Published on 03/07/2022
Bring a Friend, Get a Mind . . . . stone
By Carsten Haese, Nathan Long, Justin Hovdenes, and Andrew Villarrubia
This Article from: Justin Hovdenes
Cranial Translation
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Note: This article is over two years old. Information in this article may be out of date due to subsequent Oracle and/or rules changes. Proceed with caution.
I don't mind if I do.
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Q: I know I can use Power Conduit to keep my Urza's Saga around turn after turn. But can I use it in such a way to benefit from the 3rd chapter each turn? Or does the Urza's Saga get put into the graveyard before I can remove the 3rd lore counter?
A: You can remove the 3rd lore counter, before the Saga would be sacrificed, getting to search up a low mana cost artifact each turn.
Here is the important rule that covers this:
715.4. If the number of lore counters on a Saga permanent is greater than or equal to its final chapter number, and it isn't the source of a chapter ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that Saga's controller sacrifices it. This state-based action doesn't use the stack.
Its only too late if the final chapter ability has resolved, but if you remove the lore counter while the last chapter ability is on the stack, you can get the full benefit of chapter 3 each turn.
Q: There are currently no creatures on the battlefield. If I cast Rise of the Dark Realms getting three clones from my opponent's graveyard and two Scathe Zombies from my graveyard, do the clones get a chance to copy the zombies or do they die immediately for being 0/0 creatures?
A: Those clones are not long for this world. Clone has a replacement ability. It replaces how it enters the battlefield. This means it can't see the creatures entering with it, it can only see creatures that were on battlefield just before it, itself, enters. As you questions posed, there are no creatures, so instead of copying something else, it enters as a 0/0 creature and is put into the graveyard for have 0 or less toughness.
Q: My opponent control's Strict Proctor and I evoke out Solitude to swords the proctor. What in the world happens next?
A: You have a few options, limited by how much available mana you have. When you evoke Solitude, it will put two triggers on the stack (in the order you choose, but for this scenario the order doesn't matter). Once both of those triggers are on the stack, Strict Proctor will add two more triggers on the stack (in the order your opponent chooses, but again for this scenario the order doesn't matter).
We will call these triggers:
D) Counter - Exile Proctor trigger
C) Counter - Sacrifice Solitude trigger
B) Exile Proctor
A) Sacrifice Solitude
Assuming you have access to at least 4 mana, you can choose to let Proctor counter both trigger A & B, counter only B, counter only A, or pay 4 mana and stop Proctor from countering either trigger.
Usually the best option here would be to let Proctor counter A (so you get to keep your Solitude alive) and stop Proctor from countering B (so you can swords the Proctor).
If you only have access to 2-3 mana, you can still choose the usual best option above. You can also choose, what is probably the worst option, let Proctor counter B, where Solitude still gets sacrificed and Proctor lives.
If you only have access to 1 or less mana, the end result will be Proctor and Solitude both survive.
Q: I control Volo, Guide to Monsters, Go-Shintai of Ancient Wars, and Mirror Box, if I cast Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose, will Volo make a token copy of the Shared Purpose?
A: It will! I'm assuming the confusion comes from one of two concepts. The first concept that might be messing you up is that although these "shrine creatures" have a sub-type (shrine) this is not a creature type, this is an enchantment type. Volo only cares whether or not creatures share a creature type, not any other types unrelated to creatures. The second concept that might be confusing people is for those who know the above, but are unsure if having no creature type at all is a shared creature type amongst these "shrine creatures". No creature type, is not a creature type and therefor can't be shared.
I'll get there quickly.
Q: I control Radiant Scrollwielder and cast Wheel of Misfortune. I'm currently at 40 life and chose 40 as my number for Wheel of Misfortune, which happens to be the highest number picked, did I just kill myself?
A: You live! You will gain 40 life and be dealt 40 damage simultaneously.
Q: In a four player game of commander, the current turn order is Nathan, Paul, Sarah, and then lastly me. Paul is currently the Monarch, if I kill Paul during Nathan's turn with a Lightning Bolt do I become the Monarch? Does no one become the Monarch?
A: The line of secession can be fraught with weird exceptions. Nathan will become the Monarch. When the Monarch leaves the game, the player whose turn it is becomes Monarch. If it also happens to be the Monarch's turn, then the next player in turn order becomes the Monarch. So if you waited to commit regicide on Paul's turn, then Sarah will become the Monarch.
Q: During my opponent's turn, can I crew a tapped vehicle I have while Drumbellower trigger is on the stack so I can untap that vehicle?
A: So, the big mistake being made here is: Drumbellower doesn't have a triggered ability. No player can activate abilities (or cast spells for that matter) during an untap step. Drumbellower just forces your creature to untap during opponent's untap steps as well. There is no point before the opponent's untap step is over for you to turn your vehicle into a creature, so no untap for it.
Q: I control Academy Manufactor and cast Reckless Endeavor rolling 5 for each D12s. Does my Manufactor die before I get to make lots of Clue, Food, and Treasure tokens?
A: Reckless Endeavor will deal 5 damage to your Manufactor before it attempts to make any tokens, but luckily for you Manufactor won't die until state based actions are check, which won't happen until after Reckless Endeavor fully resolves.
It will happen like this:
1) Deal 5 damage to all creatures
2) create 5 treasure, 5 food, and 5 Clue tokens
3) Reckless Endeavor goes to the graveyard as it finishes resolving
4) Academy Manufactor dies to state based actions for having equal to or more damage marked on it then it has toughness.
Q: To add onto that last question, lets say I completely tapped out to cast Reckless Endeavor, can I use the treasures I gained from Reckless Endeavor to cast Heroic Intervention to save my Academy Manufactor before it dies?
A: You can not. Once Reckless Endeavor begins to resolve, no player may cast spells or activate abilities until after all state based actions have been checked and applied. So the Manufactor will be in the graveyard before your first chance to use a treasure, let alone cast a spell.
Q: Can I destroy my opponent's Chalice of the Void with one charge counter on it, by casting Shattering Spree and replicating a few times, or does the Chalice counter spell all the copies too?
A: You can shatter that Chalice! Chalice of the Void triggers once per spell that is cast. Replicate creates copies that are put on the stack, but those copies are not cast, so Chalice will ignore them. So for as little as
you can destroy that Chalice.Q: If I cast The Meathook Massacre with
equal to 4, can I sacrifice some of my creature to Plumb the Forbidden before they die to the -4/-4, but still gain life from them dying while the Meathook is on the battlefield?A: Yes, you can! The -X/-X from Meathook Massacre is a enter the battlefield trigger that you can respond to with instants and abilities. The Meathook will be on the battlefield by that time so you still gain the life from your dying creatures.
Q: I have a Blightsteel Colossus and during my opponents turn, she casts Tezzeret, betrayer of flesh and tries to target my Colossus with Tezzeret's -2 loyalty ability. I think this is an illegal play since my Colossus is already a creature. Who is correct?
A: Your opponent is correct. There are several cards that can only animate non-creature artifacts, but Tezerret is not one of them. Tezerret can be used to permanently make a artifact creature a 4/4 (some time making it smaller and other times larger).
Q: In a 4 player commander game, my Valki, God of Lies exiled a creature card from each of my opponent's hands earlier in the game. I then lose the game for what ever reason, do my opponents who are still in the game get those cards back into their hands or do they stay exiled?
A: They get those cards back. Valki has a duration of "until Valki leaves the battlefield" which he does as part of you losing the game.
Wonder why this card cares so
much about the number eleven?
Q: Similar to the last question. If instead I'm exiling an opponent's creature with Oblivion Ring, and then I'm eliminated from the game does that player get their creature back to the battlefield?
A: They do not. This seems very similar. The big difference is Oblivion Ring uses two different linked triggers to exile a card instead of using one triggered ability with a duration. In this scenario when you lose the game, the Oblivion Ring won't make a trigger that returns the exiled card because your stuff can't add new triggers or ability to the stack after you leave. The exiled creature will be exiled for the rest of this game.
Q: Over the coarse of the game my Cemetery Prowler has exiled 4 creature cards. Will it reduce the cost of my creature spells by
or 
?A: You will only get a reduction of
. However if you have exiled a creature and an artifact, you can reduce the cost of artifact creatures by 
. You could also have exiled only one card that is both an artifact and a creature and artifact creatures spell you cast will be reduced by . It now about how many cards you have exiled with Prowler, but how many types amongst those exiled cards are shared with the spell you are casting.Q: I've returned my Griselbrand from the graveyard to the battlefield using Spirit-Sister's Call. If I Momentary Blink Griselbrand, does it stay permanently exiled?
A: Griselbrand will return to the battlefield and not have the "If this permanent would leave the battlefield, exile it instead of putting it anywhere else" text anymore. If any card returned with Spirit-Sisters would go to any zone OTHER THAN EXILE, it gets exiled instead. But if it happens to go to exile, than whatever exiled it may have a way of bringing it back.
Q: My opponent has one of each of the Urza-tron on the battlefield (Tower, Power Plant, and Mine), if I target the Tower with Tide Shaper's kicked trigger, will the tower no longer be able to tap for
?A: The tower will now only be able to be tapped for
, and because the ability to tap for more mana for other two lands is dependent on having a land with the Tower sub-type, the other two (power plant and mine) can now only be tapped for . Later if the opponent gains a 2nd Tower, the other two lands will be able to make
and the new Tower can make .If a land gains a basic land type (and the ability doesn't say in addition to its other types), the land will lose all of its abilities and other land sub-types and gain the appropriate tap ability for basic type gained.
Q: My commander is Sidisi, Brood Tyrant and I have mutated above her Brokkos, Apex of Forever. My opponent cast Leadership Vacuum targeting me, putting both Brokkos and Sidisi into my command zone. Later can I cast Brokkos from my command zone since its a Legendary creature in my command zone?
A: You can not. Being able to be cast from the command zone requires being your commander.
Q: I control Runeforge Champion and Jukai Naturalist, are my Rune spells now free to cast?
A: Yes. Alternate costs like Runeforge Champion gives, can be reduced by abilities like Jukai has.
Q: On my last turn I cast a Sheoldred, Whispering One(which is my only creature on the battlefield, I do have several in my graveyard though), then on my opponent's turn she copied Sheoldred by casting a Clone. It's now the beginning of my turn, whose Sheoldred trigger happens first? If my opponents trigger does, can I return my Sheoldred with her own trigger?
A: At the beginning of your upkeep, you first put your Sheoldred trigger on the stack (choosing the target to reanimate at this time), then your opponent puts her Sheoldred trigger on top of yours. Your opponent's triggers will resolve first, so you will have to sacrifice Sheoldred. Even though Sheoldred has died by the time it's trigger will try to resolve, you still reanimte the creature you initial targeted with the ability (which obviously can't be Sheoldred).
Well that is all for today, if you have time to go to a Commander Launch Party, hope you get to sling some cards at one, I know I will.
Until next time,
- Justin Hovdenes AKA Hovey
Level 2 Magic Judge
Rapid City, SD
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