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magus of the moon + humilty i read somewhere that if those two cards are in play, nonbasic lands are still mountains. And to me that does make any sense, can someone explain. [[magus of the moon]], [[humility]]

When there are multiple continuous effects to apply, we determine the order to apply them using a system of rules referred to as the layer system. In this case, Magus' effect is type-changing effect and applies in layer 4. Humility is an effect that removes abilities and applies afterwards in layer 6. Even though Humility removes the Magus' ability, it does so after the effect from the ability already applied. Thus, you end up with nonbasic lands which are Mountains, and a 1/1 with no abilities.

Chaos Wand - MTG-Arena: Bug I just played a game against a red/green dino/burn deck. ​ The first 2 spells I pulled were lightning strikes, however then the bug came in... ​ I chaos wanded every single turn, the deck made the animation of going through the cards, would pull about 4-10 and stop. -----NO IMAGES - NOTHING\----- were on screen and the only thing there was to click was "Cast this Spell?" and "Resolve" Button. But the game saw nothing to cast I suppose? I'm certain and would bet my left testicle i could have casted several shocks/circuitous routes. ​ Absolutely no images of the cards it exiled nor pulled and I know for certain there were tons of burns it had to have been pulling as its the only spells the player had in his deck other than circuitous'. ​ Thankfully I was playing azorious control, won anyways but still highly annoying as I love brewing with chaos wand. It's so fun but this is actually game altering in some ways. ​ ​ EDIT: Just to add, I even EXILED my chaos wand with oath of teferi, it came back and I tried again. Still the same issue of NO images.

There is a known issue with Chaos Wand, where if you exile an Instant or Sorcery card you cannot cast, then it will simply finish resolving by putting the exiled cards back into their Library. It won't show you that exiled Instant/Sorcery card.

Oath of the Gatewatch Colorless and Animar So my question is with Animar out with say 5 counters would a card like Thought-Knot Seer or Reality Smasher be free or would the both cost one mana from basically any source? In addition to that can the rhombus shaped colorless be paid for with the colorless something like a Thran Dynamo makes?

The diamond shape mana symbol is the colourless mana requirement. It's different to the generic cost (the number in a circle). Generic costs can be paid with any type of mana; colourless costs can only be paid with colourless mana, just the same as how green costs can only be paid with green mana. You can't have generic mana in your mana pool; compare the Commander 2015 and Commander 2016 printings of [[Sol Ring]] for how colourless mana was shown before and after the change. Animar only affects the generic component of a mana cost. The Reality Smasher will, at the very least, cost one colourless mana to cast. It can't be mana from any source: you can't tap a Forest to pay for the colourless mana any more than you can tap a Forest to pay for a red mana symbol. The source specifically needs to add colourless mana; for example [[Wastes]], the first ability of [[Brushland]], the ability of [[Thran Dynamo]].

Instant v Ability Hey, I have a question regarding the seed of Instants and Abilitys. Following situation: I have 6 energy counters and play [[electrostatic pummeler]], my opponent reacts by playing [[shock]]. Now, can I activate my creatures ability twice (resulting in a 4/4 stat line) in order to save it? Or does his instant strike first? V2 of the question. What if the ability of my creature gives it hexproof, does that change the situation?

Wait... Are they responding to the Creature Spell, or the Triggered ability of said Creature? If they are responding to the Spell, then they can't target the Pummeler with Shock, and you can't activate it. It would need to be on the Battlefield to be targeted by Shock or to be activated. If the Creature Spell had resolved, and they are responding to the Triggered ability... You can respond to the Shock Spell by activating the ability of Pummeler, let it resolve, giving it +1/+1. Then activate it a second time, giving it +2/+2, making it a 4/4. Next, their Shock Spell resolves and deals your 4/4 Creature 2 damage. And finally, the triggered ability resolves, and you get {EEE} from the Pummeler's trigger. Also, if you gave the Creature targeted by your opponent's spell Hexproof, then their Spell won't be able to affect the illegal target. And, their Spell will likely not resolve, if all its target(s) are illegal.

Triggered abilities question If an ability is triggered and placed on the stack and then the permanent that created that trigger is removed, does the triggered ability still resolve? I think the ability still resolves but I seem to remember there are some instances where this is the case. Hopefully yall can help me clarify and thank in advance.

Generally, yes, it'll resolve. In certain circumstances it won't, but they're exceptions. The two that I can think of are 1) when the trigger targets it's source and only it's source and 2) when the trigger has an intervening if clause and the condition needs it in whatever zone it's in.

Does runic armasaur trigger off of azcanta searches ? Does runic armasaur allow you to draw a card every time someone searches with azcanta?

Yes, every time the second ability of Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin is activated you get to draw because it is not a mana ability. Mana abilities have three criteria 1. It could add mana to your mana pool (so Gaea's Cradle still counts even if you have no creatures on the battlefield) 2. It has no targets (so Deathrite Shaman's first ability is not a mana ability) 3. It is not a loyalty ability (so Sarkhan, Fireblood's second ability is not a mana ability)

If Myr welder exiled Azors’ gateway, and used the gateway ability to exile elite arcanist, would I be able to copy any of the cards exiled with Myr welder irrelevant of the card type? I ask due to isochron sceptre not allowing this due to the text on its original printing referring specifically to instants. Thank you in advance.

No. The Scepter's abilities are linked. If a card is not exiled by the triggered ability of a Scepter, then it cannot be copied by the activated ability of that Scepter. 607.2a If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that instructs a player to exile one or more cards and an ability printed on it that refers either to “the exiled cards” or to cards “exiled with [this object],” these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to cards in the exile zone that were put there as a result of an instruction to exile them in the first ability.

Mtg ruling rise of dark realms and eternal witness Eternal witness in grave and you activate rise of the dark realms does rise go to grave immediately or does all creatures enter the battlefield first then rise of the dark realms enters grave. Scenario is play it with eternal then re add it back to had with eternal when it comes out from grave, IS THIS ALLOWED

If you have no intention of reading ahead, yes. As the final step of Rise of the dark realms resolving it is put into the graveyard. 608.2k As the final part of an instant or sorcery spell’s resolution, the spell is put into its owner’s graveyard. As the final part of an ability’s resolution, the ability is removed from the stack and ceases to exist. However this means that eternal witness will have it’s ability on the stack with rise in the graveyard, allowing it to be targeted as putting an instant or sorcery into the graveyard is a part of resolving.

"Double queuing" in real life I got to thinking about this hypothetical due to niche Paper tournaments (Pauper, Legacy, etc) that might not fire during the December holiday weeks in college towns. Would it be possible for someone to "double queue", signing up to play in the same paper tournament twice, and playing two matches simultaneously each round, like Chess players are sometimes known for? Assume you have card holders to make keeping your two hands separate, and are playing two linear decks with fewer decision points like Burn and Bogles. And also, assume the player can make decisions very quickly. Whenever I play complex eurogames, I always have my own minigame of trying to complete my turn in 5-10 seconds while other players are taking whole minutes. At a small store event with 4-10 people it shouldn't be an issue to just always have your two opponents sit next to each other. The two questions are, might tournament organizers allow this? And secondly, would it even be possible with WotC's tournament software, since you'd have to input one person with the same DCI number twice into the same event?

For sanctioned tournaments, this is not supported by the tournament software and not permitted. Honestly, I'm not sure there's a rule specifically covering this in the MTR. However, like dogs not being allowed to play basketball despite no rule specifically prohibiting it, the context provided with the tournament documents all implies that a player cannot be entered into a tournament multiple times. Even beyond the question of "Is this allowed?" is the question of "Should this be allowed?". I'd posit the answer is "No". A few things one would need to handle/bear in mind if trying to allow something like this: Added difficulty in adjudicating reasonable pace-of-play What happens if a player gets paired against themselves? Like many games, there is a social aspect to Magic. We don't just get together to play cards--there's any number of things that would allow us to do so from the comfort of our own homes. Playing two games at once, in this sense, is not as good. There is nothing stopping a store from running an unsanctioned tournament with a fewer-than-sanctioned-minimum number of players, so I'm not sure I see what problem exists that this would really solve.

Alesha, Who Smiles at Death and Smuggler's Copter question One rule question I've always had is this one- If I have out Alesha, Who Smiles at Death and a Smuggler's Copter, and I attack with both, paying for Alesha's ability, can I stack or arrange things so that Alesha can pick the discarded card from the copter as the reanimation target?

No. When the abilities are put on the stack, you choose a target for [[Alesha, Who Smiles At Death]]'s ability. At that point, you haven't resolved the [[Smuggler's Copter]] ability yet.

Chamber of manipulation Let’s say I use chamber of manipulation to steal a creature and my opponent disenchanted my chamber while I have a stolen creature. What happens to the creature.

The effect giving you control of the creature doesn't depend on you continuing to control Chamber of Manipulation or the land it is enchanted to. You'll control the creature until the end of the turn, at which point the effect ends as usual.

A question about an interaction between Nissa, Vastwood Seer and feldon of the third path Ok so I was going through strategies for my omnath locus of rage deck and couldn't find ruling for this, what would happen if I used feldon's ability on Nissa, Vastwood Seer in my graveyard and her transform ability occurred? Would it just exile the token or would I get the Planeswalker side after the transform effect occurred from the feldon token copy? Edit: thank you u/wonkifier for answering my question, it was a big help

It just gets exiled. It's referenced in in the section "2. Entering the battlefield transformed" And more specifically, from the Comp rules 711.8a If a player is instructed to put a card that isn’t a double-faced card onto the battlefield transformed, that card stays in its current zone.

Infinite Combo Disruption Hello! I was originally going to post this over in r/EDH, but forum rules said that was a “no no,” so here I am. I played against a deck together that had the following cards on the battlefield: 1: [[Viscera Seer]] 2: [[Saffi Eriksdotter]] 3: [[Renegade Rallier]] Opponent cast [[Zulaport Cutthroat]] and asked “kill you?” implying that he was able to combo infinitely and drain me. I was wondering what my options are for interacting with/disrupting combos like these on the stack in the future? For example, if I had instant speed removal like [[Go For The Throat]], or exile GY effect like [[Tormod’s Crypt]] or [[Surgical Extraction]]?

Destroying saffi eriksdotter’s target in response to her activated ability would do it.

Grip of Chaos and interactions between other cards So let me start off by saying that I made a chaos deck. Braced for the downvotes. But one question comes up again and again with \[\[Grip of Chaos\]\] ​ Since Grip of Chaos specifically states spells and abilities that only have a single target, does it randomly redistribute the targets of spells/abilities that have clauses? One specific case was between Grip of Chaos and \[\[Puca's Mischief\]\]. Puca's mischief is one ability with two single target choices. From the rummaging through the official rules, I can't seem to find specific rulings (not to mention that the gatherer errata is lacking for Grip of Chaos). My gut feeling is that since Puca's Mischief is a single ability with two targets, Grip of Chaos wouldn't apply. ​ Other interactions I'm curious about are spells and abilities that have multiple modes like \[\[Mystic Confluence\]\]. Since the mechanics of Grip of Chaos is that the player chooses the target, then Grip of Chao's ability goes on the stack. If a player would choose the same mode, targeting the same creature three times (in the case of Mystic Confluence), would Grip of Chaos' ability go on the stack? Likewise, if I chose three different creatures, would Grip of Chaos' ability go on the stack? ​ The way I see it, if the spell/ability would target more than one target, regardless of clauses (as long as it's a single ability), Grip of Chaos wouldn't activate. If the spell/ability can do multiple targets, but all modes/targets target the same target (whew) then Grip of Chaos' ability goes on the stack. ​ Just looking for guidance one way or another.

You're mostly there, I think you're just overthinking it a little. Look at the spell as it exists on the stack (choices made, targets selected)... does that thing have a single target? Then it interacts. If not, it doesn't. My gut feeling is that since Puca's Mischief is a single ability with two targets, Grip of Chaos wouldn't apply. Correct. Other interactions I'm curious about are spells and abilities that have multiple modes like [[Mystic Confluence]]. When casting a spell, you choose modes before choosing targets. Only if the chosen mode has a target does the spell on the stack have a target. When GoC comes in, you pick the target randomly... there's no chance to change the mode choice. So... if your spell had a single target, it gets reselected randomly. Easy peasy. If a player would choose the same mode, targeting the same creature three times (in the case of Mystic Confluence) There would be 3 targets for that spell, so there's no interaction with GoC. (It's basically a single spell ability with the text "Return target creature to its owner's hand. Return target creature to its owner's hand. Return target creature to its owner's hand." by the time GoC is deciding to fiddle with it.) as long as it's a single ability You can't have more than one ability on a thing on the stack. I think you might be confusing effects with abilities. If a spell says "counter target Spell, draw a card" (Cryptic Command with those 2 chosen modes), it's one ability with two effects (and in this case, one target).

Card interactions, Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle My question is when Arixmethes still has slumber counters on it, and i play a card like Sylvan Awakening or any other card that turns target land into creature, Would that make Arixmethes a creature until end of turn? The creature it turns into isnt the normal 12/12 but whatever the card describes. Or since he still has counters on him he would only be a land still? Thanks in advance!

It's a 2/2 Creature. Since the effects are all affecting the card's type (land or creature), they're happening at the same "layer 4", so you process them in the order the effects show up. The cards ability happens as soon as it hits the battlefield, so as you evaluate effects, it starts off wanting to be a land. The next thing that happens at that layer is it becomes a creature in addition to being a land. At the end of your turn that second effect disappears, and you're just left with the initial one.

How does Thousand-Year Storm and Splice onto Arcane interact? Say I have Thousand-Year Storm out with a storm counter of 3 or something. I cast Reach Through Mists and Splice Desperate Ritual onto it. I know that I'd draw the 4 cards because as of casting Reach the counter would go up to 4 but would the 3 mana from Desperate Ritual apply to all copies of Reach Through Mists or would I need to splice for each copy?

It would. You're copying what's on the stack, and the spell on the stack has both effects on it.

Strionic Resonator and Imprint So I had the \[\[Strionic Resonator\]\] and the \[\[Isochron Scepter\]\] in my hand then realized that the Imprint ability is a triggered ability. Which made me wonder what happens when you copy the Imprint of Isochron Scepter. ​ Looking at the logic of the abilities I see one of three cases; 1.) Imprint gets copied, and when tapped, Isochron Scepter sees two instants/sorceries and copies both 2.) Imprint gets copied, and when tapped, Isochron Scepter sees two instants/sorceries and can only copy one 3.) Imprint gets copied, but the second Imprint instance replaces the first Imprint, making it only copy the one spell

Both are imprinted, and you can copy/cast none, one, or both. From the Comp Rules 607.3. If, within a pair of linked abilities, one ability refers to a single object as “the exiled card,” “a card exiled with [this card],” or a similar phrase, and the other ability has exiled multiple cards (usually because it was copied), the ability refers to each of the exiled cards. If that ability asks for any information about the exiled card, such as a characteristic or converted mana cost, it gets multiple answers. If these answers are used to determine the value of a variable, the sum of the answers is used. If that ability performs any actions on the exiled card, it performs that action on each exiled card.

Tocatli Honor guard blink timing question So, if I have a [[Tocatli Honor guard]], and I play an eerie interlude, with say an [[acidic slime]], and I target both the honor guard and the slime, can I still get the trigger from the slime, or would the honor guard prevent that trigger from going on the stack?

would the honor guard prevent that trigger from going on the stack? This one is closest. Technically, it would stop it from triggering entirely. Triggers are checked after the game state is completed. The principle is enshrined in this rule which specifically calls out continuous effects that modify characteristics, but it also applies to continuous effects that modify control of objects or that alter the rules (like Tocatl Honor Guard's continuous effect). - 611.3c Continuous effects that modify characteristics of permanents do so simultaneously with the permanent entering the battlefield. They don’t wait until the permanent is on the battlefield and then change it. Because such effects apply as the permanent enters the battlefield, they are applied before determining whether the permanent will cause an ability to trigger when it enters the battlefield.

Stolen Strategy mana restrictions Couldn't find many rulings on [[Stolen Strategy]], wondering what mana can and can't be spent on cards exiled this way. Are you allowed to spend generic mana on flipped card, such as [[Mana Crypt]] or [[Temple of the False God]] ? Does this ruling vary if you were playing a card with a colourless cost aspect included in its price, say for example [[Nexus of Fate]] , assuming you don't have Blue in your colour options do you have to give a mana of colour to all 7 of the CMC, can you convert the 2 Blue into another colour and still spend 5 colourless or do you have to now spend all 7 from sources with colour? Sorry if this is a bit of a basic question, with different mana sources, Eldrazi devoid colourless and then mana rocks like [[Sol Ring]] that have been printed to say both "add Colourless/Colourless" and "Add (2) to your mana pool" I'm getting a bit lost in what mana sources count as colourless. Thanks in advance!

Anything that used to give "generic" mana gives colorless mana now. Colorless mana can always be spent to pay for generic mana costs. [[Stolen Strategy]] specifies that you can use mana "as though it was mana of any color" - meaning, any mana can be treated as any specific color while casting the exiled cards. Colorless is not a color, but a type, but it can be spent as though it was colored for the purposes of Stolen Strategy.

Sacrificing another players enchantment placed on your board? Quick question and i appreciate the answers in advance, if i run shattergang brothers and one of my permanents got hit with vow of malice or a creature has vow of flight from another player, am i able to sacrifice the enchantments since there on my board or its not able to be sacrificed since it was cast by another player?

am i able to sacrifice the enchantments No, you don't control them. since they're on my board There's no such concept in the game. The battlefield is a single zone shared by all players. Permanents you control typically sit nearest to you on the field, except when they're attached to a permanent that someone else controls. - 400.1 A zone is a place where objects can be during a game. There are normally seven zones: library, hand, battlefield, graveyard, stack, exile, and command. Some older cards also use the ante zone. Each player has his or her own library, hand, and graveyard. The other zones are shared by all players. - 403.1 Most of the area between the players represents the battlefield. The battlefield starts out empty. Permanents a player controls are normally kept in front of them on the battlefield, though there are some cases (such as an Aura attached to another player’s permanent) when a permanent one player controls is kept closer to a different player. - 303.4e An Aura’s controller is separate from the enchanted object’s controller or the enchanted player; the two need not be the same. [..] - 701.16a To sacrifice a permanent, its controller moves it from the battlefield directly to its owner’s graveyard. A player can’t sacrifice something that isn’t a permanent, or something that’s a permanent he or she doesn’t control. Sacrificing a permanent doesn’t destroy it, so regeneration or other effects that replace destruction can’t affect this action.

Question on Szadek, Lord of Secrets Ability How would his ability work on the stack? would it do the counters first, so the person mills 10 or mill first so its only 5?

Szadek's ability is a Static ability that generates a Replacement effect. It does not use the Stack. As a 5/5, it would deal 5 damage. Instead, it gets 5x +1/+1 counters and mills 5 cards. As a 10/10, it would deal 10 damage. Instead, it gets 10x +1/+1 counters and mills 10 cards. As a 20/20, it would deal 20 damage. Instead, it gets 20x +1/+1 counters and mills 20 cards.

Trostani+static bonuses? Let's say I have \[\[Trostani, Selesnya's Voice\]\] on the battlefield. I also have \[\[Stalwart Shield-Bearers\]\] on the battlefield. Then I cast \[\[Overgrown Battlement\]\]. Would I gain 4 life, or 6 because the Bearers are "buffing" my Battlement when it enters the battlefield? I can't remember for the life of me if that's how it works.

The overgrown battlement will already be on the battlefield when trostani’s triggered ability resolves, when it resolves it will check the toughness of the battlement. I.e. you gain 6 life.

What works with Teysa Karlov? So the up-and-coming Ravnica Allegiance has a new Teysa Karlov card..., and I'm impatient. I can't stand not knowing how a card works. Teysa has an ability that says "If a creature dying causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time." So, the question is, does that only work with triggers that specifically say "when X creature dies" or does it work with "leave the battlefield" triggers as long as the creature died. Do exploit triggers double up as long as the exploited creature died? And so on. I'm sure the release notes will probably cover this, but I was wondering if there was a way to know the answer now. Thank you for your time.

does that only work with triggers that specifically say "when X creature dies" or does it work with "leave the battlefield" triggers as long as the creature died? The latter, plus a few other. These would trigger twice. - when/whenever ]creature] dies - when/whenever [creature] is put in a/your graveyard from the battlefield - when/whenever [creature] leaves the battlefield though only if it dies - when/whenever [creature] is put in a/your graveyard from anywhere though only if both a) it dies and b) Teysa is on the field immediately following the death It will not double triggers whose trigger condition trigger on sacrifice, exploit or destroy although triggers in the four above templates would trigger an additional time for dying as a result of those three actions.

Multipliers This is probably dumb, but how do multipliers stack? For example if I have a creature attacking for X damage, a card that multiplies the damage by Y, and a card that multiplies the damage by Z will it trigger as x(yz) or x(y+z) I would assume it was the first but someone in my EDH group told me otherwise when I gave my gisela helm of the host. Any help is appreciated thanks!

If you control multiple Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, each will apply to the amount of damage dealt. So, if your 5/5 would deal 5 damage to an opponent; The first Gisela would double that to 10. A second Gisela would double that to 20. A third Gisela would double that to 40. etc. Likewise, if a 5/5 would deal 5 damage to you; The first Gisela would prevent 3 of that damage, leaving 2 damage. A second Gisela would prevent 1 of that damage, leaving 1 damage. A third Gisela would prevent 1 of that damage, leaving nothing. etc.

Azor's gateway and negative life I'll start off by admitting that this is more a curiosity than something that's actually likely to come up, since no matter what, it's not something you would do with the intent to win. If I have flipped azor's gateway into sanctum of the sun and gone into negative health using lich's mastery, what would tapping sanctum of the sun do? Would I gain negative mana? Or would it just generate 0 mana? If I were at -2 life and wanted to tap sanctum of the sun and then cleansing nova for artifacts, would I need 7 mana or just 5?

Or would it just generate 0 mana? This is correct. 107.1b Most of the time, the Magic game uses only positive numbers and zero. You can’t choose a negative number, deal negative damage, gain negative life, and so on. However, it’s possible for a game value, such as a creature’s power, to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison needs to use a negative value, it does so. If a calculation that would determine the result of an effect yields a negative number, zero is used instead, unless that effect doubles or sets to a specific value a player’s life total or a creature’s power and/or toughness.

Mirage Mirror + Merieke Ri Berit If I activate a non-summoning sick Mirage Mirror targeting an opponent’s Merieke Ri Beret. Then activating my “Mirror”ieke Beret gaining control of an opposing creature. What would happen with the stolen creature at end of turn? Also, what would happen to the original creature if i recopied Merieke my next turn, successfully steal another creature, then have my “Mirror”ieke Beret stolen by the opposing Merieke Ri Berit?

What would happen with the stolen creature at end of turn? Nothing. When a card refers to itself by name, it's referring to the piece of cardboard regardless of what the name is at the moment. So you still control the card that was the source of that ability. Also, what would happen to the original creature if i recopied Merieke my next turn, successfully steal another creature, then have my “Mirror”ieke Beret stolen by the opposing Merieke Ri Berit? Your turn starts, your Mirage Mirror untaps in your untap step. At the beginning of your upkeep step, the "when MRB ... becomes untapped..." ability goes on the stack. Then you get priority to do things like normal. What all exactly happens depends on exactly when everyone does what exactly, but regardless, that creature you originally stole is getting destroyed. Two reasons: - When you activated MRB's ability last turn and it went on the stack, that ability is independent of where it came from, so its effects will continue whether or not MRB is still there. (Think of it like throwing a grenade... if I shoot you after you throw it, I'm still gonna get blown up) - When something refers to a card by name like that, it refers to the piece of cardboard at the time, regardless of what its name is now. So even though it's your next turn and it's a Mirage Mirror, not a MRB, that activated ability's effect is still eyeballing your MM to know what to do with your opponent's creature. EDIT: Remove initial sentence that shouldn't have been there to begin with

Question about new targets.. If I already have in play and I target my buddy when I play , could I name the "new" target as my buddy again? Or do new targets need to be distinct from previous targets?

This question is entirely negated by the word "may" in swarm intelligence. You are not required to change the target. In fact there is only one card that does not include the word "may" when choosing new targets Emissary of Grudges, and it does require you to pick different targets.

Do counters or +1/+1 go away when the creature giving them dies? Example: 7 Elf cards have, "put +1/=1 counter on (target creature, Elf creature, etc) creature you control." If/when the Creature giving the +1/=1 dies do the counters go away? Do you lose the +1/+1? Here are the cards: Kujar Seedsculptor, Ivy Lane Denizen, Elvish Archdruid, Dwynen, Gilt - Leaf Daen, Sylvan Advocate, Nissa"s Judgement, Gladehard Cavalry. Sylvan Advocate has a conditional: "As long as your control six or more lands, SA and land creature you control get +2/+2." Some other conditionals: "Other Elf Creatures...get +1," "Whenever another green creature enters the battlefield...," two of the cards say, "target creature you control." (I did Goog this and checked the Comprehensive Rules, did not find anything." ​

If the effect puts counters on a thing, they stay. (example: Kujar Seedsculptor) The effect says "put a thing on that other thing"... it's a physical thing, so it stays. If the effect says "gets +1/+1" it goes away. (example: Elvish Archdruid) This is because the effect is a continuous effect... the effect only exists while the creature is on the field, so when the creature leaves, so does the effect.

Beamsplitter Mage and spells that target 1 or more targets Say I have a \[\[Beamsplitter Mage\]\] and I cast \[\[Beral's Expertise\]\] targeting only the mage. That successfully makes a copy, but due to wording on Beamsplitter, that copy can only target creatures, and only one specifically which is determined before the copy is made. I couldn't find any ruling on the mage's oracle text to sufficiently answer this question, so I wanted to verify. ​ Your professional opinion is appreciated.

What is your question? You want verification that the copy is made with a single target and that the copy can only target that creature? Assuming that you control another creature, yes, that's correct. If you don't have another creature immediately after you cast Expertise, Beamsplitter Mage won't trigger because the intervening if clause would be false. If you do have another creature, BSM's trigger gets put on the stack, if you still have another creature as the trigger goes to resolve, it'll have you choose one of the other creatures and make a copy of Baral's Expertise targeting that creature. Also note that the copy is put on the stack above the original Expertise and will resolve first. - 706.10 To copy a spell [..] means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn’t cast [..]. A copy of a spell [..] copies both the characteristics of the spell [..] and all decisions made for it, including modes, targets, the value of X, and additional or alternative costs. Choices that are normally made on resolution are not copied. If an effect of the copy refers to objects used to pay its costs, it uses the objects used to pay the costs of the original spell [..]. A copy of a spell is owned by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell [..] is controlled by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell is itself a spell, even though it has no spell card associated with it.[..] - 706.10d Some effects copy a spell or ability for each player or object it “could target.” The copies are put onto the stack with those targets in the order of their controller’s choice. If the spell or ability has more than one target, each of its targets must be the same player or object. If that player or object isn’t a legal target for each instance of the word “target,” a copy isn’t created for that player or object. - 603.4 A triggered ability may read “When/Whenever/At [trigger event], if [condition], [effect].” When the trigger event occurs, the ability checks whether the stated condition is true. The ability triggers only if it is; otherwise it does nothing. If the ability triggers, it checks the stated condition again as it resolves. If the condition isn’t true at that time, the ability is removed from the stack and does nothing. Note that this mirrors the check for legal targets. This rule is referred to as the “intervening ‘if’ clause” rule. (The word “if” has only its normal English meaning anywhere else in the text of a card; this rule only applies to an “if” that immediately follows a trigger condition.)

Brudiclad + Elemental Mastery, if I change the elemental tokens to a different token do I still have to exile them? Like the title said. If I have Brudiclad out and have Elemental Mastery attached to him. If I generate 4 elementals that are supposed to be exiled at the end of the turn, but then on combat I turn them into 2/1 myr or some other token, do I still have to exile those 4 tokens at the end of the turn?

Yep. The delayed trigger exiles the game objects that the ability created, even if those objects changed characteristics. If they were destroyed and replaced by something else (like if someone cast Pongify on one of them), you'd get to keep the new token, but if they just turn into a different token but don't leave the battlefield, the delayed trigger will be able to find them.

Banisher Priest vs. Lignify Playing a treefolk deck and my opponent exiles one of my creatures with Banisher Priest. "When Banisher Priest enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until Banisher Priest leaves the battlefield. (That creature returns under its owner's control.)" I play Lignify on the Banisher Priest "Enchant creature - Enchanted creature is a 0/4 Treefolk with no abilities" Is the exiled creature still exiled, or does it come back? The physical card of the Priest hasn't left the battlefield, it's just enchanted. BUT - isn't it the ability of the Priest that is keeping the other creature in exile, the ability that lignify takes away?

isn't it the ability of the Priest that is keeping the other creature in exile, the ability that lignify takes away? No. Banisher Priest entered the battlefield and triggered its ability. This creates a triggered ability object on the stack with the text of that ability from its source (ie. from Banisher Priest). When that ability resolves, it uses a one-shot effect to move the creature to exile. It also sets up a "delayed" one-shot effect that waits for the source to leave the field. That triggered ability object then ceases to exist. The delayed one-shot effect doesn't care that the triggered ability no longer exists nor that the Banisher Priest on the field no longer has the ability. It only cares whether or not its source game object (ie. Banisher Priest) has left the field, if it has, then it fires and moves the exiled creature back to the field immediately after the Priest object leaves. It doesn't even have to be Banisher Priest when it leaves for the delayed one-shot effect to fire. If you used Cytoshape to have Banisher Priest become a copy of Grizzly Bears and it leaves the field as a Grizzly Bears, the delayed one-shot effect will still fire and return it. - 603.3 Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that’s not a card the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 116, “Timing and Priority.” The ability becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. It remains on the stack until it’s countered, it resolves, a rule causes it to be removed from the stack, or an effect moves it elsewhere. - 610.3 Some one-shot effects cause an object to change zones “until” a specified event occurs. A second one-shot effect is created immediately after the specified event. This second one-shot effect returns the object to its previous zone.

Phyrexian Unlife + Dire Fleet Ravager + Spinerock Knoll into Reverse the Sands? I was playing a jank deck on XMage and had on the battlefield [[Phyrexian Unlife]], [[Wall of Blood]], and [[Spinerock Knoll]] (which I used to exile [[Reverse the Sands]]). My opponent had [[Shalai, Voice of Plenty]] on the battlefield. It was my turn, I had 10 life, and my opponent had 34 life. I used [[Wall of Blood]] to bring my life total down to 0. Then, I played [[Dire Fleet Ravager]] to bring my opponent's life total down to 22 life. But then, XMage wouldn't let me use Spinerock Knoll's special ability. What gives?

Spinerock is looking for your opponent to take 7 damage. You caused them to lose life, that's different. Normally when you take damage, the result is you lose life. Damage causes the life loss, Damage is not the same thing as life loss. (Damage can add poison counters, for example... and other cards can say "lose X life"... as you saw here)

Experimental Frenzy prevents the extra card played from Electrodominance, right?

Yes. In Magic, "can't" overrides "can".

Gather Specimens Interactions When is the proper time cast Gather Specimens when responding to a spell or ability? Let's say that I have it in my hand, while my opponent has Mayael the Anima. They then activate her ability; at what point would I cast the spell to get what they least want me to have? As they activate the ability? After the choice is made?

at what point would I cast the spell to get what they least want me to have? At no point. If you cast it before they activate, they won't activate. If you cast it after they activate and before it resolves, they'll likely just choose not to put something out. If you cast it after they activate and after it resolves, it's too late to grab whatever they found. After the choice is made? The first opportunity you have to cast it after the choice, will be after the ability has fully resolved and they already have the creature. - 116.1a A player may cast an instant spell any time they have priority. [..] - 116.2e Resolving spells and abilities may instruct players to make choices or take actions, or may allow players to activate mana abilities. Even if a player is doing so, no player has priority while a spell or ability is resolving. - 116.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.

Copying a spell that was multi-kicked Let’s say I have a [[Thousand-Year Storm]] out. Then I cast [[Comet Storm]] multi-kicked. If that was the 3rd spell I cast, Will the multi-kicker get copied with it? And I guess more to the point, is the X in the cost copied as well?

Yes. The two Spell-Copies will have the benefit of being multi-kicked, with the same number of Targets as the original spell.

Awakening Land Creatures If I cast \[\[Sylvan Awakening\]\] and then use the effect of \[\[noyan dar roil shaper\]\] to awaken a land-creature I control, is it a 0/0 with 3 counters or a 2/2 with 3 counters? Also, does it retain its indestructibility?

When you cast the Spell, Noyan Dar's trigger is put on the top of the Stack. And, the trigger will resolve first. So, first the trigger resolves, the Land becomes a (Layer 7b) 0/0 with (Layer 7d) three +1/+1 counters. Then, Awakening resolves, the Land becomes a (Layer 7b) ~~0/0~~ 2/2 with (Layer 7d) three +1/+1 counters. That Land is currently a 5/5 with Reach, Indestructible and two instances of Haste. If you cast another Instant/Sorcery Spell, after Awakening has resolved; Then, the targeted Land will be a (Layer 7b) ~~2/2~~ 0/0 with (Layer 7d) three +1/+1 counters. This Land is a 3/3 with Reach, Indestructible and two instances of Haste.

Boreas Charger and Taysa Karlov If Boreas Charger dies, does Taysa Karlov copy the trigger from Boreas Charger?

Notes and rules changes for Ravnica Allegiance haven't been release yet, and this interaction is intricate enough I'd suggest waiting for that.

How does Baral work with copied counterspells? Say I have Baral, Chief of Compliance out. Then I cast a Counterspell. I have another card like primal wellspring that creates a copy of it. Do both Counterspells counter? Does Baral’s ability trigger twice?

A Spell can only be countered once. So, if your Counterspell-copy resolves and counters the targeted Spell, then Baral will trigger once. When the original-Counterspell attempts to resolve, if the Spell it was targeting no longer exists, then this Counterspell doesn't resolve, and is simply put into your Graveyard. 608.2b If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target that’s no longer in the zone it was in when it was targeted is illegal. Other changes to the game state may cause a target to no longer be legal; for example, its characteristics may have changed or an effect may have changed the text of the spell. If the source of an ability has left the zone it was in, its last known information is used during this process. If all its targets, for every instance of the word “target,” are now illegal, the spell or ability doesn’t resolve. It’s removed from the stack and, if it’s a spell, put into its owner’s graveyard. Otherwise, the spell or ability will resolve normally. [...]

Estrid's Invocation and Act of Authority Say I have an \[\[Act of Authority\]\] on the field under my control, and an \[\[Estrid's Invocation\]\] copying it. At the beginning of my upkeep, both the blink effect and the exile target artifact/enchantment abilities from the Estrid Invocation copy go onto the stack. The target artifact destruction ability is targeting something my opponent controls. The question I have is does the change of control via the copied Authority trigger affect the blink? If the blink resolves first and I recopy my Act of Authority, will the enchantment become controlled by my opponent when the upkeep trigger resolves (assuming I don't exile anything with the ETB trigger from the new Estrid Act of Authority copy)? ​ If I have the change of control exile trigger resolve before the blink and the Estrid AoA is under my opponent's control when the stack gets to the blink trigger, will Estrid's Invocation be blinked back to my control? Or does the opponent get to choose whether the enchantment gets blinked?

L1 here. Whenever Estrid's Invocation blinks (or whenever any object changes zones), it becomes a new object. This means that the triggered ability to exile an artifact or an enchantment will resolves proprely but the gain control effect won't happen since the original object is not there anymore (cause it blinked out), even if its back on the battlefield. The ability tried to resolves the best it can. If you also need your opponent to control the invocation for a moment, yes, you can order the trigger as you mentionned. Since ypu are still the owner of the ability when it resolves, you still have the choice to blink it to get it back on your side. (And most likely coping Act of Authority again, causing the ETB ability to trigger. Quite a combo)

Please don't take down my comment @mogrules 😂😂😂

Stop. Harassing. A Subreddit Mod. For asking you politely. To follow. Subreddit. Rules.

Do tokens that EOB "tapped and attacking" trigger "when a creature you control attacks" abilities? The specific interaction I'm wondering about is \[\[Leonin Warleader\]\] and \[\[Cavalcade of Calamity\]\], a new red uncommon enchantment in RNA. But there are a handful of other creatures who have similar abilities to Warleader for the purposes of this thread. Leonin Warleader is a 4/4 creature that has a triggered ability of "Whenever Leonin Warleader attacks, create two 1/1 white Cat creature tokens with lifelink that are tapped and attacking ". Cavalcade is an enchantment with the triggered ability "Whenever a creature you control with power 1 or less attacks, Cavalcade of Calamaty deals 1 damage to the player or planeswalker that creature is attacking." My question is whether Leonin Warleader's two 1/1 cat tokens will trigger Cavalcade of Calamity on the turn the tokens EOB. I may be putting too much stock on verb tenses, but if the tokens are already "attacking" when they appear, it seems like that means the decision to "attack" was made off the battlefield and might not trigger Cavalcade. But that may also be needlessly hyper-technical and it could be that you just assess the board at the conclusion of the Declare Attackers Step, in which case the cats would seemingly count. Anyone know the answer for sure? Thanks!

Do tokens that EOB "tapped and attacking" trigger "when a creature you control attacks" abilities? They do not. From the comprehensive rules about the Declare Attackers step: 508.3a. An ability that reads "Whenever [a creature] attacks, . . ." triggers if that creature is declared as an attacker. Similarly, "Whenever [a creature] attacks [a player or planeswalker], . . ." triggers if that creature is declared as an attacker attacking that player or planeswalker. Such abilities won't trigger if a creature is put onto the battlefield attacking. The reason for this, essentially, is that although the tokens in your scenario are attacking, they never attacked, and they missed the point in time when such an ability would trigger.

Knight of the reliquary and Winding constrictor I was struggling to find anything on this interaction and am curious. If I cast [[knight of the reliquary]] while I have a [[winding constrictor]] on the board does the knight get counters for any lands already in my graveyard plus one from the constrictor? Also if I were to use the knights ability to sacrifice to a land find a fetch and crack it. Would it get +2 +2 for the sacrificed land entering the graveyard and then +2 +2 for the fetch land if [[winding constrictor]] was also on the board?

There's no interaction at all here, because Knight of the Reliquary doesn't get counters, it just has a static ability that pumps itself. An ability only grants counters if it uses the word "counter".

Enchanting a permanent with shroud My friend exiled an enchantment and returned it to the battlefield. Can he exile it with shroud?

How was the enchantment exiled? ​ If it was a spell or ability that used the word "Target", and your friend did not use another spell/ability with text similar to "ignore shroud" like \[\[Arcane Lighthouse\]\], then no, you can't exile it. ​ If he exiled the enchantment, but the permanent has shroud, then yes, it is legal. Example; creature with enchantment that says "enchanted creature has shroud". The enchantment does not have shroud and can be targeted.

Guttersnipe and Expansion I have a Guttersnipe on the field and cast Shock. My opponent cast Expansion copying Shock. Does Guttersnipe get an extra trigger off of Expansion?

- Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell... I cast Shock. Trigger? Cast by you? Yes! My opponent cast... Trigger? Cast by you? No, not cast by you. - Copy target instant or sorcery spell... - 706.10 To copy a spell means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn’t cast. Trigger? Cast by you? No, not cast at all.

Lazav the Multifarious Interaction Currently brewing an EDH deck for [[Lazav the Multifarious]] and this came up: I have [[Wall of Blood]] and [[Blighted Agent]] in my GY and Lazav on the field. Lazav copies Wall of Blood and I pay 9 life to give him +9/+9 until end of turn. I move to combat, Lazav copies Blighted Agent to become a base 1/1 with infect and unblockable. Does Lazav keep the +9/+9 and swing for 10 or am I swinging with a 1/1? Why?

Yes, it does. Lazav has a copy effect. It only affects its Layer 1 copiable values. Just as effects applied in later Layers aren't seen by copy effects, they aren't overwritten by copy effects either. So, Lazav goes from {Layer 1: Wall of Blood, Layer 7c: 9x +1/+1} to {Layer 1: ~~Wall of Blood~~, Blighted Agent, Layer 7c: 9x +1/+1}

Where does a revealed tutored card exist? If I tutor for a card with Mystical Tutor, where does it exist in the game in between being revealed and placed on top of the library? Does it ever leave the library? It doesn't go to any other zones, so I'm assuming so. Does it get put some non-zone area? (I doubt it) If it stays in the library, does it just get shuffled into the library and then pulled out of where it was to be put on top? A potentially relevant ruling I've found is this (emphasis mine): 400.5: The order of objects in a library, in a graveyard, or on the stack can't be changed except when effects or rules allow it. The same is true for objects arranged in face-down piles in other zones. Other objects in other zones can be arranged however their owners wish, although who controls those objects, whether they're tapped or flipped, and what other objects are attached to them must remain clear to all players. So does it just stay in the library and moves up to the top when you're finished shuffling? I know this doesn't actually matter at all, I'm just curious.

The card never leaves your Library. Let's say some effect was causing you to play with the top card of your Library revealed; eg. Future Sight Card N is revealed as the top card on your Library. As far as the game is concerned, the top card instantly changed from Card N to the chosen Instant/Sorcery. Action | Revealed card :--|:-- You begin to resolve Mystical Tutor | Card N is revealed You begin to search your Library | Card N is revealed You reveal the chosen Instant/Sorcery | Card N is revealed You shuffle your Library and put the chosen Instant/Sorcery on top | Chosen Instant/Sorcery is now revealed You finish resolving Mystical Tutor | Chosen Instant/Sorcery is revealed

Why does this kci loop not work ? Having kci, [[chromatic star]], [[myr retriever]], [[scrap trawler]] and [[mox opal]] into play here is one of the most common KCI loop, given in the words of Matt Nass : Announce your intent to sacrifice Chromatic Star for mana, then pay the cost using [[Krark-Clan Ironworks]], Retriever, and Mox Opal (making seven mana). Ironworks returns Retriever, Retriever returns Star and Ironworks, and Star returns Opal, so you end up with everything back in your hand. Replay everything for 7 over and over drawing a card every time. I don't understand why you couldn't sacrifice Scrap trawler instead of KCI, returning it with myr retriever ability and returning retriever with its own ability, thus performing the same loop but for one less mana, thus generating a mana each iteration.

If you sacrifice the Scrap Trawler during the "activate mana abilities" step of activating the Star's ability, it won't be around to trigger during the "pay costs" step of activating Chromatic Star's mana ability (which includes sacrificing the Star), so you wouldn't get your Opal back.

Priest of Forgotten Gods How exactly does that work, so I can choose not to sac any creatures and they don't take two and sac but I can still add BB and draw?

You have to pay the cost to activate it. ie. sac two other creatures and tap Priest You have to declare required targets. You can choose 0 as the number of players to target and if you do, it has no required targets. If you do choose players, at least one has to be legal on resolution to get the effect. Essentially, you sac two other creatures and tap it to get (B)(B) and draw a card. You can also target players (including yourself) to get them to sac a creature and lose two life. I can choose not to sac any creatures and they don't take two and sac but I can still add BB and draw? No. You can opt not to choose any target players to just get (B)(B) and draw, but you still sac two creatures.

EDH Rules Question If I have [[Marchesa, the Black Rose]] out with an [[Imprisoned in the Moon]] on an opponent's creature and a [[Vesuva]] copying that creature that has been turning into the moon and it has been given a +1/+1 counter by any means, if it dies, do I get back the vesuva from marchesa's ability since it is technically a creature at the time of death?

do I get back the vesuva from marchesa's ability since it is technically a creature at the time of death? Yes. - 603.10 Normally, objects that exist immediately after an event are checked to see if the event matched any trigger conditions, and continuous effects that exist at that time are used to determine what the trigger conditions are and what the objects involved in the event look like. However, some triggered abilities are exceptions to this rule; the game “looks back in time” to determine if those abilities trigger, using the existence of those abilities and the appearance of objects immediately prior to the event. The list of exceptions is as follows: - 603.10a Some zone-change triggers look back in time. These are leaves-the-battlefield abilities, abilities that trigger when a card leaves a graveyard, and abilities that trigger when an object that all players can see is put into a hand or library.

Judging on Sylvan Library So, I have a Commander deck that's running Vedalken Orrery. I recently acquired a Sylvan Library. If I draw cards in my upkeep and then flash in Sylvan Library, how do I resolve it in my draw phase? While this is something that's not really going to happen any time soon, I've thought of this for quite a while. Thanks in advance

You might want to make sure ypu keep an easy to to differenciate the cards in your hand the cards in your hand you've drawn this turn. I suggest two piles of cards. Keep in mind its all in your hand still.

Riot interactions If a creature with Riot enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter, does that count as "putting a +1/+1 counter" on a creature for the purpose of cards that have that as a trigger?

Yes. 121.6. Some spells and abilities refer to counters being put on an object. This refers to putting counters on that object while it’s on the battlefield and also to an object that’s given counters as it enters the battlefield.

All creature "until end of turn" effects So I recently had a plan ruined by looking up the rulings for \[\[Burst of Speed\]\] which makes creatures I control get haste until end of turn, though the rulings say it only affects creatures I have on the battlefield at the time I cast it. Does this same thing happen with every card like this? For example, I run \[\[Soul of New Phyrexia\]\] in my deck but its rulings don't say permanents that come in after I activate its ability won't have indestructible.

Does this same thing happen with every card like this? Essentially, yes, although there may be a few tiny corner-cases which I'm not thinking of at the moment. A bit more information on why this is: A good example to illustrate this is [[Glaring Spotlight]]. When you use its second ability, "creatures you control gain hexproof until end of turn". This refers only to the creatures you control at that time the ability resolves; those creatures gain hexproof. It also says "and can’t be blocked this turn"; this does apply to creatures that enter the battlefield after you activate the ability, because it modifies the game rules for the turn rather than granting abilities to a specific set of creatures. However, you'll note that this second part says "this turn" rather than "until end of turn", so it is worded differently to help make this clear. Interestingly, there are some cards where this has changed over the years. When [[Piety Charm]] was first printed, for instance, vigilance was not yet a keyword, so it modified the game rules so that attacking wouldn't cause your creatures to tap. Once vigilance became a keyword, it was given errata to simply give the creatures you control vigilance. So now it applies only to the creatures you control as it resolves, whereas when it was first printed it would, in essence, also apply to creatures played after it. That's probably way more history than you're looking for, so TL;DR: Yes, Soul of New Phyrexia works the same way as Burst of Speed.

Noob question about the stack So I read somewhere that once an ability is activated, it essentially can’t be shut down. How does this work with cards like Unstable Obelisk, where the activated ability causes you to sacrifice it first? For example, if I activate it’s ability to destroy a permanent, but my opponent responds with something like Crumble, does Unstable Obelisk’s target still get destroyed? If not, what happens to the mana used to activate it?

They can’t cast Crumble until the Obelisks ability is completely on the stack - meaning all costs paid which includes sacrificing it. So casting Crumble trying to target the Obelisk is an illegal target.

Unclear if the ability stays So during the attacking phase my opponent attacks me with a bunch of slivers that have flying due to the one saying all slivers have flying, if I unsummon that creature in response to his attack to all his slivers still have flying?

No. I noticed you say "in response to his attack". Maybe that is the source of your possible confusion. When Magic players use "in response to", they're talking about something that uses the stack. Maybe you're using "in response to" in the conversational way, but it can be confusing to Magic players to say "in response to your attack" Declaring attackers doesn't use the stack, it happens as the turn progresses, then you can use any instant-speed effects, then the turn progresses. An ability on Slivers like "Sliver creatures have flying." doesn't use the stack either. It's just true as long as there's an object in play saying that it's true.

Forest walk vs Hexproof I was wondering if someone could clear this up, I’m playing elves and my opponent is playing dinos and has forests in play, I have an elvish champion giving my elves forest walk and I attack with a bunch of elves. My opponent insists that his dinosaur with hexproof can block one of my forest walk elves. Any thoughts would be helpful.

He’s wrong forestwalk makes creatures unblockable if your opponent controls a forest, his creatures being untargetable by spells or abilities is irrelevant to forestwalk

ETB damage effect and lifelink: mtg arena situation: my board is empty i play deafening clarion pick both options so creatures i control have life-link until end of turn i then play demanding dragon that hits for 5 yet i don\`t get life can someone explain this as this i what i can find in the mtg rules 702.15a Lifelink is a static ability. 702.15b Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source’s controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life (in addition to any other results that damage causes). See rule 119.3. its until end of my turn, it does not say "creature on the board" so playing a creature effect would still benefit from the effect

It counts only your creature that existed when it resolved. 611.2c If a continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability modifies the characteristics or changes the controller of any objects, the set of objects it affects is determined when that continuous effect begins. After that point, the set won't change. (Note that this works differently than a continuous effect from a static ability.) A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability that doesn't modify the characteristics or change the controller of any objects modifies the rules of the game, so it can affect objects that weren't affected when that continuous effect began. If a single continuous effect has parts that modify the characteristics or changes the controller of any objects and other parts that don't, the set of objects each part applies to is determined independently. Example: An effect that reads "All white creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn" gives the bonus to all permanents that are white creatures when the spell or ability resolves–even if they change color later–and doesn't affect those that enter the battlefield or turn white afterward. Example: An effect that reads "Prevent all damage creatures would deal this turn" doesn't modify any object's characteristics, so it's modifying the rules of the game. That means the effect will apply even to damage from creatures that weren't on the battlefield when the continuous effect began. It also affects damage from permanents that become creatures later in the turn.

Derevi, Empyrial Tactician combo legallity So, in my EDH Derevi deck I have Deadeye Navigator and Gilded Lotus / Market Festival / Dawn's Reflection for the infinite mana combo (soulbound Deadeye with Derevi, then use his ability to trigger derevi, untap the 3 mana source and repeat for infinite mana). But I just realized that it may be an even stronger, game-winning combo, and want to see if I'm not overlooking something: If i start the infinite mana generation on an opponents untap step, right after he untaps all permanents, can I generate infinite mana and use it to keep activatind Deadeye and Derevi to just tap all opponets permanents? Therefore locking them down if they dont have an instant-speed response? This doesnt look right, since I cant find anybody talking about this combo being more than a infinite mana combo. Can you guys verify if it is possible or if I'm overlooking something? Thanks!

Yep, that works (though you'd have to do it in their upkeep, nobody gets priority in the untap step). Generally tapping down all of an opponent's stuff isn't the most devastating thing you can do with infinite mana, but that combo does what you said.

If I go infinite can I stop at anytime? So I had this combo with karpulsan minotaur and frenetic efreet where I can flip as many coins as I want and each time I win I deal 1 damage and the opposite happen if I lose. If I have an infinitily small chance of rolling 20 or even 40 times in my favor can I decide that I flip infinite amount of time and that I stop once I can deal enough damage?

You can't do that with Frenetic Efreet, no. Once the first instance of Frenetic Efreet's ability resolves, it can't be activated again (since it's either phased out or in the graveyard, depending on the result), so you have to choose how many instances you want to put on the stack before flipping any coins, then resolve them all.

Recurring Xantcha from the graveyard So I'm building a [[Xantcha, Sleeper Agent]] commander deck, and I want to know how she interacts with recursion effects that bring her back to the battlefield from my graveyard under my control. Specifically, if I target her with [[Endless Obedience]], will I still be able to give her to an opponent even though it brings her onto the battlefield under my control?

Yes. You're putting it onto the battlefield (making you the default controller), then you give it to another player. If you don't own this Xantcha; If the Player you gave it to leaves the game, then the Xantcha is returned to your control. If you leave the game, then the Player you gave it to leaves the game, then the Xantcha will be exiled.

Flicker interaction Lumbering battlement so if i exile [[felidar guardian]] with [[Lumbering Battlement]] and then flicker the battlement, can i resolve the etb of the battlement first(exiling the guardian), so the etb of the felidar guardian can reflicker it, creating an infinite loop?

You can create a loop. But, "Infinite loop" that ends the game in a draw? No. The Guardian's trigger is optional.

Legend rule and Teysa Karlov So I'm building a [[Teysa Karlov]] deck for standard, and when looking over on gatherer I saw this little tidbit. If you somehow control two Teysas, a creature dying causes abilities to trigger three times, not four. A third Teysa causes abilities to trigger four times, a fourth causes abilities to trigger five times, and so on. This also means that if you control Teysa and cast a second one, an ability that triggers when it dies due to the “legend rule” triggers three times. So while that's hilarious and actually a fairly useful little dirty trick in my deck, I'm somewhat confused in its implementation. I thought that the legend rule removed the legend from the field, but specifically doesn't destroy it. So does her being removed somehow still count as dying even though she isnt 'destroyed'?

They were on the Battlefield. They are put into the Graveyard. That's literally what "dies" means. Dies does not mean "destroyed". 700.4. The term dies means “is put into a graveyard from the battlefield.”

Teysa and Triggered Abilities So I'm making a Teysa Karlov [EDH] deck and I'm trying to have it be built around sacrificing creatures, but when I wanted to put a dreamstone hedron inside (it reads, "{3}{T}, Sacrifice Dreamstone Hedron: Draw three cards.") But I was kinda confused because it seems that Dreamstone Hedron's ability is activated, but I'm not sure.

Dreamstone Hedron's ability is an activated ability.

Hybrid Mana Color Identity [[Footlight Fiend]] is B/R, but can I run it in a [[Slimefoot, the Stowaway]] EDH deck?

Nope, it has red in it, and Slimefoot only allows Black and Green.

Sylvan library + Dredge = ??? So i just want to make sure that I'm getting this right. Lets say [[Sylvan Library]] is on the field and I have two cards in my graveyard with dredge [[Stinkweed imp]] and [[Life from the loam]]. sylvan tiggers I draw three but i use the replacement effect to drege back both cards mill my 8 in total and still draw 1. Now the question is do i have to pay the life to keep the dredged cards???

do i have to pay the life to keep the dredged cards? No, but you have to pay 4 or put back the draw you didn't dredge. The Library trigger cares about the set of cards you drew this turn. If a draw gets replaced with something other than drawing, it won't count towards cards drawn this turn, but any other cards you drew this turn would, such as the draw you didn't replace with dredge, though it could equally apply to a card drawn off of Think Twice in your upkeep. The trigger looks at that set and says for a maximum of two of those cards, pay 4 or put it back. If the set is empty, say because you dredged all three draws, nothing happens. If the set only has one card (like in your example), you make the choice for it. If the set has two cards, you make it for both. If the set has more than two cards, you choose two from the set and make the choice for them. I draw three but i use the replacement effect to drege back both cards mill my 8 in total and still draw 1. Also note: the choice and actions occur sequentially, not as a mass of actions. - draw for turn - Library trigger resolves, you choose the draw two option - first Library draw goes to happen, you choose to replace it with dredge, the cards get milled and it goes to hand - second Library draw goes to happen, you choose to replace it with dredge, the cards get milled and it goes to hand - you look at the set of cards drawn this turn and for that card, choose to pay 4 or put back - Library's trigger finishes resolving This means that the milling from one dredge replaced draw can uncover more cards with dredge that can be used to replace the next draw.

Mwonvuli Beast Tracker and Werewolves Interaction Hi, I’m building a casual EDH deck of werewolf tribal and I have a question about how they interact with Mwonvuli Beast Tracker. When Mwonvuli ETBs, I know it can search for a card like Vildin-Pack Outcast. But can it search for something like Instigator Gang, where the human ‘side’ doesn’t have trample (or deathtouch, hexproof, reach) but the werewolf side does? All help is appreciated, thanks!

Sadly, no. When not on the battlefield, transform cards only have the attributes of their front face.

Etrata the silencer EDH rules I was wondering what would happen if when you attack with Etrata, you exile the other person's commander, because when you deal combat damage with her, you exile a creature with a hit counter on it, but whenever a commander changes zones you may put it back in the command zone. So the question I'm asking is does it have a hit counter on it if you put it back in the command zone? Also, if it gets replayed, and this happens again later, would it have 2 hit counters?

They can send it to the Command zone instead of Exile. Since it's not in Exile, it won't be counted for the loss. When it changes zones, such as being cast again, it's a new object and won't have any counters... Unless Skullbriar.

My new pet project, Thousand-Year Storm So I’m going through all kinds of scenarios with [[Thousand-Year Storm]]. I’m trying to make a modern deck with it. This one is super janky and also runs [[Possibility Storm]]. The question I have is, how does the possibility storm interact with cards like [[Ancestral Vision]] or [[Evermind]]? If I first play a sorcery, like [[Stone Rain]], and exile it due to possibility storm, eventually flipping an evermind, does it actually cast? I know it says without paying it’s mana cost, but Evermind specifically says cards with no mana cost can’t be cast. And Ancestral Vision says when no time counters are on it, cast it without paying CMC (which is zero). I know it’s got some rulings in the gatherer notes, but it’s kind of confusing me. Any help would be appreciated.

The question I have is, how does the Possibility Storm interact with cards like [[Ancestral Vision]] or [[Evermind]]? If I first play a sorcery, like [[Stone Rain]], and exile it due to Possibility Storm, eventually flipping an Evermind, does it actually cast? Yes. Since you're casting the Card via an Alt Cost (without paying its mana cost), it avoids the unpayable, nonexistent mana cost. So, you can cast the card. I know it says without paying it’s mana cost, but Evermind specifically says cards with no mana cost can’t be cast. First, Reminder (italicized) text has zero Rules meaning. Second, the Reminder text on Evermind was changed in Oracle. (Nonexistent mana costs can't be paid.) Not having a Mana Cost doesn't stop you from casting it. Having a Cost that's unpayable (without an Alt cost helper) keeps you from casting it.

Teysa Karlov triggers and Yosei, the Morning Star Hi guys, can someone help? A friend is using the new Teysa from Allegiance as a commander and we have doubts how Teysa will work. If they have Yosei and Teysa on the Battlefield, and Yosei dies, Teysa will trigger the ability twice. The question is: He can choose two targets, one for each instance of the ability or the ability will trigger twice on the same target oponent? O appreciate if someone help.

They can target two different players, or the same player both times. If they target the same player twice, that player will skip their next two Untap steps. 614.10a Anything scheduled for a skipped step, phase, or turn won’t happen. Anything scheduled for the “next” occurrence of something waits for the first occurrence that isn’t skipped. If two effects each cause a player to skip their next occurrence, that player must skip the next two; one effect will be satisfied in skipping the first occurrence, while the other will remain until another occurrence can be skipped.

Experimental Frenzy Question Hello! I'm building a minotaur tribal/hellbent Neheb, the Worthy deck. Experimental Frenzy is perfect for this strategy, but I'd also like to put in Didgeridoo which reads 'You may put a Minotaur permanent card from your hand onto the battlefield.' With Experimental Frenzy in play, which forbids me from playing a card from my hand, am I able to still use Didgeridoo's ability to circumvent the restriction (since the card isn't being "played" in the traditional sense; it's being put onto the battlefield)? I may have already answered my own question, but any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

Yep, that works. As you say, Didgeridoo says to put a Minotaur onto the battlefield, which is different than playing it (which for a nonland card means casting it), so Experimental Frenzy doesn’t stop it.

Sage of hours

Yes, this is a card. Was there a question?

If Lazav, the Multifarious copies Growth-Chamber Guardian and adapts, do you search for Lazav or Guardian?

L1 here, I get where your question is from. But when it says to " search your library for a card named Growth-Chamber Guardian", its not the card referencing itself and thus means that you look for littraly a card named Growth-Chamber guardian and not Lazav.

Icy Manipulator -- activating something in response to Icy tapping it It's been many years between when I first started playing and since I've started back up again so I know there have been rules and timing changes. I've tried reading up on this myself but I'm having a hard time making sense of cost activations and abilities and what counts as what and what goes on the stack :P I'm old and easily confused now. So scenario is this: opponent wants to use Icy Manipulator to pre-emptively tap something so I can't use it. Can I tap the thing to use its ability, LIFO so the ability resolves and then Icy tries to tap something that's already tapped and too bad so sad? Or am I missing something that would have Icy tap the thing and I can't use it at all. Sorry if this is an obvious answer. Just want to be sure I'm doing it right.

Let's say you have a Prodigal Pyromancer. If you activate your Pyromancer first, by the time they get priority, it's already tapped. If they activate their Manipulator first, then you can activate your Pyromancer in response. Your opponent's Icy Manipulator can't stop you from activating the Pyromancer. But, it can make you activate the Pyromancer at a time that's most opportune for them. Let's say your opponent controls a Carnage Tyrant and Tilonalli's Skinshifter in hand. They can activate their Manipulator in their Main Phase, so you'd have to activate the Pyromancer then, or not at all. Then, after that, they can cast the Skinshifter, move to Combat, declare both as attacking and copy the Tyrant. They wouldn't have to worry about your Pyromancer pinging their Skinshifter this turn.

Blocking additional creatures. Played against [[Knight of sorrows]] last night. Its the first game with a creature that can block additional creatures I've played with or against. How does assigning combat damage actually work though. I attacked with two 5/5's, my opponent blocked both with the Knight and gave it deathtouch. Do we all die?

Declare attackers step: - you declare two 5/5's as attackers - players get priority Declare Blockers step: - opponent declares his 3/3 blocking both of your 5/5 attackers - opponent declares the order he wants to deal damage to the attackers his 3/3 is blocking, putting one 5/5 in front of the other - players get priority (this is likely where the opponent gave the Knight deathtouch) Combat damage step: - your 5/5's each assign 5 damage to the 3/3 blocker and the 3/3 can assign damage in any of the following ways: 3-0, 2-1 or 1-2 and likely chooses one of the latter two options - the damage is dealt as assigned marking 10 on the 3/3 and marking 2 on the lead 5/5 and 1 on the back 5/5 - state-based actions see three lethally damaged creatures and destroys them all - players get priority Do we all die? Most likely, unless your opponent didn't want the back 5/5 to die for some reason in which case he could have assigned all 3 damage to the lead 5/5.

Wilderness Reclamation Madness A quick question for anyone who understands the rules better than I do... At local FNM I had 2 wilderness reclamations on the board. During my end step, I untapped all my mana and retapped to cast March. My opponent pointed out that in response to the first WR resolving, I could respond by floating all my mana, which would untap as the second WR resolved and have 3 more than double the tokens as a result. This sounds too good to be true. Can anyone confirm? Thanks in advance.

Yes. Each WR triggers and resolves separately. Since you control 2, there are 2 triggers on the Stack. You can respond to the first, tap all Lands, let it resolve untap Lands. Then, tap all Lands a second time in response to the second, let it resolve untap Lands. Then, tap all Lands a third time. And, finally cast your Instant spell.

Arcane Adaptation & Liliana's Contract Can I use Arcane Adaption to make any creatures I control a demon and win? Am I missing something?

Yes you can, but you have to wait until your next upkeep.

Grave Betrayal and Marchesa the Black Rose Interaction Player A plays a Divine Reckoning. Player B has Marchesa and chooses her, and Player C has Grave Betrayal. Who gets to keep player B's creatures? Marchesa Text: Dethrone (Whenever this creature attacks the player with the most life or tied for most life, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)Other creatures you control have dethrone.Whenever a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it dies, return that card to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of the next end step. Grave Betrayal Text: Whenever a creature you don't control dies, return it to the battlefield under your control with an additional +1/+1 counter on it at the beginning of the next end step. That creature is a black Zombie in addition to its other colors and types Divine Reckoning Text: Each player chooses a creature they control. Destroy the rest Edit: Clarity

came to say the same as Judge\Todd. Triggered abilities happen in APNAP order, and if a player has multiple triggered abilities, that player can choose the order that they go on the stack.

Commander- Can I shuffle library by failing to find a Partner? Say I have Aminatou, the Fateshifter as my Commander and I have put a Plains on top of my library via her +1 ability. I then play Will Kenrith, which has “Partner with Rowan Kenrith”. The question I have is can I use the triggered ability from Will Kenrith to search my library for Rowan Kenrith (which cannot possibly be there due to that card not being in my Commander’s color identity), fail to find her, and then shuffle my library?

Yep, that's totally legit. It doesn't matter that Rowan cannot be in your deck, you get to search anyway, and searching requires a shuffle.

If I pay 1 for x of [[Hydroid Krasis]] does it round down to 0 or stay at 1?

Half of 1 is 0.5 0.5 Rounded down is 0

If enchanted creature has lifelink does tapping Fire Whip cause it to gain you life? ​ Thanks in advance!

It does. The creature is dealing the damage. And lifelink changes how damage works (causes you to gain life in addition to marking damage)

Confused about Dead Man's Chest Question about how card text remains valid after the card has left the battlefield. I'll use as an example. This is the part that's relevant to my question: When the enchanted creature dies, exile cards equal to its power from the top of its owner's library. You may cast nonland cards from among them for as long as they remain exiled. Since it's an aura, by definition it goes to my graveyard when the enchanted creature dies. So the card saying I get to cast their exiled cards is in my graveyard. This isn't normally how it works, right? All of the other cards in my graveyard have lost their effects and abilities by being removed from the battlefield (unless they specifically say otherwise). Creatures I control don't have flying just because is in my graveyard.... I feel like I'm missing something super obvious, but I can't find the rules that define what makes this card valid. Help?

The continuous effect is created by the resolution of the triggered ability and lasts for the duration specified per the rules below. See Intet, the Dreamer for a similar effect, but one that ends when Intet leaves. - 611.1 A continuous effect modifies characteristics of objects, modifies control of objects, or affects players or the rules of the game, for a fixed or indefinite period. - 611.2 A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a spell or ability. - 611.2a A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability lasts as long as stated by the spell or ability creating it (such as “until end of turn”). If no duration is stated, it lasts until the end of the game. In contrast, the following rules explain Levitation. - 611.3 A continuous effect may be generated by the static ability of an object. - 611.3a A continuous effect generated by a static ability isn’t “locked in”; it applies at any given moment to whatever its text indicates. - 611.3b The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is on the battlefield or the object generating it is in the appropriate zone. Would you expect Giant Growth to stop it's buff after it resolved and went to the graveyard? Same basic principle with Dead Man's Chest. Additionally, dies triggers look back to the game state before the death to see if they trigger. In most cases, the aura will still be on the field following the moment of triggering except when the cause of death destroys both simultaneously, however, it'd still trigger whether the aura was on the field or in the yard. - 603.10 Normally, objects that exist immediately after an event are checked to see if the event matched any trigger conditions, and continuous effects that exist at that time are used to determine what the trigger conditions are and what the objects involved in the event look like. However, some triggered abilities are exceptions to this rule; the game “looks back in time” to determine if those abilities trigger, using the existence of those abilities and the appearance of objects immediately prior to the event. The list of exceptions is as follows: - 603.10a Some zone-change triggers look back in time. These are leaves-the-battlefield abilities, abilities that trigger when a card leaves a graveyard, and abilities that trigger when an object that all players can see is put into a hand or library. - 704.3 Whenever a player would get priority, the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event. If any state-based actions are performed as a result of a check, the check is repeated; otherwise all triggered abilities that are waiting to be put on the stack are put on the stack, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based actions have been performed as the result of a check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, the appropriate player gets priority. This process also occurs during the cleanup step, except that if no state-based actions are performed as the result of the step’s first check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, then no player gets priority and the step ends. - 704.5 The state-based actions are as follows: - 704.5m If an Aura is attached to an illegal object or player, or is not attached to an object or player, that Aura is put into its owner’s graveyard.

Zombie Snake Combo Okay so in the case of Zombie Boa () and Lure () do i have to pay the 1B for each creature I destroy? ​

No. You put in 1B, and you get "choose a color, if blocked by that color destroy it". The game basically has a new rule out there... if it's blocked by 50 blue creatures and you'd chosen blue, 50 creatures are destroyed. You could activated it several times and pick a different color each time to hit more colors. But it's not a per-creature thing.

Does Teysa trigger Revolt on Hidden Stockpile Twice? Considering putting Hidden Stockpile in my commander deck. I'm wondering if Revolt triggers twice on my endstep, assuming Teysa is on the field.

No. The Stockpile triggers on the End step beginning, not a Creature dying.

Quick Ninjutsu Question I have played [[Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni]] and attacked unblocked and gained control of my opponents [[Conundrum Sphinx]] that was in his graveyard. In my next attacking phase I attacked with my new Sphinx I used the ninjutsu ability of a [[Silent-Blade Oni]]. The question is does the Sphinx bounce to my hand, his hand, or back into his graveyard?

You can never have a card that you don't own in your hand, library or graveyard (unless playing silver border). Ninjutsu also says "owner's hand", which would not be your hand in this case, obviously.

Hexproof Player and "choose player" interaction. Hey, quick one: 3 player match (EDH) player A is hexproof Player B plays \[\[Sower of Discord\]\] choosing Player A and C Does Player A's Hexproof forbid that? &#x200B; Thanks! <3

Nope... hex proof cares about the word “target” specifically, and that word wasn’t used

Sphinx of New Prahv vs Rakdos Firewheeler Does Rakdos Firewheeler cost 2 more if you target a Sphinx of New Prahv with its “enter the battlefield” effect? Thank you in advance!

No, the Rakdos Firewheeler creature spell doesn't target anything. When it enters the battlefield, it has a triggered ability that targets the Sphinx, but the Sphinx's ability doesn't apply to triggered abilities.

Seer's Sundial Question This may be a stupid question, but I just want to make sure I take full advantage of the card while it's on the battlefield. So, Seer's Sundial is a 4 mana artifact that reads, "Landfall -- Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 2. If you do draw a card." My question is, let's say I have five lands on the battlefield at the beginning of my turn and I have not played a land yet for this turn. I tap my four mana for Seer's Sundial and it resolves and goes to the battlefield. I then play a land card from my hand for turn. The Landfall ability of Seer's Sundial goes on the stack. May I use the land that just entered the battlefield to pay for the landfall ability of Seer's Sundial? I'm 99.9% sure I can, but I just want to make sure for when the situation arises.

Yes, since the land has to enter the battlefield, you can use it. Once it's on the battlefield, you can tap it to add mana. Landfall -- Whenever a land enters the battlefield &#x200B;

Possible stupid question about +1/+1 effects... I apologize if this comes off as dumb but I am unsure and want to get some clarification. If I have [[Solemnity]], does that effect cards such as [[Helm of the Gods]] or [[Spear of Helios]]? Those cards don't really apply counters but rather a blanket effect. Thanks in advance.

They do not, for the reason you said.

Hijack and Treasure Map So if I use [[Hijack]] on [[Treasure Map]] with 2 counters and use it's ability to flip it, will it return to the owners at end step or will I able to keep it because treasure map became [[Treasure Cove]]?

You have to give it back. It's still the same piece of cardboard, regardless of what name it has at the moment or what it is.

Recover ability doubt I've a doubt about Recover: let's say I've a [[Grim Harvest]] in my graveyard. My opponent bolts a creature so the ability triggers and goes upon the stack; I decided to pay for it, does Grim Harvest comes to my hand instantly or the fact that it returns to my hand goes to the stack to? A concrete example, I've two bears in play and only 3 mana, so I can pay for Grim Harvest only once. Can my opponent with two bolts in hand, destroy a bear and when I pay for recover destroy the second bear in order to exile Grim Harvest? Is there a similiar way to obtain the same result?

- 702.58a Recover is a triggered ability that functions only while the card with recover is in a player’s graveyard. “Recover [cost]” means “When a creature is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you may pay [cost]. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, exile this card.” - 603.12 A resolving spell or ability may allow or instruct a player to take an action and create a triggered ability that triggers “when [a player] [does or doesn’t]” take that action or “when [something happens] this way.” These reflexive triggered abilities follow the rules for delayed triggered abilities, except that they’re checked immediately after being created and trigger based on whether or not the trigger event occurred earlier during the resolution of the spell or ability that created them. - 608.2c The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order written. [..] - 116.2e Resolving spells and abilities may instruct players to make choices or take actions, or may allow players to activate mana abilities. Even if a player is doing so, no player has priority while a spell or ability is resolving. Recover doesn't use a reflexive trigger because it says if you do as opposed to when you do, as a result the card returning happens as part of the same resolving trigger that has you pay the recover cost and because no one has priority, no one can stop it from returning after you've paid. Can my opponent with two bolts in hand, destroy a bear and when I pay for recover destroy the second bear in order to exile Grim Harvest? Nope. You pay while the recover trigger is resolving and your opponent doesn't have priority to cast Bolt until that trigger finishes resolving completely which is after Grim Harvest is safely in your hand. If recover was worded with "when you do", then they could stop you.

Rules for cutting decks? The other day while playing EDH, everyone was shuffling up, and we were about to have a 3 player game with a 4th person watching who wasn’t going to play in the first game but would join in the second. The problem player that regularly shows up at the store shuffled up and then offered his deck to the person who would be outside the game, and I reached to cut instead because I was taught not to give the deck to someone outside the game to cut. Problem player proceeds to growl at me that he doesn’t like people touching his cards (but he had no problem touching ours in the games that followed), and only let 4th person cut his deck all night. Problem player has to have his deck cut each time he shuffles because he has a habit of getting cards that are too convenient if he is not cut (for instance: always getting a first turn Serra Ascendant in his monowhite deck if uncut). So what rules are there regarding cuts? Can anyone cut a deck that is in or out of a game? If he offers to someone to cut and they don’t can I then cut the deck?

what rules are there regarding cuts? Here's the CompRule definition: - 701.19a To shuffle a library or a face-down pile of cards, randomize the cards within it so that no player knows their order. If the event is sanctioned (ie. is being entered into Wizard's Event Reporter for planeswalker points and you need a DCI number to participate), then the rules in the Magic Tournament Rules also apply: - Decks must be randomized at the start of every game and whenever an instruction requires it. Randomization is defined as bringing the deck to a state where no player can have any information regarding the order or position of cards in any portion of the deck. - Pile shuffling alone is not sufficiently random and may not be performed other than once at the beginning of a game to count the cards in the deck. - Once the deck is randomized, it must be presented to an opponent. By this action, players state that their decks are legal and randomized. The opponent may then shuffle it additionally. Cards and sleeves must not be in danger of being damaged during this process. - If the opponent does not believe the player made a reasonable effort to randomize their deck, the opponent must notify a judge. - Players may request to have a judge shuffle their cards rather than the opponent; this request will be honored only at a judge’s discretion. - If a player has had the opportunity to see any of the card faces of the deck being shuffled, the deck is no longer considered randomized and must be randomized again. - At Competitive and Professional Rules Enforcement Level tournaments, players are required to shuffle their opponents’ decks after their owners have shuffled them. The Head Judge can require this at Regular Rules Enforcement Level tournaments as well. Can anyone cut a deck that is in or out of a game? The MTR says an opponent may/must do so, but allows a judge to do it instead at the player's request and judge's discretion. It's also common for the head judge to authorize designated individuals to shuffle in one's stead to offset a physical disability. If he offers to someone to cut and they don’t can I then cut the deck? If that person isn't an opponent, yes. Otherwise, no. If you believe something fishy is going on with the deck being stacked, call a judge.

Guardian Beast question I control an untapped [[Guardian Beast]]. I cast [[Steal Artifact]] on my opponent's Sol Ring. My opponent has no responses. What happens? EDIT: I'm also wondering about an interaction I posted below, namely, what happens when Steal Artifact is destroyed.

Nothing special, you gain control of the Sol Ring. Why would you think otherwise?

Epicure of blood and death Say i have an [[Epicure of Blood]] on the field, along with [[Ashes of the Abhorrent]] and several other creatures. If i then use [[Kaya's Wrath]] does epicure's ability still activate due to the lifegain from wrath or ashes, even though hes dying too? Im asking because i know multiple creatures with on death effects 'see' each other when they both die.

You end up gaining 2 life for each creature that died, your opponent doesn't lose any life. Let's start at Kaya's Wrath resolving: Follow all the steps in order. All creatures are destroyed (Moving them all to the graveyard at the same time, so they do see each other). Ashes of the Abhorrent triggers a bunch of time (but those don't go on the stack yet). You then gain a bunch of life, however, Epicure of Blood is in the graveyard at that point, so it does not trigger. Now that we're done with the spell, we get ready for the active player to get priority again... so State Based Actions happen and those triggers go on the stack. Assuming neither player does anything, the top trigger will resolve, and you gain a life (Epicure is still in the yard, so no trigger). Then assuming neither player does anything, the now-top trigger will resolve, etc... until they're all done. So you destroy all the creatures, cool. They all die, and Ashes makes a bunch of "gain 1 life" triggered abilities on the stack Also to note, if you had N creatures, you'd have N+1 life gain events... the big one from the spell, plus 1 for each lifegain trigger.

Multiple Sheoldred triggers. If I control a Sheoldred and my opponent controls one as well, could I sac my own to their trigger, to then bring it back with my trigger?

No. When the triggers go on the stack yours needs a target. Since your Sheoldred isn’t in the graveyard, it can’t be targeted.

Sphinx of New Prahv tax effect on counter? Just a quick question I couldn't find elsewhere... if you play Sphinx of New Prahv and someone plays a counterspell on it, does its tax effect work, or does the counterspell go in to effect first? &#x200B; The wording is: "Spells your opponents cast that target Sphinx of New Prahv cost \[2\] more to cast." &#x200B; Does counterspelling trigger this?

Unless otherwise indicated, abilities of a creature don't work unless the creature is on the battlefield. If the spell hasn't resolved yet, it's on the stack, so the tax doesn't apply yet, so feel free to counter at normal costs.

mirage mirror vs elesh norn If I have mirage mirror and my opponent plays elesh norn, can I use the mirage mirror to copy Elesh to save my creatures? And if yes, can I refresh this copy at the end of my turn (assuming i have mana for this) so my creatures stay save the whole time?

Unfortunately the answer is no to both. Elesh Norn's ability is a static ability; it will be applied to your creatures before you get priority to transform your mirror, and the creatures will die due to a state based action. 613.4. The application of continuous effects as described by the layer system is continually and automatically performed by the game. All resulting changes to an object's characteristics are instantaneous. 704.3. Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 116, "Timing and Priority"), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event. If any state-based actions are performed as a result of a check, the check is repeated; otherwise all triggered abilities that are waiting to be put on the stack are put on the stack, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based actions have been performed as the result of a check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, the appropriate player gets priority. This process also occurs during the cleanup step (see rule 514), except that if no state-based actions are performed as the result of the step's first check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, then no player gets priority and the step ends. 704.5f If a creature has toughness 0 or less, it's put into its owner's graveyard. Regeneration can't replace this event.

Blood Sun Interactions I'm thinking about running \[\[Blood Sun\]\] in one of my decks and am planning the lands I should use that would be made better by its effect, but have questions about a few. \[\[Cavern of Souls\]\]/\[\[Unclaimed Territory\]\]: Since the ETB choice would be removed, I couldn't ever choose a creature type and the second ability on these lands couldn't be used, correct? Or would the mana be added to my pool but unusable? Could I only be able to use the mana on \[\[Nameless Race\]\]? Would it be affected by \[\[Kruphix, God of Horizons\]\]? \[\[Crumbling Vestige\]\]: Since this land won't enter tapped, would I be able to add both a colored and colorless mana the turn I play it? Or is the ETB trigger a non-mana ability that would get removed by Blood Sun? \[\[Teferi's Isle\]\]: I know that Blood Sun would remove the phasing and let it enter untapped, but what if I played this land a turn before I played Blood Sun and it was phased out? Would it come back right away or would I have to wait one more turn for it to phase back in and then lose phasing? \[\[Vesuva\]\]: No idea what would happen here.

L1: Sorry I don't have much time so I won't go super detailed on all those questions. Cavern of souls / Territory: You can get the mana but cannot spend it. Crumbling Vestige: 605.1b A triggered ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t have a target, it triggers from the resolution of an activated mana ability (see rule 106.11a) or from mana being added to a player’s mana pool, and it could add mana to a player’s mana pool when it resolves. So no, no mana from the ETB. Teferi's Isle: Things without phasing do phases in if phased out. It becomes quite strong. Vesuva: enjoy your nothing land.

Teysa karlov quick verification For a card like grave betrayal that has when a creature dies return it with a +1/+1 counter and under your control, would teysa try to make GB return it twice and have one succeed and the other trigger fail or would it "return" twice and get two 1/1 counters instead. The vampires that have when a creature dies that was dealt damage by this creature this turn, put a 1/1 counter will work but the ones that state at the end step if a creature died this turn that this creature dealt damage to; put a 1/1 counter on it, it would not because the end step triggered it opposed to the actual death or would it still work?(found on some older cards) Thanks!

For a card like grave betrayal The laster trigger would fail. The whole trigger happens twice... so "return with a +1 counter at end of the next end step" goes on the stack twice, and resolves eventually. Setting up the "return with a +1 counter" effect which will trigger at the next end step (twice) At the next end step the first one resolves, returning the creature. Then the other one will resolve and fail. (making it the 4th trigger =) ) The vampires that have Have some card names handy to reference, since wording can end up mattering?

Saskia, the Unyielding and Vraska Planeswalkers. I had a quick question regarding Saskia's effect of linking battle damage between two players and when a Vraska Planeswalker uses one of its tokens that makes players lose upon being hit with them. Would you knock out two players this way? Would the same go for the Vraska that just makes any of your creatures deal the KO damage? Speaking about The Scheming Gorgon, Golgari Queen and the Unseen versions of Vraska.

No, they care about combat damage. Saskia's damage is regular damage from a triggered ability... regardless of whether it's combat damage or not.

steel hellkite plus tawnos, urza's apprentice if tawnos, Uraza's apprentice copies steel hellkite's second ability, being; pay X: destroy all non land permanents that cost X the player hit by steel hellkite control. will the copied ability have an X cost of 0 or the same X cost as before??? &#x200B; i believe it will have an X cost of 0 as copied spells with x in them have an X cost of 0 so why not with abilities as well???

It'll copy the value of X just like a spell does. - 706.10 To copy a spell, activated ability, or triggered ability means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn’t cast and a copy of an activated ability isn’t activated. A copy of a spell or ability copies both the characteristics of the spell or ability and all decisions made for it, including modes, targets, the value of X, and additional or alternative costs. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”) Choices that are normally made on resolution are not copied. If an effect of the copy refers to objects used to pay its costs, it uses the objects used to pay the costs of the original spell or ability. A copy of a spell is owned by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell or ability is controlled by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell is itself a spell, even though it has no spell card associated with it. A copy of an ability is itself an ability.

Question about infinite turn combo involving Ugin's Nexus I brainstormed on how to abuse Ugin's Nexus and got to this sequence: 1. (Optional) Turn Ugin's Nexus into a creature, ex. Ensoul Artifact, 2. Give Ugin's Nexus a way to create token copy of itself. ex. Mechanized Production or Splinter Twin (creature), 3. Give Ugin's Nexus a way to phase itself out. ex. Teferi's Realm or Vanishing (creature), 4. After the token dies to state-based action, phase Ugin's Nexus out, 5. Infinite turns? Does this work as I expected?

Yeah, that sounds like it would work.