Rules

Comprehensive Rules

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9 Sections147 chapters
Additional Rules34 chapters
732. Taking Shortcuts
6 chapters
732.1
When playing a game, players typically make use of mutually understood shortcuts rather than explicitly identifying each game choice (either taking an action or passing priority) a player makes.
732.2
Taking a shortcut follows the following procedure.
732.3
Sometimes a loop can be fragmented, meaning that each player involved in the loop performs an independent action that results in the same game state being reached multiple times. If that happens, the active player (or, if the active player is not involved in the loop, the first player in turn order who is involved) must then make a different game choice so the loop does not continue.
732.4
If a loop contains only mandatory actions, the game is a draw
732.5
No player can be forced to perform an action that would end a loop other than actions called for by objects involved in the loop.
732.6
If a loop contains an effect that says “[A] unless [B],” where [A] and [B] are each actions, no player can be forced to perform [B] to break the loop. If no player chooses to perform [B], the loop will continue as though [A] were mandatory.