Category: State-Based Actions
Copies, Effects, One-Shot Effects, Resolving spells and abilities, State-Based Actions, Type & Subtypes, Zones
Copying Double-Faced Cards
Tournament Tuesday: Kalitas and Anointed Procession
EDIT: With the release of Ixalan, the rules regarding this interaction have changed. As of that set's release, effects like Anointed Procession will also apply if a replacement effect (such as Kalitas' effect) is creating tokens, no matter why. Even if Kalitas' ability is replacing a state-based action rather than the effect of a spell or ability, Procession will still apply. The original post below will remain for posterity, but it is no longer applicable. Buckle up, because today's
Abilities, Continuous Effects, Effects, Resolving spells and abilities, State-Based Actions, Static Abilities, Tournament Rules
Tournament Tuesday: The Rules vs. Can’t Lose Effects
Welcome back to the Rules Blog! Today we'll be going over something that's occasionally misunderstood: effects that prevent you from losing the game. The ur-example of this is good old , but there's been others- most recently, the emblem from . So long as you have that Emblem, and a Planeswalker with the "Gideon" subtype, you can't lose and your opponents can't win. That means you'll stay alive even with 0 or less life, 10 or more poison counters, or having tried to draw from an empty library. Any
All About Exquisite Archangel
Today we’ll be talking about , a creature with a rather unusual ability; it doesn’t do anything until you’re about to lose the game! Of course, the effect is a powerful one indeed, which replaces losing with going back to your starting life total, one which essentially undoes all your opponent’s hard work if they were trying to win by damage. It doesn’t even matter if the Angel would die at the same time (you’ll still regain life, and then you’ll decide whether to send the Angel to
Hangarback Manifesto (a manifested Walker is not very good)
Turning a manifested Hangarback Walker face up doesn't put counters on it (you can't even pay mana for X), so it will generally die immediately after it turns face up, before you even get a chance to activate its ability.
Indestructible, Damage, and Bile Blight
Indestructible is a neat little ability. It does exactly what you'd expect- it means that the permanent in question simply can't be destroyed, whether that be via lethal damage or a "destroy" effect like or . It does NOT protect against other forms of removal or death, though: exile, the Legend Rule, the Planeswalker Uniqueness Rule, and having 0 or less toughness all get around Indestructible pretty easily. However, a common misconception I've run into is people trying to 'combine' damage and -X/-X
Ensoul Artifact – Learn All About It!
Making a 5/5 flyer or 5/5 indestructible creature on turn two brightens my soul. Both options are possible with . works by setting the base power and toughness of any artifact to 5/5 and, if it isn’t already, makes it a creature. The best part about this transformation is that it does not affect the card’s text- meaning if it’s a flyer before the Aura resolves it remains a flyer (same with indestructible and so on). See that 0/2 ? Now you’ve got a 5/5 Super-Ornithopter bashing in for a
Wall of Essence and Multiple Attackers
Today’s Rules Tip begins with a scenario: You’re at 5 life. Your opponent is attacking you with an and a . You have a lone on your side ready to die for your protection. You block the Hivelord. Damage from the Tormentor goes through and the Wall’s ability triggers- Are you dead? If you guessed “Yes” you would be correct. Wall of Essence has a triggered ability that triggers when it receives damage. Since damage has gone through, you are at 0 life when state based actions are checked.
Elesh Norn vs. Sakura-Tribe Elder, et. al.
You can only activate abilities when you have priority. If your creature enters the battlefield but dies before you get priority, you're not going to have a good time!