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Do You Get It? Conundrums and WorldWake by James Elliott

Hello everyone!

It’s a sunny but cold afternoon here in southern Illinois and I’ve just about recovered from my weekend’s prerelease experience. From a judging point of view, I’m always interested in which cards are going to provide the classic questions for the foreseeable future and the Worldwake prerelease is no exception! So let’s see if we can give people an early lead and a jump start on some superior rules knowledge for the weeks ahead. Let’s start with some general ideas that will catch a lot of similar problems –

Targets. Many spells and abilities have targets and they are chosen when the spell is originally cast (C.R. 601.2c). One classic scenario is for the opponent to respond and have a trick of his own to cast e.g. bounce a creature that’s being targeted back to his hand or maybe even sacrifice it as payment of a cost for his own trick. When a spell resolves it’s normal for the game to check targets once more and as long as there is at least one target which is still legal, the spell will resolve and do as much as it can (C.R. 608.2b) e.g. Aether Tradewinds, Comet Storm and Searing Blaze will still work if there is at least one legal target remaining on resolution.

If however all targets have now become illegal we say that the spell is countered for having no legal targets and no part of the spell happens e.g. Iona’s Judgment, Twitch, Nemesis Trap and Nature’s Claim will not do anything if the sole target is illegal when it tries to resolve.

Protection (C.R. 702.14).

To have protection from some quality normally means one of four things using the ‘DEBT’ acronym –

D for damage from a source with this quality is prevented.

E for a permanent that can’t be equipped or enchanted by something with that quality.

B for a creature that can’t be blocked by a creature with this quality.

T for an object that can’t be targeted by something with this quality.

Multikicker (will eventually be C.R. 702.30 along with Kicker).

Working just like a kicker, but obviously the multikicker cost can be paid any number of times. There are however a few things that might be useful to point out. The card being cast will only have targets if the choice to pay the multikicker cost was made (C.R. 702.30g). This can be important for cards which care whether it was targeted by something e.g. Horobi, Death's Wail. There are some spells that have abilities that trigger based on other spells being kicked. They normally look for a “Yes or No” answer here and therefore only trigger once, even if the multikicker spell was kicked multiple times.

HOWEVER, be aware that there is one card from the Invasion set, Saproling Infestation which has an ability that says, “Whenever a player pays a kicker cost, you put a 1/1 green saproling token into play” – note also that this is the original wording on the card before errata changed it to “Whenever a player kicks a spell, you put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield”. The result is the same for this unique card, it will trigger 5 times if you pay the multikicker cost 5 times etc.

Still on the subject of multikicker, a kicked spell on the stack which becomes copied by another spell or ability will also copy the fact that it was kicked, therefore giving the usual extra effect on resolution (C.R. 706.2).

A spell which is flipped over during the resolution of the cascade ability (C.R. 702.82) is still being cast, you’re just applying an alternative cost. The spell can therefore still have additional costs like multikicker paid for it (C.R. 601.2e) as you put it on the stack.

The following is my top ten interesting cards for Worldwake -

Archon of Redemption

The power of the creature is only calculated once, when the triggered ability resolves (C.R. 608.2g). So if the creature is affected by a copy of Honor of the Pure or was the target of a Giant Growth between the creature entering the battlefield and the Archon’s triggered ability resolving, it will be taken into account when the life gain is calculated.

If the creature has already left the battlefield when the triggered ability resolves, the game uses last known information to work out its power and toughness when it was last on the battlefield.

e.g. Player A has Archon of Redemption enter the battlefield. Also in play under Player B’s control is Night of Souls’ Betrayal. Player B responds to the Archon trigger and targets the Archon with Urge to Feed. When the ability resolves the game uses last known information, so Player A gains 0 life (Archon was -1/0 when last on the battlefield and you can’t gain negative life C.R. 107.1b).

Calcite Snapper

Effects which change a creature’s power and toughness are handled in C.R. 613.3. Switching a creature’s power and toughness is always the ‘bottom line’, or rather the last thing we do regardless of when the ability is activated in the turn, but let’s look at the whole process.
First we apply characteristic-defining abilities (CDA’s) like Tarmogoyf and Lord of Extinction. Next we apply abilities that set power and toughness to a specific value like the activated ability of Serendib Sorcerer.

Now we have effects which increase or decrease power and toughness without setting it to a specific value like Honor of the Pure.

Then we calculate any change to power and toughness from counters.

Finally, we switch power and toughness.

So regardless of when the Calcite Snapper ability is used, we switch power and toughness last!

e.g. Player A has a Glorious Anthem in play when uses the Calcite’s ability to switch its power and toughness. He casts a second Glorious Anthem after the Calcite’s ability resolves. His opponent responds to the second Anthem by casting Ego Erasure. After the dust settles the Calcite Snapper is a 6/1 creature with no creature type.

Jwari Shapeshifter

The “copiable values” are the values derived from the text printed on the object like its name, mana cost, card type, subtype, supertype, rules text, power, toughness (C.R. 706.2). Copy effects don’t normally copy counters that are already on the creature e.g. If it copies a Oran-Rief Survivalist with three counters on it then it won’t gain three counters itself. However, it has the Oran-Rief ability which will trigger once for its own entrance onto the Battlefield and get one counter (C.R. 706.5.).

If another Jwari Shapeshifter enters the battlefield and copies the first one, it will copy the values that the first one did and become the same creature (like another copy of Oran-Rief Survivalist) from C.R. 706.3.

It doesn’t copy effects applying to the ally being copied like a Giant Growth resolved earlier or abilities granted from an aura or equipment.

Death's Shadow

The ability of Death’s Shadow only applies on the battlefield, therefore it will be a 13/13 creature when in your graveyard or in your library. This is NOT a characteristic-defining ability like Tarmogoyf since the -X/-X is just an ability on the card that works in layer 7c like any other changes to power and toughness that don’t set it to a particular value! If you need to work out your life total in a game of two headed giant, divide your team life total by 2 and round up if necessary (C.R. 806.9a).

Interesting scenario came up in Nashville that I was called to advise on (while I was in St Louis!). Player attacks with a 6/6 creature and a 1/1 token. Defending player blocks the 6/6 with his Death’s Shadow when he is at 7 life. Combat damage all resolves at once and state based actions are checked at this point. Although the Death’s Shadow was originally a 6/6, because combat damage is all dealt as a single event (assuming no first strike or double strike) state based actions see Death’s Shadow as a 7/7 (because of the life loss from the 1/1) with 6 damage on it and so it lives.

If your life total is actually a negative number, because you control a Platinum Angel or your opponent controls an Abyssal Persecutor, your negative life total will actually ‘pump’ the power and toughness of the Death’s Shadow by that amount e.g. If you are at -5 life the Shadow becomes an 18/18 creature.

Quest for the Nihil Stone

Whenever an opponent discards a card, you may put a quest counter on Quest for the Nihil Stone. At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, if that player has no cards in hand and Quest for the Nihil Stone has two or more quest counters on it, you may have that player lose 5 life. The second triggered ability of the Nihil Stone is an example of an intervening if clause – [Trigger Condition] [IF clause] [effect]. The Nihil stone actually has two ‘clauses’ to check – that the opponent has no cards in hand and the Nihil Stone has two counters. The ability will only trigger if both of these clauses are true at the start of the opponents upkeep. The ability will do nothing if one or both of these clauses are no longer true when it resolves (C.R. 603.4.).

Ricochet Trap

The new target of the original spell must also be a legal target (C.R. 113.6.).

Changing the target of the spell does not make Ricochet Trap the origin of the spell. So changing the target of a Smother to a creature with protection red will not be an illegal change of target because Ricochet Trap is red.

If the spell is targeting the same permanent multiple times it’s still a spell with multiple targets and can’t have its target changed by Ricochet Trap e.g. Seeds of Strength targeting the same permanent three times is not a spell with a single target (C.R. 113.7b). Ricochet trap cannot make a spell target itself (C.R. 113.4.) e.g. turning a Counterspell on itself is not possible. However, you could get the Counterspell to target Ricochet Trap and save your original spell.

Feral Contest

Normal blocking restrictions may prevent the creature from blocking e.g. its tapped, the creature doesn’t have flying and the creature with the counter does or the attacking creature has protection from the colour of the second creature.

If there is a cost involved in blocking, like Cowed by Wisdom, then the creature is no longer required to block (C.R. CR 508.1d).

If one of the targets becomes illegal before the spell resolves (while the other target is legal) then the spell cannot do anything to that illegal target or make it do anything (C.R. 608.2b) e.g. If the first target become illegal then it won’t get a counter but the second creature will still have to block. If the second creature becomes an illegal target then it doesn’t have to block but the first creature still gets a counter.

Vastwood Animist

The value of the targeted lands power and toughness is decided only once, when the ability resolves. It will not change if another ally enters the battlefield (or one leaves) before the end of turn.

Wrexial, the Risen Deep

Whenever Wrexial, the Risen Deep deals combat damage to a player, you may cast target instant or sorcery card from that player's graveyard without paying its mana cost. If that card would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile it instead.

The triggered ability of Wrexial is allowing you to cast an instant or sorcery during the resolution of the original triggered ability. Therefore, we don’t care about the normal timing rules for casting a sorcery (main phase and an empty stack). However, actual restrictions like, “cast before XXX”, like Panic and Dazzling Beauty still apply.

Anything that makes you pay more for a spell, like Lodestone Golem or Defense Grid will still affect the cost of the spell cast as the ability resolves. This is because these are additional costs. Kickers and Multikickers are also additional costs so you could pay for them as well mind you – bonus!

Anything that lets you cast a spell without paying its mana cost is an alternative cost.

Therefore other alternative costs like Fists of Suns and Prowl cannot be applied.

If the spell being cast has Cascade, then it will still trigger.

Thada Adel, Acquisitor

Whenever Thada Adel, Acquisitor deals combat damage to a player, search that player's library for an artifact card and exile it. Then that player shuffles his or her library. Until end of turn, you may play that card.

When searching a hidden zone for a card with a particular quality (like artifact) it means that you can fail to find if you wish.

Contrary to what we’ve just seen from Wrexial, The Risen Deep, the triggered ability from Thada does care about the normal timing rules of an artifact card. That’s because you’re not casting it as the ability resolves. If it’s an artifact land then you can’t play it if you’ve already played a land this turn (unless other effects allow additional lands to be played). You are going to have to pay the normal mana cost for this card.

If you find an Enigma Sphinx then its Cascade ability will trigger. You reveal cards from the top of your own library when the Cascade resolves.

As ever, my thanks to ‘Hard Core’ L 3 judge Eli Shiffrin for his help tidying up this report.