I mean its pretty fair to call it "cheating" because cheating is just a violation of the rules, particularly for your benefit, but its definitely not on the same level as drawing extra cards, not paying for mana costs, or an actual violation of normal game rules.
this is the problem with getting overly fixated on brackets anyway though, especially in a for-fun environment
I would say that once you and your opponents agree that you're having a bracket 2 game with no further qualifications, the hard, clearly stated limits of bracket 2 become firm rules for that specific game by mutual agreement. Drawing a distinction between the mutually agreed upon rules of the game and the rules in the official rulebook doesn't make sense in the context of a casual game.
Kind of like how there are 2 sets of rules for MTG: the Comprehensive Rules (how to play the game), and the Tournament Rules (other rules that govern things in tournaments). If you're just playing a casual game with friends at home, the Tournament Rules don't really apply, but once you are in an official, sanctioned tournament event, both sets of rules apply equally.
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u/nilamo 1d ago
"Cheating" feels like a pretty strong word to use regarding a bracket system that's 90% just vibes anyway.