Last updated: 02 August 2017

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1. How many layers and sublayers exist? Enumerate them
2. Copy
3. Control
4. Text
5. Type
6. Color
7. Abilities (add/remove)
8. Power and Toughness
   • Characteristic defining effects
   • Effects that set power and/or toughness
   • Effects that modify power and/or toughness (+X/+X or -X/-X)
   • Counters
   • Switch of power and toughness

 

2. How are effects that apply to the same layer handled generally? Is there something that alters this general way to handle it?

Effects are applied using the timestamp system within each layer, however, any dependencies that exist will have precedence over the timestamp and effects that set characteristics are always applied first.

 

3. Albert has Grizzly Bears with a +1/+1 counter on it and casts Giant Growth targeting it. What is its power?

We take the creature’s base power and toughness (2/2) and apply in order the effects on the relevant layers. Giant Growth applies in layer 7c and the counter in layer 7d. The result is a 2/2 creature with +3/+3 from Giant Growth and then +1/+1 from its counter; making it a 6/6.

 

4. I have a Windreaver with a +1/+1 counter, and I activate its ability to witch power and toughness. What is its power and toughness? What happens if I cast a Nameless Inversion targeting it?

After the switch and applying the layer effects step by step, Windreaver is 1/3 -> 2/4 -> 4/2.

After Nameless Inversion resolves, the power and toughness is modified as follows:

1/3 → 4/0 → 5/1 → 1/5.

 

5. I have a Blood Moon, a Hallowed Fountain, a Tundra, a Ghost Quarter, a Forest and a Dryad Arbor on the battlefield. How do the named cards look like?

– Hallowed Fountain: Land – Mountain

– Tundra: Land – Mountain

– Ghost Quarter: Land – Mountain

– Forest: Basic Land – Forest

– Dryad Arbor: Creature Land – Mountain Dryad | 1/1 – Green

All lands that become Mountain have the ability to tap for red mana, Blood Moon doesn’t change supertypes, so asides the Forest, no other land is Basic.

 

6. I have an Arid Mesa enchanted with Spreading Seas and I cast a Magus of the Moon. What happens with Arid Mesa? What if the Magus was on the battlefield and then Spreading Seas was cast?

Both effects are type-changing and apply on layer 4, they apply in timestamp order:

–  If the land was enchanted with Spreading Seas and Magus of the Moon is cast, Arid Mesa will be a Land – Mountain.

– If the Magus was on the battlefield and the land becomes enchanted with Spreading Seas, Arid Mesa will be a Land – Island.

Arid Mesa will not be Basic in any case because the effects don’t change supertypes.

 

7. Andrew controls Grizzly Bears, Naomi casts a Twisted Image targeting Grizzly Bears. After Twisted Image resolves, she casts Ovinize targeting the Bears. What are the characteristics of Grizzly Bears after both effects are applied?

Even though Ovinize was cast last, the effects are applied to the creature in the corresponding layers, in this case, the timestamp doesn’t affect the end result. The order in which the effects apply is as follows: The creature (2/2) is affected by Ovinize in layer 7b (0/1) and then Twisted Image is applied in layer 7e (1/0).

 

8. Albert has a Thought Nibbler on the battlefield and casts Null Profusion. What is his maximum hand size?

There are two effects:

– Thought Nibbler: your maximum hand size is reduced by 2

– Null Profusion: your maximum hand size is 2

Both effects modify the rules, as such, they are applied in timestamp order: The game begins with a maximum hand size of 7, after Thought Nibbler’s effect is applied, the maximum hand is reduced by 2 and becomes 5. Then Null Profusion’s effect is applied and the maximum hand size becomes 2.

The number of cards he has in his hand at all times doesn’t matter until his cleanup step; he has to discard any excess over 2 cards at that moment.

 

9. I have a Tarmogoyf on the battlefield. In the graveyards there are Sorcery, Land and Instant cards. I cast Humilty. What is Tarmogoyf’s power and toughness?

Humility applies in layer 7b and sets its power and toughness, this effect is applied over the ability that defines its power and toughness in layer 7a, so it becomes a 1/1.

 

10. I have an Opalescence and a Blood Moon on the battlefield. I cast Humility. How do the other enchantments look like? What if Humility is on the battlefield and Opalescence is cast?

Both effects apply in layer 7b, therefore, the effects are applied in timestamp order. The enchantments become 1/1 without abilities. If Humility was in the battlefield and then Opalescence is cast, Opalescence would be a 4/4 and Blood Moon would be a 3/3. In all scenarios, non-basic lands would be mountains because of Blood Moon’s effect.

 

11. An effect places a Reliquary Tower under my opponent’s control and a Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur under my control at the same time. What is my opponent’s maximum hand size?

Reliquary Tower says that there is no hand limit, in other words, the maximum hand size can be said to be infinite. If we subtract 7 from infinite, we still get infinite, therefore, the maximum hand size continues to have no limit.

 

12. I have an enchantment that says: “All creatures are blue” and I cast an instant that says: “This creature is green”. What would be the creature’s color?

Green, both effects apply in the same layer (5), so timestamp order is applied.

 

13. I have Honor of the Pure in the battlefield and an Elite Vanguard with a +1/+1 counter. My opponent casts Clone, copying the Vanguard. How does Clone look like? What if I had cast Clone?

Clone is a 2/1, it will only copy the text of the creature it is copying. If I had cast it, it would be the same but the effect of Honor of the Pure would apply on it as it would be white.

 

14. I have an equipment that says: “Equipped creature has flying” attached to a creature. I cast a spell that says: “All creatures lose flying”. Does the equipped creature fly? What happens if I equip another creature after the spell resolves?

Both effects apply in layer 6, since there are no dependencies, they apply in timestamp order.

– The timestamp of a permanent is the moment it enters the battlefield

– The timestamp of an equipment’s effect is the moment when its equipped

– The timestamp of a spell’s effect is when it resolves

In the example: the creature has flying, then loses flying because of the spell and timestamps

If another creature is equipped after the spell resolves, the creature would have flying because of the timestamp of the effects, first it lost flying then it gains it.

 

15. Anson controls a Magus of the Moon and a Sacred Foundry. Nancy casts Snakeform targeting Magus of the Moon. Once the spell resolves, what the characteristics of Sacred Foundry?

It is a Land – Mountain. Layers are applied in order, the effect that changes non-basic lands is applied in layer 4, this happens before the Magus loses its abilities in layer 6.

 

16. Axel controls a Goblin King and a Goblin Artillery. Nigel casts Nameless Inversion targeting Goblin Artillery. What are the Artillery’s characteristics once the spell resolves?

It would be a 4/0, without any creature type.