Published on 11/25/2024
Questions on Broadway
By Carsten Haese, Nathan Long, and Justin Hovdenes
This Article from: Justin Hovdenes
Cranial Translation
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There's some people that are crazy
They've got demons in their heads
There's some people that are crazy
They're my friends
They've got demons in their heads
There's some people that are crazy
They're my friends
And as usual, if you have any questions about Magic rules or card interactions, don't hesitate to send us a tweet @CranialTweet, or for the more in-depth questions, an email to moko@cranialinsertion.com .
Q: I've chosen not to block either the Changeling Outcast or the Colossal Dreadmaw that are attacking me. My opponent chooses to Ninjutsu the Outcast to his hand, replacing it with Mukotai Ambusher. Can I cast Return the Favor using only its last ability, to make my opponent target and return their Dreadmaw instead of the Outcast?
A: You can't even target the ninjutsu ability with the last ability of Return the Favor as ninjutsu has no target, let alone the required one target. The "return an unblocked creature you control to hand" is before the ":" and is therefore part of the cost. This happens before you can respond, doesn't use the stack, and doesn't target.
Q: In the same situation, what happens if I choose the first mode of Return the Favor instead? Do I get to put any creature from my hand on the battlefield tapped?
A: When the copied ability tries to resolve, it looks for the original copy of Mukotai Ambusher in your hand to put onto the battlefield. Even if you happen to have your own Mukotai Ambusher in hand, it won't be the one that originated the ability. Nothing happens when the copied ability goes to resolve.
Q: What happens if I use the first mode of Return the Favor to copy my opponent's Fling that just threw a Ghalta, Primal Hunger at my face? Do I need a creature to sacrifice to it?
A: When you copy a spell or ability on the stack, you don't (and can't) pay extra costs. The costs that were paid are considered copied as well.
You won't need to sacrifice a creature (and can't even choose to sacrifice a creature even if you wanted to), and assuming the opponent's Ghalta had 12 power when it was sacrificed, you can use your copied Fling to deal 12 damage to any target including your opponent's face. If they die to this 12 damage, then their Fling will not resolve and you won't take any damage from it.
Q: I'm being attacked by a 1/1 Squirrel token and a Bear Cub. If I block the Bear Cub with my Lord of Atlantis and the Squirrel with a MotPT, will my MotPT survive the turn?
A: It will die milliseconds after the Lord of Atlantis. Lord of Atlantis takes 2 damage while having 2 toughness, and simultaneously MotPT takes 1 damage while having 2 toughness. Atlantis then dies to state-based actions. This means MotPT loses its +1/+1 from Lord of Atlantis, becoming a 1/1 with 1 damage marked on it. It then dies to state-based actions, too.
Stay with me till the end
with me till the end
Stay with me till the end
with me till the end
with me till the end
Stay with me till the end
with me till the end
A: Jasmine doesn't help your Mammoth. It's true the Mammoth doesn't have trample, but it does have the ability "Woolly Mammoths has trample as long as you control a snow land". Therefore, it can be blocked normally.
Q: My opponent controls Kami of Whispered Hopes and a Feral Hydra with seven +1/+1 counters on it. If they then cast Fangs of Kalonia targeting the Hydra, how big will it be when the Fangs resolves?
A: It will be a 19/19.
It starts as a 7/7. Then Fangs tries to add one counter, this gets increased to adding two counters instead because of the Kami. Now we are up to a 9/9. Still in the middle of resolving Fangs, Fangs tries to double the number of counters on the Hydra. This will attempt to add nine more counters, however Kami increases this number to 10. We now add 10 more counters, making the Hydra a 19/19.
Q: I control three Gruff Triplets (one is a card and two are token copies). If my opponent targets one of them with Bile Blight, will any of the three of them survive?
A: None will survive. All three get -3/-3 before state-based actions are checked. They all die simultaneously, so no death trigger will happen in time to save the others.
Q: My Psychic Frog is attacking a Narset, Parter of Veils that has only one loyalty counter. Will I draw a card from my Frog this combat?
A: You will! Narset will die from state-based actions before Psychic Frog's draw trigger is even put on the stack. You are safe to draw a card.
Q: Can I have out both Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student and Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar? My opponent says I can't, but I thought since one is a creature and one is a planeswalker it's fine.
A: You can have both out at the same time, and you are almost to the correct reason why.
The rule we need to look at is:
704.5j If two or more legendary permanents with the same name are controlled by the same player, that player chooses one of them, and the rest are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called the "legend rule."
The fact that they have different names is what matters. This does usually coincide with being different permanents, but it's possible to have two legendary permanents with the same name but not sharing a permanent type, and in that case one is still going away because of the Legend Rule.
Q: I'm playing Magic Arena on my phone and when I Imprisoned in the Moon my opponent's Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, it's still a creature during my opponent's turn. Is this right? Or did I find a bug on Arena?
A: Arena is getting this wrong. Magic is a very complex game and sometimes Arena and/or Magic The Gathering Online gets card interactions wrong. Hopefully, this issue has been reported.
During the opponent's turn:
In layer 4, Kaito wants to become a creature and Imprison wants to make him a land. Kaito will have the older timestamp and is applied first, then the Moon with the newer timestamp is applied. Kaito becomes a creature and not a planeswalker, then Kaito becomes a land and not a creature.
In layer 5, he becomes colorless.
In layer 6, he gains Hexproof first because of timestamps, then loses all abilities to the Moon and gains "
: add 
.".Q: So is it possible for Kaito to lose all abilities and still be a creature because of his own ability?
A: It is. An example that could do it would be Tamiyo's Compleation. You might think since Kaito loses all abilities he should lose the ability that turns himself into a creature. However, if an ability starts applying in an earlier layer, removing it doesn't stop it from happening in a later layer (rule 613.6).
During Kaito's controller's Turn:
In layer 4, Kaito becomes a Ninja creature (and not a planeswalker).
In layer 6, Kaito gains hexproof from his own ability, which gets applied first as this ability has the older timestamp, and then Tamiyo removes Kaito's abilities.
In layer 7b Kaito becomes a 3/4 from his own ability. This ability continues to apply even though it's removed in layer 6, because it started to apply in layer 4.
Q: My opponent's Heartfire Hero is a 3/2 with lifelink because it has a +1/+1 counter and is enchanted by Sheltered by Ghosts. If it gets sacrificed to my Sheoldred's Edict, how much damage will it do and will it gain my opponent life?
A: When Heartfire dies, its ability triggers. This ability will check to see what stats and abilities it had the last time it was on the battlefield. This is called last-known information. This means it was a 3/2 with lifelink, and therefore deals 3 damage to each opponent and gains the controller 3 life for each opponent damaged this way.
Q: If I tap my Bear Cub to crew my Smuggler's Copter and in response my opponent Murders my Bear, will the Copter still get crewed?
A: Your dead Bear's foot is still on the pedal, so it's still a crewed Copter.
And I'm stronger in the end
That you made me what you made me
You're my firend
That you made me what you made me
You're my firend
A: You only put three counters on the Ozolith. Branching Evolution only affects counters placed on creatures, not counters placed on artifacts.
Q: My opponent cast Gilded Drake and I countered its trigger and removed all its abilities by responding with Tishana's Tidebinder. Then my opponent cast Clone choosing to copy the same Gilded Drake. Will the "Drake Clone" have any abilities?
A: The "Drake Clone" will act like a normal Gilded Drake, it will have flying and attempt to trade places with an enemy creature. When you "copy" a non-token permanent you get either what's actually printed on the card or whatever it's currently copying. When you copy a token permanent, you get whatever characteristics were defined by the ability that made it or whatever it's currently copying.
Q: If I cast Pariah on my opponent's Bear Cub, will the enchantment redirect damage from me to the Bear or from my opponent to the Bear?
A: By default, Auras you cast will be controlled by you even if you place them on your opponent's creatures. So the "you" in Pariah is referring to the player that both cast and currently controls the Pariah. Yes, your opponent's Bear will take some damage for you. Well, at least until it dies. It's not exactly a tough creature.
Q: I have Doubling Season while attacking with both Swab Goblin and Satya, Aetherflux Genius. Assuming no creatures die this combat, will I need to pay
during my end step to keep both Swab Goblin tokens?A: Doubling Season modifies how many tokens Satya makes. Each token Satya makes this way must be paid for if you want to keep them at end of turn. So yes, you would need to pay
to keep both.Even if one token dies, it will still take
to save the one remaining token, as that cost was set when the tokens were created.Q: I am currently attacking my opponent with Satya, Aetherflux Genius, a normal Swab Goblin, and a Swab Goblin token created this turn by Satya. Before blocks, I cast Rootborn Defenses choosing to populate the Swab Goblin token. Will I need to pay
during my end step to keep both Swab Goblin tokens?A: Satya creates the first token. Rootborn Defenses creates the second token, not Satya. You automatically get to keep Rootborn's token. You will need to pay
to keep Satya's token.Q: If my opponent mills three permanent cards into their graveyard with Ripples of Undeath's trigger, can I exile them with Ravenous Trap before they put a card from among them into their hand? If so, can I do it after they paid life but still before they put the card into their hand?
A: No and no. Ripples of Undeath's trigger is one long ability. At no time during the ability do any players gain priority or get the chance to cast spells or activate abilities.
Q: If I sacrifice Enduring Tenacity and a Food token to activate Baba Lysaga, Night Witch's ability, will the Enduring Tenacity return in time to see me gain the 3 life?
A: It will! Sacrificing the permanents to Baba is a cost. You put the ability on the stack and pay the costs. Then, before Baba's ability can resolve, state-based action are checked. The trigger to return Tenacity is placed on the stack above Baba's ability. Tenacity returns as just an enchantment, then Baba's ability makes each opponent lose 3 life, gains you 3 life, and then draws you three cards. This then triggers Tenacity to make target opponent lose 3 life, since you just gained 3 life.
I think I'll call it there before we're all going crazy in here. Until next time!
- Justin Hovdenes AKA Hovey
Level 2 Magic Judge
Rapid City, SD
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