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Published on 04/09/2012

What's in the Box?

or, Seven Deadly Monkeys

By Eli Shiffrin, Brian Paskoff, and Carsten Haese
This Article from: Eli Shiffrin

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 Information in this article may be out of date due to subsequent Oracle and/or rules changes.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.

With Avacyn Restored previews under way, everyone's wondering: just what is in the box? We know that in the story Avacyn and a whole slew of Demons were in there doing unspeakable (because this site is broadly PG-13) things. On the card, though, whatever critters you've managed to exile are in the box! And let's not even get into the prerelease promotional Helvaults, where nobody at all seems to know what's inside...

In other news, I recently attended a Night of the Living Dead screening, followed by a neurology discussion from the viewpoint of "so, just what must be wrong with the zombies' brains?" by Dr. Steven Schlozman. Aside from learning parts of the brain and that zombies are intoxicated albino crocodiles, I also learned that our method of teaching through humor and pop culture overdose is successfully applied in a much more academic setting (ie, one that does not prominently feature a zombie chimpanzee). Did we develop the "familiar novelty" approach independently, or is this all part of Moko's grand plot of global conquest? Hmmm.

Meanwhile, we've got another bunch of questions for you to learn from! We've had requests on and off over the years to put answers in spoiler tags so you can guess first; well, if you have a user account on the site, that is an option you have now! Log in and click "My Account" to set answers hidden by default.

Got more questions? Send them in with the spiffy "email us" button, or tweet at us! So let's go ahead and answer the questions from you, as we also try to answer the titular question: What's in the box?

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Q: Can I cast Meteor Shower with X = 0 to deal 1 damage?

A: Is it meteors in the box? No, it is not meteors. :(

Which is kind of strange, because even if you choose X to be 0, one little lonely meteor flies out of the sky and pops a target on the head. X can always be 0 unless the spell or ability specifies otherwise; usually an X of 0 means nothing happens, but since the amount of damage here is X+1, something still happens.

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Q: So I Swerved a Mana Leak to target my Swerve. Can my opponent change its target back to my spell? I thought the whole stack had resolved.

A: Is it a giant ball of jello in the box? No, it is not jello. :(

The stack doesn't resolve as one lump - each object on the stack resolves one at a time, like a jello lasagna. After each object resolves, players get priority again before moving on to the next object resolving. So Mana Leak can be redirected right back to where it came from... or Swerve can be redirected to target your redirection spell!

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Q: In response to me activating Isochron Scepter, my opponent destroys it. Do I still get a copy of the card I exiled with it?

A: Is it a magic stick in the box? No, it is not a magic stick. :(

You'll still get your card-copy anyway. Linked abilities like this don't care whether the object with the abilities is still on the battlefield - the link is just that strong. The activated ability that's on the stack knows what was exiled for the first ability whether or not that ability is around anymore, and will access that information.

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Q: Kozilek, Butcher of Truth is attacking me! I have a creature enchanted with Animate Dead - can I sacrifice it and the creature for annihilator?

A: Is it a writhing mass of eldritch abominations in the box? No, it is not a writhing mass of eldritch abominations. :(

Kozilek is perfectly happy munching on Auras. It'll munch on all the things it plans to munch at the same time, so if it munches an Aura and the creature attached to it, both are sacrificed at the same time. There's no pause in between for either to escape the hungry hungry Butcher.

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Q: I exiled Vesuvan Shapeshifter with Intet, the Dreamer's ability - can I cast it face down?

A: Is it a poorly-formed spider in the box? No, it is not a blobby spider. :(

Morph is an alternate casting method; so is casting a spell without paying its mana cost. Alternate casting methods have a rule of "don't cross the streams," and since you don't really want to summon hellmonsters to devour reality as we know it (that would count as Unsporting Conduct—Aggressive Behavior and have you ejected from the event), you can't use both alternate methods at once. Because casting it from exile is part of casting it for free, you can't choose to cast it from exile for to get it face down - you're stuck casting it face up.

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Q: I control Mentor of the Meek and cast a Somberwald Spider after something has died. Can I draw a card?

A: Is it a properly-formed spider in the box? No, it is not any sort of spider. Blame William Shatner. :(

Somberwald Spider, however, is a Spider, and will be a big one. It has a replacement effect that gives it counters, and remember when things are entering the battlefield: handle replacement effects, apply continuous effects, and then check for triggers. After replacement and continuous effects, the Spider is 4/6 and very much not meek, so you won't be able to get a card.

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Q: Does Melira, Sylvok Outcast and Devoted Druid mean infinite untaps?

A: Is it a redhead in the box? No, it is not a redhead. :(

Since our redheaded friend makes putting -1/-1 counters on the Druid an illegal action, it's not possible to pay the cost to activate its ability. Thus since you can't pay the cost, you can't activate it. Rather than infinite untaps, it'll be zero extra untaps.

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Q: I copied Sovereigns of Lost Alara with Phantasmal Image. If it attacks alone, can I enchant it with stuff without it exploding?

A: Is it a hat in the box? No, it is not a hat. :(

It's a hat on your Image of Lost Alara, though. Putting an Aura onto the battlefield doesn't target what it goes onto - Auras only target when they are spells, and you're not casting anything here. So you can plop an Aura onto your Image just fine this way.

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Q: If I Ovinize a creature equipped with Darksteel Plate, is it destructible?

A: Is it a sheep in the box? No, it is not a sheep. :(

The key point is that "indestructible" is not an ability. "CARDNAME is indestructible" is an ability; "Equipped creature is indestructible" is an ability. Darksteel Colossus has the former, which is an ability, and if you Ovinize it, it loses that ability. However, when you equip a random creature with Darksteel Plate, it doesn't gain an ability; the ability of Darksteel Plate itself makes it indestructible, the same as if Darksteel Plate had a "when equipped creature dies" trigger. Since the creature has no ability of its own making it indestructible, Ovinize won't make it explodable.

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Q: When tokens cease to exist, where do they go?

A: Is it a theological conundrum for the ages in the box? No, it is not a theological conundrum for the ages. :(

Tokens that cease to exist don't go to any game zone; they just cease to be entirely. They are nowhere at all. It's kind of odd, since everything else that happens is in some game zone, but things that cease to exist do exactly that.

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Q: I have Spectral Flight enchanting Skaab Goliath, and my opponent exiles him with Oblivion Ring. If I get rid of the Ring later, is the Flight still attached to my Zombie?

A: Is it a ring in the box? No, it is not a ring. :(

This is a fairly common misconception. When O-Ring exiles the creature, it doesn't take Auras and Equipment with it. Any Auras or Equipment attached to it remain on the battlefield; Equipment is unattached and just hanging around, and Auras will flop off into the graveyard soon. Think of that trick where you pull a table cloth out from under a stack of dishes; the creature is the table cloth, and the Aura is the dishes, and the trick is always done poorly resulting in the dishes crashing to the floor as the laugh track plays in the background. Returning the Zombie won't bring the Aura back from the yard.

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Q: Can I reveal an Elvish Spirit Guide for Wren's Run Vanquisher and also exile it for mana to get my Vanquisher turn one?

A: Is it a Jedi Elf in the box? No, it is not a Jedi Elf. :(

No, you won't be able to cast your Jedi Elf this way, either. Revealing an Elf card is an additional cost; paying is also a cost. All costs must be paid simultaneously - and before that, you have one single chance during the process of casting the spell to activate mana abilities. So if you activate the ESG mana ability then, it won't be in your hand to reveal in the next step when you pay the costs.

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Q: In a five-player game, I cast Through the Breach to drop a huge guy and kill my opponent who attacked me with Warstorm Surge. What happens to the rest of his turn now, though? Will I get to keep my creature through the next turn?

A: Is it your opponent's head in the box? No, it is not your opponent's head. :(

After your opponent dies, he gets to keep his head, but the next player in turn order gets to pilot his turn. That is, that player becomes the first player to get priority for anything - that player doesn't truly take over the turn and can't play lands or cast sorceries and stuff. But there will still be a second main phase, and an end step in which your huge guy will be sacrificed.

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Q: If Karn Liberated has three of the same legendary creature when I restart the game, can I put one out, then another, let them die, and then get the third?

A: Is it legendary creatures in the box? No, it is not legendary creatures. :( That is Karn's chest cavity, not a box, and how did you all fit in there anyway? Is that peanut oil I smell?

All three creatures enter the battlefield at the same time. When state-based actions are performed in the first upkeep, all three see each other, gasp at this weird situation, and die from the shock. Legendary creatures don't handle surprises like that very well.

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Q: What happens if I copy Karn Liberated's ultimate with Rings of Brighthearth?

A: Is it a ring in the box? No, it is still not a ring. No love for this columnist, I see. :(

The copy of Karn's ability goes on the stack on top of the original. The source of the copy is the same as the source of the original, so when the copy resolves, it'll look at what Karn exiled for his two abilities to determine what you get to start the new game with. After that ability is done resolving... you're in the restarted game, and the original ability is back in the old game that is no more, so it will never resolve.

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Q: How does commander damage work when I steal a player's commander and hit him with it?

A: Is it base betrayal in the box? No, it is not base betrayal. :)

Commander damage is tracked per commander per player. If a player takes 21 combat damage from any single commander - not total among all commanders - that player loses. The 21 damage can even come from that player's own commander, something Karona, False God is pretty good at.

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Q: I think I just saw a friend make an illegal play! What should I do?

A: Is it contraband in the box? No, it is not contraband in the box. :(

Unless you're a judge at the event, you shouldn't jump in and tell the players what to do - sure, you may be right, but if you're wrong, you've suddenly done a ton of damage. You should ask the players to stop what they're doing and call for a judge. At a Professional REL event (GPs on day two, PTs, and such), spectators are strongly discouraged, and aren't allowed to even interfere with a match that much.

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Q: I need one more valuable card for my deck, and my friend only has one in foil. Can we just make a proxy of it and show it in a nice sleeve to prove I have it?

A: Is it a $200 foil card in the box? No, it is not a $200 foil card. :(

The Head Judge may issue a proxy in exactly two circumstances: If the card becomes unusably damaged during the course of an event, or if it's unusably damaged as it's opened at the start of a Limited event. Proxies to protect valuable cards aren't allowed at any level of play.

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Q: I heard that there were new rules about triggers always being optional, but then you said they took that away, and now I'm hearing it's back. What's going on?

A: Is it a thunderstorm of complaints in the box? No, it is not a thunderstorm.

At least not anymore. The briefly-seen version of the Magic Infraction Procedure Guide that allowed players to skip a very specific set of triggers without a "may" has now been re-tinkered to be easier on players and less upsetting. The new version does include a list defining a narrow subset of "beneficial" abilities, now formally known as "lapsing" abilities, though it's slightly different from what was originally posted.

However, the latest IPG does not allow players to skip over these triggers if they don't like them - they are still mandatory. On the other hand, since they are almost always beneficial, the penalty is "oh well, you don't get it" rather than "you miss a benefit AND get a warning." Choosing to ignore them is Fraud with a capital F, and gets you DisQualified with a capital D and Q.

Opponents are not required to tell you about any missed triggers at all, but if they catch it soon enough and want you to get it, possibly because now it'd be bad for you, you must resolve the trigger, or they might just call a judge to investigate you for Fraud if missing that trigger was more to your benefit than getting it.

Other than when called, judges should not step in when they see a lapsing trigger missed unless they believe you deliberately skipped it, though I'm sure it'll happen a lot until we can retrain ourselves to stop doing it.

Overall, the important thing is that the new IPG trigger rules are only truly important for judges. What matters for players: if you play correctly and don't miss your non-optional triggers, the new rules don't matter at all; if you do forget them, judges will know how to fix them; and if you see your opponent miss a trigger, you don't need to let him know at all unless you want to.

You can get the full IPG on our Resources page and view Toby Elliott's explanation on the IMG site. Note that this doesn't go into effect until this weekend, though I can't imagine that you'd have any significant Competitive events on a weekday anyway.

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Q: I want the Oracle text of my opponent's card - can I just look it up on my phone?

A: Is it a shiny new smartphone in the box? No, it is not a smartphone. :(

Until last week, any sort of outside notes, even Oracle text, was strictly forbidden. But last week, things changed! Now, players may use electronic devices (read: smartphones) to look up Oracle text, with two caveats: your opponent must be able to see the screen at all times so he can tell that you're not looking up other stuff, and you must only view Oracle text this way, not any other information about a card.

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Q: Last turn, my opponent Doom Bladed my creature and cast his own, we had a big counter war over his creature, and we didn't notice that I never put my creature into my graveyard. How does a rewind work here? Can a rewind even happen?

A: Is it a ball of timey wimey stuff in the box? No, it is not a ball of timey wimey stuff. :(

Previously, if a judge was going to rewind the game due to an illegal action (such as not putting a dead creature into a graveyard), the judge had to rewind everything. This meant that very often, a judge would decide that rewinding a counterwar was an ugly pain, and not do so... or the judge would deviate from policy and say to put the creature into the yard now. However, policy has changed (also as of this weekend) so that if a Game Rules Violation within a turn cycle includes a card not being moved to the correct zone, it can simply go there without a big ugly rewind.

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Q: Can the double-faced Human/Wolf token given away at FNMs transform since it has two faces?

A: Is it a promotional goodie in the box? No, it is not a promotional goodie. :(

Rule 701.25a says that "Only permanents represented by double-faced cards can transform" - while the token looks very much like a card, it is not in fact a card, it is a promotional goodie that has much in common with a card. Since it's not a double-faced card, it can't transform.

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That's all for this week. Make sure to come back the next couple weeks as Paskoff and Carsten wrap up our time in the darkness of Innistrad - I'll be back in three weeks when we see how bright it can be there.

Until next time, may your surprise boxes have candy and stuff!

Is it candy in the box? Yes, it is candy! Om nom nom!

- Eli Shiffrin

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About the Author:
Eli Shiffrin is currently in Lowell, Massachusetts and discovering how dense the east coast MTG community is. Legend has it that the Comprehensive Rules are inscribed on the folds of his brain.

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