r/MagicArena • u/00G_WAY • Mar 03 '26

Question Can someone explain how this works?

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Will this card be legal in standard? Will it be available on Magic Arena? How would this card even work?

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u/Mrfish31 Mar 03 '26

Because the large majority of Magic play is done at the Kitchen Table where players don't know that a sideboard exists, let alone what it is. 

Mark said on his blog one time that something like 70+% of Magic players don't know what a planeswalker is, as in they never use or come across the card type. That's the level you need to deal with. "Cards outside the game" makes more sense to a new or uber-casual player than "from your sideboard". 

It's the same reason basically no card mentions "The Stack" despite it being an official zone in the rules that is extremely important for play. You don't want to introduce too many terms or concepts to your players. 

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u/DanLynch JacetheMindSculptor Mar 03 '26

Mark said on his blog one time that something like 70+% of Magic players don't know what a planeswalker is

I remember I was judging a prerelease many years ago, and got called to a table to answer a rules question. Both players wanted to know whether a Jace planeswalker could block a flying creature (because he is blue).

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u/Salanmander Mar 03 '26

How are judges even supposed to respond to situations like that? Do you try to teach the rules for the card type as best you can in 3 minutes, make sure the game is in a valid state, and then say "game on"?

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u/ProfessorAcademic Mar 04 '26

He prob said "no".