Representing Warden of the First Tree's attributes

Asked by JasonMB 9 years ago

Just curious what is technically the rule on how to properly represent a Warden of the First Tree on your board. I know it is the player's responsibility to maintain their board in a fashion that is not deceitful. I once called a Judge to rule on a confusion I had when my opponent declared blockers against me. He had a 3/3 beast token out which I was relying on actually being a green 3/3 beast made by Garruk. The problem was, it was a black 3/3 beast with deathtouch. I would not have attacked into it if I had realized or remembered that, but I looked and saw a 3/3 green beast w/o deathtouch token and that's typically what Garruk makes and I glanced by it. The Judge ruled in my favor and let me redeclare my attackers. Maybe that was right, maybe it was wrong /shrug. I know neither of us was trying to deceive the other, it was just a mistake caused by a misrepresentation.

With Warden of the First Tree, he gets confusing as he changes modes. 1st, he's a 1/1, then a 3/3, then a 3/3 with lifelink and trample, then he gets 5 +1/+1 counters.

The counters are easy, everyone uses dice to represent +1/+1 counters. But how do you represent the other modes? One time I put a die on his power/toughness to show he was a 3/3, then I put dice on his picture for counters.

Another time I was asked by my opponent to use a different colored die to represent what "level" he was on. So a 3 said he was a 3/3 lifelink/trample and then dice for the +1/+1 counters.

Just curious what's the official ruling on how to represent him at various stages.

JWiley129 says... #1

I would use a different colored die than you normally use for +1/+1 counters to indicate the state he's in. Another choice would be to use other small counters like mancala beads to indicate the state he is in.

March 26, 2015 2:57 p.m.

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2

The only "rule" is that the game state has to be clear to everyone. Whatever method you come up with that both you and your opponent can agree on and understand will work.

Warden of the First Tree, itself, doesn't require you to put anything on it other than +1/+1 counters from its 3rd ability. However, if your opponent asks you whether you've activated either of the 1st or 2nd abilities you have to answer honestly and completely. This information counts as "Details of current game actions and past game actions that still affect the game state", which is one of the types of information considered to be "Free Information" about the game.

March 26, 2015 3:29 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #3

There is no official way to keep track of it. And actually you don't have to visually represent it, but you do need to be able to say what its current attributes are with 100% accuracy if asked.

March 26, 2015 3:29 p.m.

TheRedMage says... #4

Yeah, there is no official rule. Personally, I have a lot of non-dice miscellaneous small objects in my dice bag, so I just put something (glass bead, guitar pick, tabletop game meeple, severed earbud, mini-eraser - but usually a glass bead) on it when he becomes a 3/3 and then something else (usually a glass bead of a different color) in addition to the first when he gains lifelink and trample. Then, if he gets counters, I use dice.

March 27, 2015 1:25 a.m.

This discussion has been closed