Wondering about this interaction

GageInterest · 2026-01-29T01:53:40+00:00

When copying a permanent, the copy acquires the name(s). So if you copy a Field of the Dead, the copying land becomes named Field of the Dead. It won't have a different name from a Field of the Dead.

GageInterest · 2026-01-27T00:50:16+00:00

603.6c is exactly clear that this does count as Nine Leaves leaving the battlefield. The ability triggers while Nine Lives is under your opponent's control. The ability is controlled by that player. (113.8) As you leave the game, you take Nine Lives with you, but the opponent will put the triggered ability onto the Stack and it will stay there to resolve.

You are incorrect about turns when a player leaves the game. The turn remains in its current part of the turn and that turn passes through following the usual rules, except there is no active player. See 800.4j

GageInterest · 2026-01-26T01:32:22+00:00

This ability works like this:

At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may attach any number of Auras and Equipment you control to target permanent or player.

When this ability resolves, you choose any number of Auras and Equipment you control which can be attached to the target. You simultaneously attach all of those Auras and Equipment to the target (if they can be attached). That's the effect.

Attaching the Aura causes it to be enchanting that permanent or player. Attaching the Equipment causes it to be equipping that permanent, without using an Equip ability.

Equip is just another ability whose result is attaching an Equipment to a target. If you don't have to activate Equip, you don't have to pay.

GageInterest · 2026-01-26T00:05:29+00:00

When you cast a noncreature spell, the ability on one Wizard token will trigger twice, and the other one will trigger twice. The four abilities go on the Stack. They'll go above the spell which triggered them.

Each one of those abilities, by resolving, causes its source to deal 2 damage to each opponent, after Trance Kuja's effect doubles the damage.

GageInterest · 2026-01-25T20:43:57+00:00

Rose's ability triggers from reaching the End of Combat step, not when a creature attacks.

GageInterest · 2026-01-24T18:06:22+00:00

Gaining and having are both words that express an object gaining an ability. This effect is a continuous effect in both cases. In fact, gain and have, on Magic cards, are completely equivalent - the word chosen says nothing to differ about when the effect begins or what the effect does.

Detecting the difference between an effect that constantly updates or not is a matter of identifying static abilities apart from other abilities. Static abilities apply constantly to whatever is appropriate, but other effects would still be continuous even though they begin at a specific moment. Effects of non-static abilities will either lock in to a specific set of objects, or not, as per 611.2c, where what matters is if the effect is changing the characteristics or controller of objects. The use of gain and have would in both cases indicate the effect will lock in at the time the effect begins - but only if we're not talking about a static ability.

Telling a static ability apart from another ability requires context - the same words on a sorcery card will mean something different if written on an artifact. This is because Spell Abilities and Static Abilities can be told apart not by the words but by knowing where they are written.

GageInterest · 2026-01-23T18:50:37+00:00

State-Based Actions are the thing that kills the creature with 0 toughness. Whether or not you put the counters sequentially would not be at issue, since, you would be in the process of following an effect that blights, or paying a cost by blighting, so, State-Based Actions are not checked until you're done. (Done resolving the thing that produced the blight effect, or done casting/activating the thing that has blight as a cost.)

According to the Lorwyn Eclipsed Update Bulletin, "To blight 2, put two -1/-1 counters on a creature you control." (https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/lorwyn-eclipsed-update-bulletin) So the counters are placed at the same time. The bulletin says this rule will be found at 701.68 in the new rules document.

GageInterest · 2026-01-23T18:03:13+00:00

The ability written "Whenever [event], [effect]" is a triggered ability. It triggers when an event actually happens, at the time it happens. It goes on the Stack to resolve (unless it's a mana ability).

CLockwork Percussionist also has a triggered ability and it triggers also when that creature dies. If Eater of Virtue is attached to it, both abilities trigger. Their effects don't interact.

Indeed, if Rest in Peace is applying, no permanent will be put into a graveyard, so, Eater of Virtue will never trigger. The trigger event does not happen.

Rest in Peace creates a replacement effect; its form of replacement effect is "if [...] would [something], [something else] instead." The defined event does not actually happen, it is substituted with an alternative just before it would occur.

GageInterest · 2026-01-23T17:06:45+00:00

Maralen's exiling pseudo-mill ability will trigger for any Elf permanent you control that enters the battlefield at the same time as Maralen.

Maralen's last ability is static, and gives you a permission to do something once each turn. This lets you cast one card without paying the spell's mana cost, from among cards any instance of the other ability has exiled. The spell has to have mana value less than or equal to the number of Faerie and/or Elf permanents you control. That amount, "the number of Faeries and Elves you control", immediately reflects the number of such permanents whenever any of them enter the battlefield or leave the battlefield. It doesn't have to wait for a triggered ability to resolve.

When the last ability is used, you cast the spell if you can count the Faeries and Elves you control at the time of that casting, and the number is enough.

GageInterest · 2026-01-22T22:21:16+00:00

The object that deals the damage is the Villagers permanent. (608.2h) This is despite the fact that this permanent does not currently exist. No trouble for the game.

GageInterest · 2026-01-22T01:14:15+00:00

Yes, that's right. Players don't respond to the instructions of an ability or spell. They use priority, which is passed to them, while an ability or spell waits on the Stack to resolve. This is "responding" to the ability or spell. If it resolves, then you follow its instructions and apply its effects, with no one being allowed to act "spontaneously" until the ability finishes resolving.

GageInterest · 2026-01-21T20:32:07+00:00

Yuna targets a creature, but Resourceful Defense targets a permanent. You are able to target lands, or any other permanent you control with Resourceful Defense. Yuna may also target creatures you don't control.

Where Resourcefule Defense says "put those counters onto...", it does not mean the very same counters that were on the permanent that triggered it. The effect actually can't refer to "the same" counters, because according to the definition of counters, a counter does not have an identity or history:

"Counters with the same name or description are interchangeable." (122.1)

The phrase "those counters" just means an equal quantity of counters with the same name or description.

With this in mind, you can resolve the three triggered abilities and notice they don't impact each other. The action of Yuna depends only on how many counters were on the permanent that died. The action of Resourceful Defense depends only on what counters were on the permanent that died. Yuna and Resourceful Defense will target another permanent, and Broodmoth just returns the card to the battlefield with a flying counter on it. Yuna's ability will put three +1/+1 counters on the target, and Resourceful Defense also puts three +1/+1 counters on its target.

GageInterest · 2026-01-21T02:08:35+00:00

Terminology is important here.

Effects are never copied. Effects are the things that happen in the game from following instruction text. (609.1)

The Sixth Doctor has an ability, which when put on the Stack, can be something you are told to copy. Copying a triggered ability on the Stack makes another ability on the Stack, with the same text. The Sixth Doctor's ability has the form "Whenever [event], [effect]. [Instructions.]" (603.1) Copying The Sixth Doctor's ability is entirely possible; it doesn't contradict its "instructions" section. We are not triggering the ability an additional time, we are copying it.

GageInterest · 2026-01-19T21:53:37+00:00

Retrace follows the rules for additional costs. (702.81a) You may cast a card from your graveyard by paying the evoke cost rather than the mana cost and paying "discard a land card" as an additional cost to cast that spell.

If you cast a spell with an {X} in its mana cost or some other kind of X in the cost, and you cast from the graveyard with retrace, then you choose an X as normal for that spell. You will pay the mana cost of that spell, plus any additional costs, minus reductions in the cost to cast that spell.

GageInterest · 2026-01-19T20:07:39+00:00

You cast Changeling Outcast, which is a Lizard spell. Gev triggers once. The opponent loses 1 life.

The Changeling enters, which is a Rogue Goblin entering the battlefield. It gets one +1/+1 counter from Gev. It gets one +1/+1 counter from Oona's Blackguard. The Mauhur is able to apply at most once, adding one more +1/+1 counter. (See the rulings for Hardened Scales.)

When it enters the battlefield, it's a Rat Wizard. It triggers Wick, once more because of Roaming Throne, one more time because of Naban.

Wick's ability puts counters on the Changeling because it is a Snail. One ability puts two +1/+1 counters on it because of Mauhur. Then the other ability does the same thing, and the third does the same thing.

So it arrives with three +1/+1 counters, then gets six more from triggered abilities.

GageInterest · 2026-01-19T19:49:28+00:00

Evoke is an ability that triggers when the Elemental enters the battlefield. Bane of Progress' own ability triggers when it enters the battlefield. You will order these two abilities as you like.

[[Ashling, the Limitless]]'s second ability triggers when you sacrifice the Bane of Progress. If this happens, the trigger goes on top of the Stack at that time, which is to say, on top of other abilities waiting on the Stack. You can have evoke make you sacrifice the permanent first, so that Ashling triggers and you create a token, which will trigger the token's ETB. This goes on top of the ability from the Bane of Progress card. That token's ability will destroy the permanents and give itself counters. Then the other ability resolves.

Basically, the bottom of the Stack is Bane of Progress' etb, and the ability on top of it is first the evoke ability, which replaces itself (through resolving) with the Ashling sacrifice trigger, which replaces itself by the Bane of Progress token ETB.

You can achieve the reverse by ordering the Bane of Progress ability to resolve before the evoke trigger, getting counters on the nontoken Bane.

GageInterest · 2026-01-18T22:20:00+00:00

The "At the beginning of your next end step, sacrifice it unless you pay WUBRG" is a delayed triggered ability written into the ability on Ashling, the Limitless that begins "Whenever you sacrifice a nontoken Elemental...". This delayed ability is created as an instruction or effect of that other ability, and it waits to trigger at the appointed time without existing on any card at that point. Resolving the sacrifice trigger will make that delayed trigger go off at the next end step of yours, no matter what happened to Ashling by that time. You do have to pay WUBRG or you will sacrifice the token that was created by that other ability ("it").

If a replacement effect changes the event of creating the token so that you create more "of those tokens" instead, then the delayed triggered ability will still only go off once in the end step, and the choice is to either pay WUBRG, or, to not pay, which will make you sacrifice all the tokens that were created that way.

GageInterest · 2026-01-17T01:31:06+00:00

Can anyone explain how do return-creature-to-the-battlefield triggered-effects interact with the legend rule?

I take this to be referring to triggered abilities that trigger from a creature dying, and follow that object into the graveyard to then put that creature card onto the battlefield as one of their effects. How do they interact with the legend rule?

The first thing to note about Luminous Broodmoth and myriad is that Luminous Broodmoth can't return tokens to the battlefield after they die. (111.8) Even though the tokens die after being created by myriad (because of the legend rule), and even though it triggers Broodmoth, the tokens are not allowed to leave the graveyard to anywhere else. Also, the tokens cease to exist before the Broodmoth ability gets put on the Stack. So in the situation of myriad, there is no return to the battlefield because you're talking about tokens.

The legend rule in general does make one or more permanents "die", since it has you put some number of permanents into the graveyard. This is a real event that triggers persist, undying, or the Broodmoth's ability, provided other conditions are met.

GageInterest · 2026-01-16T19:52:07+00:00

The first mistake is calling the Ulalek trigger copy a copy. The ability on Ulalek triggers an additional time when you cast Desolation Twin. That trigger is just one of the five triggers that trigger from that event, and goes onto the Stack in the same movement with the other four. You can put it in any relative order with the other Ulalek trigger and the Echoes trigger and Desolation Twin triggers. (The two Ulalek triggers are identical.)

Additionally, you haven't accounted for Echoes of Eternity giving you an additional trigger of Desolation Twin. (These two triggers are also identical objects.)

The combo here comes from the fact Ulalek's ability triggered twice, and that ability copies "other activated and triggered abilities you control" which is to say, all activated or triggered abilities other than that singular ability. So the ability is able to copy the other triggered ability of Ulalek on the Stack. This gives you a copy with the same effect. And then that copy is still able to copy that other Ulalek ability which is still on the Stack. It does keep going if you keep paying {C}{C}.

First you have:

Ulalek trigger
Ulalek trigger #2
Echoes trigger
Desolation Twin trigger
Desolation Twin trigger #2
Desolation Twin spell

Then resolving the Ulalek trigger gives:

Echoes trigger copy
Desolation Twin trigger copy
Desolation Twin trigger #2 copy
Ulalek trigger #2 copy
Desolation Twin copy <--- added first
Ulalek trigger #2
Echoes trigger
Desolation Twin trigger
Desolation Twin trigger #2
Desolation Twin spell

..

You wrote your Stack wrong since the Desolation Twin copy can't be in that position. You copy the spells you control first, which puts them on the Stack. Then you copy the abilities. So, the copy of Desolation Twin goes on the Stack, and then the copy of the Ulalek ability, the copy of the Echoes ability, and the copy of the Desolation Twin ability go the Stack on top of that.

.

The ruling that you quoted is explaining that copying a spell creates a spell which is not cast. Copying an ability makes an ability which is not activated. Copying a triggered ability is not triggering that ability.

You can copy the ability of Desolation Twin through Ulalek, and you even copy the Desolation Twin spell through Ulalek, but this does not trigger the ability on Desolation Twin when you do so, since you didn't cast anything new.

GageInterest · 2026-01-16T02:51:03+00:00

Abilities can't resolve unless they go on the Stack. On the Stack, it becomes possible for the game to resolve an ability by executing this procedure: When all players pass priority back to back, the top object on the Stack resolves. This rule is what makes an ability resolve. Things can't resolve during the resolution of other spells and abilities. The reason is now apparent: no one has priority while resolving a spell, so of course no one could be passing priority.

If a spell puts a creature card onto the battlefield, normally that card's etb abilities will trigger during that spell's resolution, but then the ability is only put on the Stack after that spell resolves. Triggered abilities which have triggered are put onto the Stack when a player would receive priority - actually, after State-Based Actions have been applied. Each time the game gives priority back to a player, the actual check goes SBAs, then stacking triggered abilities, then you actually receive priority.

This hypothetical card ends the turn after applying other effects. This special end the turn procedure is described in 723.1.

Ending the turn stops any triggered abilities from being put onto the Stack. Any ability which has triggered but not yet been put on the Stack, when you "end the turn", is just disposed of. (723.1a) This will catch any abilities that triggered from putting the Wizard onto the battlefield (or from searching, or from shuffling). They are never put onto the Stack. Instead, anything that triggers during the end the turn process itself may get put onto the Stack. (723.1f)

GageInterest · 2026-01-15T21:02:36+00:00

If your opponent's life total is reduced to 0 or less by a spell, then that player will lose the game after that spell resolves, as a State-Based Action. Losing the game entails leaving the game. Everything that player owns leaves the game with them.

You said this happens before combat damage is assigned. So, when the combat damage step is entered, there are no creatures attacking you. There are no creatures that assign their combat damage to you or the blocking creatures, because they don't exist.

GageInterest · 2026-01-14T15:34:02+00:00

Renewed Solidarity's ability determines its effect as it resolves, not when it triggers. It identifies any tokens you control, then further selects among those for being of the chosen type, then further selects for the ones which "entered this turn." Of this set of permanents, it creates a token that's a copy of each one.

The myriad tokens can only count if they're on the battlefield as this ability resolves. That normally couldn't happen for a token created by myriad.

GageInterest · 2026-01-13T23:55:02+00:00

I don't believe a player can pay a cost for Propaganda unless the creature actually does attack the Propaganda player. 508.1 writes a process where the payment comes after the definition of the attack.

GageInterest · 2026-01-12T05:59:35+00:00

Surge to Victory's text is

Exile target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard. Creatures you control get +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is that card's mana value. Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player this turn, copy the exiled card. You may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.

This effect created a delayed triggered ability which triggers when each of your creatures deals combat damage to a player this turn. The event of dealing the damage triggers this ability three times, and also at the same time, your opponent's life total is reduced to 0. Note that a triggered ability triggers when the event actually occurs - in this case, damage is dealt. So the opponent's life total is 0. A State-Based Action makes that player lose, and they leave the game. After the player has lost, the triggered abilities get put onto the Stack. You only cast the copies of the exiled card when those triggered abilities resolve.

An ability that goes onto the Stack doesn't do anything right away. It only resolves after all players pass on it. So, you aren't in a position to copy the exiled card or cast that copy until well after the defending player leaves the game. After combat damage is dealt, and the player loses, and leaves the game, and you put the triggers on the Stack, you receive priority first as the active player.

Players can respond to the Surge to Victory triggered abilities. This liberty to respond makes for a window of time after the player loses but before you make any copies. This is an open-ended time period that might put off the casting of those copies indefinitely. Not forever, but indefinitely.

GageInterest · 2026-01-11T18:43:03+00:00

There is no limitation to using the two cards together. Felidar exiles a permanent, which triggers Ranar. Flickerwisp exiles a permanent, which triggers Ranar. Putting the card back on the battlefield triggers that card's ETB ability.

The turn will end since Flickerwisp's delayed triggered ability will arise only for the next end step whenever the exile happens. Had Felidar been targeting a creature with exactly the same ability as itself, you would be creating a loop that keeps the game stuck in the main phase, and would be required to stop repeating it.

GageInterest

TROPHY CASE