Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 15:40:17 +0100 From: Paul Barclay Subject: [O] NetRep Reply 525 ======================================================================= NetRep Reply number 525 to the Magic: the Gathering List ======================================================================= This reply covers the digests: MTG-L Digest - 17 Mar 2000 to 18 Mar 2000 (#2000-81) MTG-L Digest - 18 Mar 2000 to 19 Mar 2000 (#2000-82) MTG-L Digest - 16 Mar 2000 to 17 Mar 2000 (#2000-80) 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 FOLLOWUP TO PREVIOUS REPLIES: ======================================================================= [Animate Dead Thing - Reply from the Rules Team] The phrase "becomes an enchant creature enchanting [permanent]" should NOT be taken as equivalent to "becomes an enchant creature and move it onto [permanent]." Animate Dead "becomes" an enchant creature and it can actually become an enchantment on an illegal permanent (albeit for a very short time). If you bring out a White Knight, the Animate Dead will move on and then fall off. The rule that an enchantment can't enchant itself can't be overridden by the card text of the Licids, because they don't specifically say that they override it. So, a Licid that targets itself will "become an enchant creature [enchanting that creature]" and the part in brackets just fails. This isn't the same rule as the rule that says an enchantment can't "move" onto an illegal permanent. ----- [List Etiquette] Several people have suggested recently that deck discussions should be banned/discouraged from MTG-L, as there is a list specifically set up for deck discussions (MTG-STRATEGY-L), and the help that you'll get on that list is much better than on MTG-L. I think that in some ways, this is a reasonable suggestion. I'd like to hear what other people think. Personally, I'm not too interested in deck discussions, and I tend to automatically delete them. I think we have to come to a consensus - either deck/general strategy discussions should be allowed or prevented. I'll leave this open for debate, and make a decision based on what people think. SHORT ANSWERS: ======================================================================= ** The term "move" should really be used in conjunction with "another -legal-" permanent for cards like Enchantment Alteration and Crown of the Ages. However, we're not doing that for templating reasons. This means that you'll have to take "move" as a special keyword (it is defined in the glossary, after all) which can only happen between legal permanents. ** "Splinter" is a legal to name as a creature type (the card Splintering Wind makes Splinter tokens). And, if you Pack Hunt a Splinter token, you can get 3 Splinter cards from your graveyard (because Pack Hunt looks for cards with the same name as the creature it targeted). It's not possible to Mask of the Mimic a Splinter card into play, because Sorceries and Instants can never come into play. ** The fix for Trap Runner and similar cards (if they are actually fixed) would be "Play only in the declare blockers step". They will still be good with Laccoliths, just not _amazing_ with Laccoliths. ** The two most important LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM commands are "HELP" and "INFO REFCARD". These give all the other commands that can be used with the list server. ** Dark Ritual is legal in Standard, and in all Block Constructed formats that it appeared in. LONG ANSWERS: ======================================================================= [Jacek Malinowski, asking about coloured mana] >Quick check: if ability says: T: Add two mana of any color to your mana >pool. Does it mean that only 2 mana of the same color can be produced like >GG or UU , or there can be produced any combination of two mana like GW or >BR? It means 2 mana of the same colour (and the card really shouldn't be written like this - it should really say "of any one colour", in the same way that Overlaid Terrain does). ----- [Wayne Ma, asking some questions] >1. I have a Treetop Village and a Yavimaya Granger. My opponent has a >Stinging Barrier and a Prodigal Sorcerer. I attack with both green >creatures. He blocks the Treetop Village with the Stinging Barrier and >then activates the Barrier and Prodigal Sorcerer to killl the Yavimaya >Granger. Does the damage go through? It depends when he kills the Granger. The sensible play would be to kill the Granger before damage is put on the stack, so then the Granger wouldn't deal its damage. The other option is to kill the Granger after its damage is put onto the Stack, and in that case the Granger would deal its damage. >2. Another dispute I had was pretty ridiculous. This same opponent >claimed that if I gave a Morphling the "untargettable until end of turn >ability", then I couldn't use any more of it's abilities because they >supposedly target itself. Again, my opponent would not believe me, so I >want the answer in writing so I can show him. Abilities are only targeted if they use the word "target" in them. None of Morphling's abilities are targeted. >Now for real questions. > >3. Will someone explain to me why if you Treachery an Academy Rector >and it dies, why does the caster of Treachery get to look for an >enchantment? I thought that Rector returns to the owner's graveyard. The controller of the Rector controls the Rector's triggered ability. It says "you may remove Academy Rector from the game. If you do...". "You" always refers to the ability's controller, which in this case is the person who Treacheried the Rector. >4. When does Frantic Search go to the graveyard? Upon resolution AFTER >you draw two and discard two, or BEFORE? This is the same thing with >Tinker, the Tutors, etc. After you draw, discard and untap lands. Note that in Standard, Masques Block and Urza's block tournaments, as well as all Limited tournaments using cards from Urza's Saga onwards, the order of the graveyard doesn't matter at all. >5. Someone once told me that if I wanted to be a DCI judge, I would >have to know how many Scryb Sprites it took to block a Sengir Vampire. >4 or 8? I thought it was a trick question and I said 4. He told me I >was wrong. I don't believe him, but I'm not sure. The question was "How many Scryb Sprites does it take to block and kill a Sengir Vampire with First Strike?". The answer is 12. This question is no longer on the judge test, as it was ludicrously confusing. >6. Animate Deading a White Knight? What's happening about this >discussion on the list? What are people arguing about? Now, what's the >current ruling? If you Animate Dead a White Knight, the Animate Dead will be destroyed, and this will then kill the Knight again. ----- [Colin McGrew, asking about Orim's Prayer] >My friend was playing a red deck. He attacked me with one of his creatures >and I tapped one mana to use my circle of protection red so I took no damage. > The card Orim's Prayer states taht if any creatures attack you, gain 1 life >for each attacking creature. I told him that because I have that card in >play I gain one life. He said that since his creature didn't deal any damage >I do not. Which is correct? You're correct. You gained the life as a triggered ability when attackers are declared. It doesn't care whether the creature will damage you or not. ----- [Michael Kastberg, asking for clarification on Replenish] >>In play are a creature with Pro: Blue and Thran Lens. Via Replenish a >>Treachery comes into play. Can the Pro: Blue creature be chosen to be >>enchanted by Treachery? >No. It can't. It's not legal to enchant it. Choose another creature. >_________________________________________________ > >I'm happy to notice that you came to the same conclusion as I, but >could you please be so kind, as to provide us with you >reasoning/model, Paul? Sure. It all comes from the following rule: 214.8d ...If a local enchantment is coming into play through any other means, the player putting it into play chooses a permanent for it to enchant before it can enter play. If no legal permanent is available, the enchantment remains in the zone that it attempted to move from. You have to choose the legal permanent before it comes into play. This means you use the game state before it comes into play, so the Treachery is Blue, not colourless. Another example would be the same Pro:Blue creature in play, with a Treachery and Humility being Replenished into play - you can't Treachery the creature, even though it would be legal when both cards actually do come into play. Explained simply - you just don't look forward in time to see if something might possibly legal. You check there and then. Paul. - ------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Paul Barclay -- paul@second-hand.demon.co.uk -- Mobile: 0958-980180 - - DCI Level 3 judge ---- http://www.second-hand.demon.co.uk/index.htm - - Official MTG-L Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc -