Oath of the Gatewatch is an expansion full of playable cards, at least in Standard; one of the most popular cards is Goblin Dark-Dwellers. The reason is soon told.

In Limited, we are talking about a creature with a good body, tough to block, and with an ability that creates card advantage (Did you know that card advantage lets you win matches?).

In Constructed, a 4/4 for five mana it rarely deserves attention. Goblin Dark-Dwellers earns the spotlights due to his practically ensured 2X1, and that we don’t have to spend mana to cast the targetted spell. It comes naturally to insert this card in a Jeskai deck, both because it follows the deck’s philosophy (to stack advantage with multiple 2X1 and 3X1), and for the quality and quantity of targetable spells (Kolaghan’s Command, Crackling Doom, Abzan Charm). But also other decks can benefit from it.

Talking about rules, let’s start saying that multiple instances of Menace are redundant. A Goblin Dark-Dweller equipped with a Chitinous Cloak has Menace two times, but this means that “it can be blocked by two or more creatures” – like if the creature had a single instance of Menace.

Goblin Dark-Dwellers, with Snapcaster Mage and a Jace, Telepath Unbound, generate a trio of cards that allow us to play again an instant or sorcery card from our graveyard. Each of these cards does it with different modes: a certain play can be legal for all the three cards, or just for some of them. Let’s examine in depth.

1) With the ability of Snapcaster/Jace/Dark-Dwellers I’ve targeted a Lightning Bolt in my graveyard. My opponent, in response, wants to exile it with Scavenging Ooze, and says that I loose the possibility to cast it. Is it true?

For all three cards: Yes.

All the members of the trio need a target, so you point it when you declare the ability. The opponent responds to the ability exiling the Bolt. Seen that the target is no more legal, the ability gets countered on resolution.

2) My opponent controls Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. If I cast a spell from my graveyard, will I have to pay the additional 1?

For all three cards: Yes.

Thalia imposes to pay an additional cost on every non-creature spell. Even if the spell is casted from the graveyard, the additional cost is always considered and payed. In Goblin Dark-Dwellers’s specific case, even if we don’t need to pay the spell’s mana cost, we have to pay any other additional cost.

3) I have Ruinous Path in my graveyard, can I cast it with Awaken?

► with Snapcaster NO. Flashback it’s an alternative cost, like Awaken. It is not possible to cast a spell applying more than an alternative cost, you can apply only one. If we apply Flashback, we cannot apply Awaken.

► with Jace YES. We are casting the spell from our graveyard instead of our hand, but this has no consequences.

► with Dark-Dwellers NO. Casting a spell “without paying its mana cost” is an alternative cost. Like Snapcaster, we can’t apply a further alternative cost.

4) I have Boulder Salvo in my graveyard, can I cast it with Surge?

Surge is an alternative cost, exactly like Awaken. So:

► with Snapcaster NO. If we apply Flashback, we can’t apply Surge.

► with Jace YES. We are casting the spell from the graveyard instead than our hand, but this has no consequences.

► with Dark-Dwellers NO. The converted mana cost of Boulder Salvo is five, not two (the CMC of a spell is always calculated referring to what is shown on the top right of the card, not to how much you actually pay for it). Boulder Salvo is not a legal target for Dark-Dwellers’s ability. Even if it was, we would fall again in the “you can’t apply two alternative costs” case.

5) I have Living End in my graveyard, can I play it?

► with Snapcaster NO. Living End has an undefined mana cost. Snapcaster gives to Living End an undefined flashback cost. Seen that is impossible to pay an undefined cost, the spell’s launch process can’t be completed.

► with Jace NO. Like above, it’s not possible to pay an undefined cost, so the spell can’t be cast.

► with Dark-Dwellers YES. Seen that we are launching a spell “without paying its mana cost”, the fact that the cost is undefined it’s not an obstacle.

6) I cast a  Lightning Bolt from the graveyard, my opponent counters it with Remand. Where does the Bolt go?

► with Snapcaster, in exile. A spell launched with Flashback always goes to exile, instead than any other zone.

► with Jace, in hand. Jace only exiles spells that go to the graveyard.

► with Dark-Dwellers, in hand. Dark-Dwellers only exiles spells that go to the graveyard.

7) I have Boom // Bust in the graveyard. Can I cast Bust?

For all three cards: Yes.

With Snapcaster and Jace, we have little to add: We pay 5R and cast Bust.

Referring to Goblin Dark-Dwellers, a split card passes the test “The mana cost is less than 3?” if at least one of the 2 halves has a mana cost lower than 3. Seen that this is true for Boom, Boom/Bust it’s a legal target for the ability of Dark-Dwellers. When we decide to cast Boom/Bust, we choose to launch Bust, and we don’t have to pay mana.

8) My opponent controls Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir. Can I cast a Bolt from my graveyard?

► with Snapcaster YES. We need to be in our mainphase, with an empty stack.

► with Jace YES. We need to be in our mainphase, with an empty stack.

► with Dark-Dwellers NO. Dark-Dwellers’s ability would let us cast the Bolt from the graveyard during the resolution of it, in a moment where the ability is still on the stack, therefore it’s not empty. Teferi intervenes, realizes that we are trying to cast a spell while the stack it’s not empty, and stops us.

9) Can I cast a Burst Lightning from my graveyard paying its kicker cost?

For all three cards: Yes.

Kicker is an additional cost so we will be able to pay for it while casting the spell.

10) Can I cast a Fireball from my graveyard to kill my opponent which is at 5 life?

► with Snapcaster and Jace YES. The flashback cost is equal to the mana cost and casting a card from your graveyard refers to its mana cost as well, so in both cases we will be able to cast the Fireball for {R}{5}, if we have enough mana available.

► with Dark-Dwellers NO. As we are casting the Fireball without paying its mana cost, the only possible value X can take is 0.

 

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