential rule arguments during a game. I think Wizards did the right thing here.
Man, this forum tends to freak out a LOT. Every new rules announcement or policy change and people start jumping out windows and declare the sky to be falling. How can so many people be pissed off about essentially nothing. I hope this does make the lot of you quit. Maybe the community will be more friendly and enjoy playing good games instead of trying to cheat every win you can.
I think this boils down to the fact that players now no longer have to declare an ability that they are using, which seems counter intuitive to the way the rules work for a game, you should always declare what your doing outside of tapping an basic for mana in my opinion.
This. In the same way its both players responsibility to follow life totals, its both players responsibility to see that the game is played properly. If an opponent isn't clear about the mana being spent to cast a spell, it is not just a good idea to ask for clarification - because clarification in a game like this is never a bad thing - but it is part of playing at a competitive level.
The idea of any card having a "default" action set by a rules update is weird; any modular card has to have its mode declared, yes? Wouldn't that apply to tapping a Cavern for any kind of mana, colorless or uncounterable? The rules making decisions for players is a bad trend, IMO.
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This is why I started playing magic in the first place. It wasn't PT aspirations just making noobs cry by doing things that are perfectly fair.
I don't understand why this ruling is controversial at all. It doesn't make the game dumber, it doesn't make the game less skilled. "Announcing which ability you're using when it's obvious which one you want to use" is not a skill.
That is not something that makes a pro player. You don't get good at magic by being a rules pedant. It's irrelevant to how skilled you are, as shown by the pro player who did this and assumed everyone knew he wasn't intentionally screwing himself over.
When filter lands were legal in Standard and now in EDH and Cube I always say which colors I'm tapping it for.
I think not announcing which color or ability you're using when tapping something is akin to not announcing the fact that you allowed a Soul Warden trigger to bring your life up one, and just ticking it up without telling an opponent. It's essentially counter-intuitive to how you SHOULD be playing Magic.
And when i have a Soul Warden in play and i cast a Spectral Procession i mean to gain 3 life. But, if i either a) forget the trigger or b) don't announce the trigger and change my total anyways then i happen to not get to gain the life or get in trouble, respectively.
Sig courtesy of DOLZero
Because when you tap a card with two activated tap abilities, you should declare which ability you are using.
There is no such thing as a game state that is too clear. It never hurts to let your opponent know exactly what you are doing, and this extends even down to how you pay for your spells.
I'm of the opinion that you should always clarify which tap ability you're using with Cavern, but if an opponent doesn't, assume they're making the optimal play. Misplays shouldn't exist, in my opinion, and if an opponent makes a mistake due to poor rules understanding, I nearly always give the option to back up and change the play. Magic is, in my opinion, a game about the cards you draw and deck you've built, not your understanding of how the game works, and that seems to be a good route to take for good sportsmanship, too.
Karador EDH
Comments on decks welcome: http://tappedout.net/users/AradonTemplar/
Currently developing Set 1 of 3, 'Shadow': http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=436885
On 1) The type choice is actually a replacement effect generated by a static ability. Minor difference but important as far as stifle is concerned.
On 2) Lands with multiple mana choices are so widely available throughout the course of the game that specifying every option when more than 1 is available would significantly slow down the game and be to no one's real benefit. Instead I agree with the choice here to simply adjust the ruling towards the true intention/spirit of the card.
This really depends. Sometimes you do want to be very clear where you're getting your mana from to reduce confusion. It also limits any possible mistakes you might make. GerryT made a mistake on camera once because he didn't do exactly that. Should you always do it? Probably not, but if you are in a 3+ color deck and have multiple lands that produce 2+ colors of mana, it's not such a bad thing to get in the habit of doing.
Check out http://www.mtgbrodeals.com/author/john-murphy/ for my EDH articles!
So, having an Urborg in play and tapping your Maze of Ith you shouldn't have to announce which ability you're choosing? That seems odd, to me. Especially if you do something like, tap Maze, then tap 2 more mana Doom Blade, then tap two more mana and doomblade something else; and then tap more mana and play an X spell.
It leads to a muddy gamestate; you should absolutely have to annouce which ability you're going to use, especially when you're tapping something that has TWO tap abilities that are incredibly different.
Sig courtesy of DOLZero
Okay, I obviously agree with this sentiment, and I do that as well. I'm talking about cavern specifically, and other cases where there is zero advantage or disadvantage to doing so, other than to get called on a technicality.
Guys, we're not talking about cards with special abilities here. We're talking about tapping out for Titan with a Cavern. Or dual lands or something. If I tap out with 6 lands for a Titan, it's completely obvious what's going on and I should not have to announce it to you. Sure, being extra formal is fine, and it sometimes aids your opponent in knowing what's going on. But in the most mundane circumstance, where it matters not at all, it's rules lawyering to be nitpicky about something like that.
The problem with that example is that it is incredibly complex. Of course you should announce what you are trying to do in that instance. But the game states where you want Cavern uncounterable are not that complex. If the game state moves towards something that is that complex, sure you should be announcing what color of mana you are using, but it doesn't need to be something that you always do. There must be a default setting for the card. R&D wanted uncounterable as the default setting. Hence, we have a new default setting.
Check out http://www.mtgbrodeals.com/author/john-murphy/ for my EDH articles!
Maze requires a target if you're using it for it's ability. So, no this isn't the same. So, if my opponent taps a maze without picking a target I'll probably ask them about it. Assuming either was the intended purpose leads to miss plays and bad game states. Um, making colorless and colored mana isn't really "incredibly different".
You're asking them about it; that's exactly my point. It's both players responsibility. It should be announced in some form or fashion.
Sig courtesy of DOLZero
But this issue here isn't that people want people to announce what they're doing... people want to lawyer their way to a win. And it's just being a poor sport. If my opponent names Humans and taps a CoS to play a human there's no reason to assume that my opponent is a moron. I know he intended for it to be uncounterable. I don't even need to ask in this situation.
As a pilot of a controlling deck, you have to grind out advantage via tempo advantage and card efficiency to generate card advantage. You don't win by your opponent messing up. You win by essentially playing a slightly slower game than your opponent, such that you don't get behind so far that you lose, and then can pull out ahead late game.
If your strategy is to win because your opponent makes mistakes, you forfeit any hope of winning at higher competitions, because the top players aren't going to make many, if any mistakes. No offense intended here, I just think you have the wrong mentality.
Karador EDH
Comments on decks welcome: http://tappedout.net/users/AradonTemplar/
Currently developing Set 1 of 3, 'Shadow': http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=436885
You're missing my point, when something with two abilities is tapped, it should be both player's responsibility to have a formal announcement be made; I understand that a good sport in a game doesn't lawyer they're way to a win, and I understand that you shouldn't treat your opponent as if he was a moron; but this type of thing sets a horrible precedent, i think, when it comes to anything that happens to have two tap abilities. I think they should just put something specific in place saying that you need to announce which ability you're using or face a play warning (similar to how cards with non-may triggers are handled); Not announcing something like that explicitly is just asking for problems.
Competitive gaming is all about properly capitalizing on your opponent's mistake. Whether it comes from a rules mistake or a play mistake. And yes, surely top players make mistakes all the time, whether in ruling or in play. That's how they lose; even when a top player wins they didn't play the game perfectly; there were plenty of play errors, maybe they weren't detrimental to their board position or maybe their opponent didn't pick up on it. But, everyone makes mistakes while playing, in just about every game.
I think YOU have the wrong mentality, here.
Sig courtesy of DOLZero
Totally agree it is ridiculous, I almost wanted to change the quote in my signature to the one assuming pple tapped painlands for colored mana when they cast colorless spells. This type of logic is absurd.
So, here's an analogy.
In a Competitive-enforcement tournament, players will be registering their decks using written lists. Policy requires that these lists be correct (i.e., match the deck exactly) and legal (meets minimum number of cards for the format, etc.).
Because policy requires that, players always do it, right?
Of course they don't; if I had a nickel for every decklist penalty I've ever issued, I'd be able to buy myself some Caverns. And that's where the problem is: we can lay out policies that explain, clearly and concisely, what we expect of players and what the requirements are, but we will always also have to have policies for what to do when a mistake happens.
And that's why Cavern of Souls is tricky. Suppose you just turn some lands -- one of them a Cavern naming the appropriate type -- sideways and flop a creature down without saying which ability of the Cavern you used. What do we do there? If I ask you which ability you used, then (barring really extreme corner cases like wanting to trigger a Summoning Trap) is it realistic to expect you'd say anything other than "I tapped it for colored mana, my spell is uncounterable"?
Which means that "ask for clarification" is, for all intents and purposes, the same as just saying "assume they used the second ability". And since we need some sort of way to rule consistently on Cavern of Souls, and since it apparently matches up with the way R&D intended the card to work, that's exactly what we do, resulting in a net saving of time, energy and judge calls (since there are probably going to be things that need our intervention much more than this does).
----
Lightning Bolts don't kill creatures. State-based actions kill creatures.
So what counts as announcing? Pointing to it? Saying activating? What if they just say using? Do you see the issue at hand? Because all of us discussing it on the judge listserv did. The most important part of a card is its design an intended purpose, and that was made clear by R&D. Just because you can't hope for play mistakes doesn't mean this ruling is wrong, it means your understanding is simply within a narrow, "how can I win" scope as opposed to a design and ruling scope.
Fixed that for you.
[[b]B]DCI Level 2 Judge[/B][/b]This. In the same way its both players responsibility to follow life totals, its both players responsibility to see that the game is played properly. If an opponent isn't clear about the mana being spent to cast a spell, it is not just a good idea to ask for clarification - because clarification in a game like this is never a bad thing - but it is part of playing at a competitive level.
The idea of any card having a "default" action set by a rules update is weird; any modular card has to have its mode declared, yes? Wouldn't that apply to tapping a Cavern for any kind of mana, colorless or uncounterable? The rules making decisions for players is a bad trend, IMO.
That is not something that makes a pro player. You don't get good at magic by being a rules pedant. It's irrelevant to how skilled you are, as shown by the pro player who did this and assumed everyone knew he wasn't intentionally screwing himself over.
Commander:
R Daretti, Scrap Savant
BR Olivia Voldaren
BRG Shattergang Brothers
GUR Riku of Two Reflections
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain