Phyrexian Tower is one of the few useful responses to a split second card like Take Possession to stop it from resolving.
Author: bimmerbot
When it’s missed: Triggers with non-visible effects
Wrapping up our series on missed triggers, we cover the triggers that don't have an immediate impact on the visible game state.
Cube week! Mishra’s Factory can block Daxos, then pump itself.
We're running a Cube week for the new year! Up for today: Don't let your Daxos be gobbled up by a Mishra's Factory that can block as a 2/2, then damage as a 3/3!
Blinking Elite Arcanist (it’s not exactly “value town”).
What happens when you blink Elite Arcanist? Can you exile a second card and cast both!? We explain how it really works!
How Pack Rat tokens work in combat (it’s tricky!)
Pack Rats can be a bit complicated when it comes to combat and state-based actions, similar to "Lords" that die during combat making your other creatures smaller. Be aware of these subtleties before you throw away a game unknowingly!
To stop Underworld Connections with Pithing Needle, you should probably name Swamp.
Underworld Connections doesn't actually have any activated abilities, so naming that card with Pithing Needle won't do anything good. Instead, name the land that Underworld Connections is enchanting, because that's what gains the activated ability!
Two Ophiomancer’s probably won’t get you 2 snakes.
Ophiomancer's ability has an "intervening-if" clause, which means you can't really end up with more than one snake no matter how many Ophiomancers you control.
When it’s missed: Triggers with visible impact or a choice made on resolution
Continuing our series on Comp REL triggers, we cover how to tell when someone has missed a trigger with a visible impact on the game state or that requires a choice on resolution.
Illusionist’s Bracers and Beetleform Mage
"Activate this ability only once each turn" doesn't mean a copy of that ability can't be created and resolve in the same turn!