Written by Daniel Clarke and edited by Stephan Classen with added input from Reddit users

Welcome back, to a new series of Rules Tips. We’ll be here to help with a new generation of mechanical interactions to tease your fancy. Today, we begin helping with interactions on Tishana’s Tidebinder.  It’s got a variety of complex and strange interactions, so let’s dive right in!

Key quick points:
Tidebinder removing abilities from a card does not affect other cards with the same name- only the artifact, creature, or planeswalker with the ability it targets.

• If Tidebinder leaves the battlefield in response to its trigger, your permanent will never lose its abilities, but the counter will still happen as it’s already on the stack.
• A card that gains abilities after Tidebinder’s ability resolves will keep those abilities. 
• If you can change the type of a card to be something other than a creature, artifact, or planeswalker before Tidebinder’s ability resolves, it won’t lose its abilities because of Tidebinder’s ETB.
• If a card simultaneously puts multiple triggers on the stack, Tidebinder can choose one of them- the rest are unaffected.

Now, how does Tishana’s Tidebinder interact with…. A huge variety of cards?  Let’s see: 

Tidebinder and Manlands

You can stop a creature land from becoming a creature, but it won’t stop them from activating it again. With all the Restless lands in standard having triggered abilities upon attacking, this is the optimal time to use Tidebinder. Casting her in response to the declare attack trigger (and using Tidebinders ETB to target the trigger) on the stack will leave the card blank at the beginning of the next turn. It will still be a creature (without abilities) for the remainder of that turn, but at the end of the turn, the creature land will not be able to be activated or tap for mana. For example, you can counter Restless Anchorage’s triggered ability, and it will not make a Map. It loses flying, and if it survives combat, it will be a blank card called Restless Anchorage at the end step for as long as Tidebinder sticks around. Tidebinder looks to see what type of permanent the card creating the trigger/activated ability is when countering it and not at any other time.

Tidebinder and Battles

Tidebinder can counter a battle’s triggered ability when it loses its last defense counter. If it does, the battle goes straight to its owner’s graveyard as It only triggers when the last counter is removed, and state-based actions cause it to “die.” This does not work the same as Dark Depths (which will just trigger again). You can also counter a Battles’ ETB ability if it has one, this will not affect the counters, its protector or its ability to exile and cast the back side should it lose its last counter.

Tidebinder and Hexproof creatures

A creature with Hexproof that has a trigger or activated ability is still vulnerable to Tidebinder as it does not target the permanent, just its ability. Should you counter an ability of a Hexproof creature, that creature will lose Hexproof in addition to all the rest of its abilities.

Tidebinder and Sagas

You can counter a triggered/activated ability of a saga with Tidebinder. Adding lore counters on a saga is a Turn-based Action, but the resulting trigger is fair game. It will not lose the rest of its abilities. This is not the same as Blood Moon and Sagas like with Urza’s Saga as Tidebinder does not remove the abilities of enchantments.

Tidebinder and Fetches/Field of Ruin Effects

Using Tidebinders ETB to target a fetch or field activated ability effectively stone rains your opponent’s land. They will not search their library, and your lands are safe. Neither player will search for lands when Field of Ruin’s ability is countered.

Tidebinder and Vehicles

If you target the Vehicle’s activated ability to crew and it resolves, it will lose all abilities and be unable to crew again for as long as Tidebinder is on the field. You/your opponent can attempt to crew again in response to Tidebinders ETB on the stack. Should this second crew work, the vehicle will stay a creature until EOT without abilities and then be a blank card for as long as Tidebinder remains on the field.  

Tidebinder and Planeswalkers

A planeswalker’s ability hit by Tidebinder’s ETB will not resolve, and it will cease to have abilities for as long as Tidebinder is on the battlefield. It will keep its loyalty counters, including any it added from a plus ability, or minus any it lost by paying for the cost of its ability. If you hit something like Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes ETB ability, it will shut the rest of the card off before it has a chance to be used.

Tidebinder and Sheoldred, The Apocalypse

Hitting Sheoldred’s triggered ability is good, but don’t forget that it also removes Deathtouch.

Cascade, Cast Triggers

Tidebender can counter cast (triggered) abilities like that of Shardless Agent or Ulamog, The Ceaseless Hunger. Those cards will not lose their abilities as they are not a permanent when their trigger is countered- they are a spell on the stack.

Discover

Unlike Cascade, Discover is an ETB ability. If countered the card will lose the rest of its abilities if it’s an artifact, creature or planeswalker.

Cards in Graveyards

Countering a trigger from a card in the graveyard, like arclight phoenix, will not remove its abilities since it is not a permanent unless it is on the battlefield.

Ward

You can target ward abilities with Tidebinders ETB.  This will let you not pay the ward cost.  

Phasing

If Tidebinder were to phase out somehow, its static effect would permanently end. See CR 702.26d

We hope this helps you understand the card, and its variety of interactions!  If there are any more interactions we still need to include, please feel free to post them here in the comments.