Why Do These MTG Rules Even Exist?! Top rules and mechanics that drive us CRAZY!

Welcome back to Phased Out! In this episode, Carter and Jacob break down some of the most frustrating and confusing Magic: The Gathering (MTG) rules interactions that drive players crazy. From combat damage quirks to protection, ninjutsu, and phasing, we explore the rules that make your toes curl and games tilt.
We discuss:
-Why blocked creatures that disappear still stop damage from going through
-The strange logic behind protection and why it feels unfair in combat
-The painful discovery about creatures that enter tapped and attacking but don’t trigger attack abilities
-The chaos of phasing and how it can completely change a game
-Special shoutout to The One Ring and clearing up its actual rules

Whether you’re a new player trying to wrap your head around rules or a Commander veteran who’s been caught off guard mid-game, this episode highlights the mechanics we love to hate.


⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Rules that make our toes curl
00:19 – Combat block + removal interaction (damage still doesn’t go through)
01:11 – The “punch and block” analogy: Why doesn’t this work?
01:35 – Protection rules: Can’t block when you should?
02:21 – Why can’t we even throw a chump blocker?
02:42 – Zombie army vs. protection commander moment
03:32 – Rules that never change (and why that’s frustrating)
03:55 – Creatures entering tapped & attacking don’t trigger abilities
04:14 – New player growing pains: rude callouts in random pods
04:38 – Declaring attackers vs. resolving effects explained
05:03 – Pride hurts more when the opponent smells like 50 cigarettes
05:23 – The most hated mechanic: Phasing
05:43 – Phasing out to stop lethal damage
05:47 – Is The One Ring a game-changer?
06:05 – Future Justin clarifies The One Ring rules
06:23 – Call to action: What rules frustrate you the most?
📌 Don’t forget:
👉 Share your most frustrating MTG rule interactions in the comments
👉 Like this video if you’ve ever been burned by these mechanics
👉 Subscribe for more Commander & Magic: The Gathering content every week


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