Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 17:41:35 +0000 From: Paul Barclay Subject: [O] NetRep Reply 513 ======================================================================= NetRep Reply number 513 to the Magic: the Gathering List ======================================================================= This reply covers the digests: MTG-L Digest - 15 Jan 2000 to 16 Jan 2000 (#2000-17) MTG-L Digest - 16 Jan 2000 to 17 Jan 2000 - Special issue (#2000-18) Older replies may be found at: http://www.second-hand.demon.co.uk ftp://ftp.magic.asuka.net http://yavapai.ccgnews.com http://www.en.magic.asuka.net http://www.thedojo.com/backpage-rulesregulations.shtml SHORT ANSWERS: ======================================================================= ** 7th Edition is tentatively scheduled for April 2001 (similar to the previous three releases of the basic set). ** Festival + Siren's Call works as a combo - it will kill all of your opponent's creatures. ** The Deathgazer's ability is not stopped by Protection from Black, as it is not targeted, and doesn't deal damage. ** The rule for Trample is that you can only _assign_ trample damage to the defending player if you assign lethal damage (damage>=toughness) to all its blockers. This takes absolutely no account of _anything_ other than the attacker's Power, the blockers' Toughness and any damage already on the blockers. Ignore damage prevention shields, creature abilities and things like Protection completely. LONG ANSWERS: ======================================================================= [Jason Finney, asking about "As..."] >I have a suggestion: formally define "as" in the rules so that "as X >happens, Y happens" means the same thing as "when X would happen, >instead X happens and Y happens also" or some other similar wording. This is exactly what I'm trying to get them to do. I already use this method to check what happens (works fine, because replacements generally don't interact at all with "as..." stuff). ----- [Michael Kastberg, asking about Characteristics] >>I want to confirm that a Blockade Runner's unblockability (once it is >>activated) is a characteristic rather than an ability. > >It's neither. It's an effect on the creature. The ability that creates >it is an ability, and it creates a continuous effect that lasts until >the end of the turn. If you Humble the Runner after its ability has >resolved, it will still be unblockable, because Humble doesn't affect >effects. >__ > >This was my initial answer too, but isn't it more precise that the >effect sets up a characteristic of the BR? No. Characteristics are defined as: name, mana cost, color, type and subtype, expansion symbol, abilities, power, and toughness. Nothing else. ----- [Da Twink Daddy, asking about versions of cards] >How can I tell which 'version' a certain land is from a set. I know the art >differs, but which art goes with which version, how can I find that out? You can't, really - they were never numbered. The Unlimited lands were defined by their pictures (Forest Eyes, Forest Rocks, Forest Path...). The only set where the versions are identified by anything other than picture is Arabian Nights. The (a) and (b) designations refer to the cards having small and large mana symbols. ----- [Denis Malyavin, talking about Hasbro job cuts] >I read that news article.. Well maybe this is OT.. but hey I it might effect >magic >production scheduals.. sure we will get Nemesis .. but what about the next >developments.. If you had read the full news article, you'd realise that it was talking about toy production plants in North America. Magic is printed by Carta Mundi in Belgium. ----- [Cecil Mitsuzawa, asking about Echo] >Let's suppose I play Urzas Blueprints. Next turn I put echo in the >stack, and play Blueprints ability. In response my opponent activates >his Magus of the Unseen, and steal my Blueprint. > >When echo is resolved, it will try to find Blueprint and then fizzle, >isnt it? Then Blueprint will return at the end of the turn(after Magus >ability expires), right ? That's correct. Note that you'll have to pay Echo on your next turn. ----- [Wayne Ma, asking about the Skyshroud Elf trick] >I read in InQuest magazine that you could sacrifice a Skyshroud Elf to >Ashnod's Altar under 6th edition rules to generate three red mana total >by using the Elf's abilities. How is this possible? It's because Skyshroud Elf's ability is a mana ability with a mana cost, and you can play mana abilities any time you have to pay a mana cost. >Can you then >sacrifice a Thrashing Wumpus to Phyrexian Tower and have the black mana >be used on the same Wumpus to deal 2 damage to all creatures and each >player? Isn't that the same thing? No. You can use one of the black mana to activate it once, but not twice (you announce the first activation, sacrifice it to the tower to pay for that activation, then you have {B} left, and no Wumpus in play). ----- [Jeff Jordan, talking about Nemesis spoilers] > 88. Laccolith Rig, Enchant Creature "You may have enchanted creature > deal damage equal to its power to target creature instead of dealing > combat damage to creatures blocking it." Note that this isn't any form of template that's used. So, this card certainly can't exist in this form. Remember than spoiler lists are usually badly worded. >+++++ >[On copy cards] >Or should "sub-type" be included in rule 214.5? Yes, it should - I'll point that out. >[Paul, bringing up what he had just asked me not to but neither >of us could resist] >>>How about copying the *initial* state? >> >> Yuck. I have 3 cards in hand, you have 7. I Treachery your Maro. Its >> initial characteristics are 2/2 controlled by me (Maro's ability >> depends on Treachery). > >As you suggest, it causes gawdawful headaches if you force one of your >three "levels" to depend on a higher one. But my suggestion doesn't >cause the problem to exist, it already does. See above. By reducing >the levels, you can only reduce the headaches involved. Note that the "initial" level is only there in order to force counters to be applied after type-changing stuff, but before other P/T changing stuff. So, it's only relevant for stuff that changes Power/Toughness. This makes things just about workable. For all other effects, the normal continuous effect application rules are sufficient. This should possibly go into the Comprehensive Rules - I'll check with Beth. >> Then, you Clone it. It's a 2/2 Maro controlled by me. > >Are you saying that *you* would control the Cloned Maro? If you copy the initial level exactly, then yes, probably. I'm sure that we'd come up with a fix for that, but it would require some kind of fix. We don't have this problem if we just copy the card. In fact, there are a lot of problems that we don't have if we just copy the card. ----- [Martin Placek, asking about Angelic Protector] >If I use en-Kor ability on Angelic Protector, did she gets +0/+3. And if I do >this many many (infinte) times? Yes (you can do it "many, many", but not "infinite"). ----- [Chris Dolton, asking about Academy Rector] >Somehow, my rector goes from play into my graveyard. When it reaches the >graveyard, the leaves play triggers. On the stack now is "You may choose to >remove Rector from the game." If I respond to that by bringing it out of my >graveyard, when it resolves, can I still choose to remove it from the game, >but have the actual removing fail because it is no longer in the GY and >still search my library for an enchantment? No, because the "If you do..." bit isn't fulfilled. So, you won't get to search for the enchantment. Paul. - ------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Paul Barclay -- paul@second-hand.demon.co.uk -- Mobile: 0958-980180 - - DCI Level III judge -- http://www.second-hand.demon.co.uk/index.htm - - Official MTG-L Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc -