Stick to this general principle:
- If a deck is already randomized and we don't know anything about the order of any card in it, any additional shuffling is unnecessary. We'd call a judge and likely we'd handle it by skipping the shuffle but pretending it happens for anything that cares. If there's no actual benefit from making me shuffle then you're wasted time, mana, and a potential blocker, and you're potentially engaging in Slow Play.
- If a deck isn't randomized, the shuffle happens. That's the foundation of the Lantern of Insight control strategy
A primary measure of Slow Play is when you cause the game to enter a state that is identical to a previous game state. You will be doing this if you can repeatedly tap/untap Soldier of Fortune to make me shuffle needlessly in an infinite loop because you'll make us proceed through the following:
1. Turn 3, randomized library, untapped Soldier of Fortune, empty stack.
2. Turn 3, randomized library, tapped Soldier of Fortune, SoF's ability on the stack.
3. Turn 3, randomized library, tapped Soldier of Fortune.
4-9 (or some other number of steps). You use a combo to untap Soldier of Fortune while also resetting your untap combo so you can do it again later.
10. Turn 3, randomized library, untapped Soldier of Fortune, empty stack.
States 1 and 10 are identical. Nothing has changed between them. Two differently randomized libraries are almost certainly the same state for Slow Play purposes. You're engaging in Slow Play.
If it's a finite combo, you're probably still wasting time, but the judge will comment on that because they're standing right there.
Basically to avoid Slow Play you have an obligation to make sure the game state changes meaningfully ongoingly.
Dunharrow wrote: ↑4 years ago
But turn 1 of the game if nobody has mulliganed, if I somehow get a hasty Soldier of Fortune into play and activate it, am I going to get a warning for delaying the game?
Just ... don't do this. I'd call a judge on the spot based on two concerns beyond wasting my time:
1. I don't want to damage my cards.
2. Worse yet, you may be playing to make me damage my sleeves until a card in my library can be considered marked and I get disqualified. I don't want that to occur either, and I'd want a judge to know what you're up to before this can happen.
You would put yourself in the crosshairs of Slow Play and Unsporting Conduct.
Dunharrow wrote: ↑4 years ago
Additionally... if my opponent casts cultivate and I respond by making them shuffle... presumably they go Shuffle, search, shuffle. My shuffle does nothing but they are obligated to do it, right?
I'd call a judge always because I don't want to shuffle unnecessarily and damage my cards or sleeves. Supposing they don't directly suggest what to do, I'll propose one of two course of action:
If my library's already randomized —
1. I leave it untouched. We consider that a shuffle happened for the purposes of whatever cares.
2. I search.
3. I shuffle.
If it's not randomized (e.g. top card is revealed) —
1. I propose to you and the judge a shortcut that we let both the ability and my Cultivate resolve together, then I search and shuffle once to avoid wasting time.
2. If the judge approves, you either agree or propose something you'll do differently partway through that sequence, shortening the shortcut.
3. If the judge doesn't approve, I ask the judge what to do.