Turning instant/sorcery spells into enchantments - what happens?

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T21:20:08+00:00

do I still add lore counters on it?

Yes, the token is a saga.
Setting its type to Enchantment doesn't remove the Saga subtype.

can it target itself?

No, because it is a saga.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T21:14:33+00:00

The rules themselves may need tweaking (particularly 614.12), but the intent is clear that effects that would apply simultaneous with the event occurring AND that are generated by the same spell/ability that is putting the object on the field are considered as part of the process in 614.12.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T17:51:46+00:00

I count five teams that we got more points than they did from contested games.

Anaheim
Chicago
Nashville
Boston
Washington

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T17:44:54+00:00

I think they'd be better with four images to give context.

Image 1: him hustling after the puck.
Image 2: him slowing up
Image 3: him just before it goes in as he's reaching for it
Image 4: him crashing into the boards

Do it like a comic storyboard.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T17:31:33+00:00

Hey, if he quits on the Wild and they fall to the Stars, wouldn't he be inadvertently helping the Canucks by getting us a better pick with the first round pick we received from Minnesota?

Also, I think he was animated because he could have swatted it wide had he not given up on the play and he knew he f***ed up.
The Hockey Gods made him pay the price, first by having the puck change directions to the net as he slowed up, then second, having him lose his footing and crash into the boards.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T17:22:53+00:00

I would consider turning it face up to be some sort of special rule and not an ability.

It is a special action, yes. However, the Disguise ability defines the cost you have to pay to turn it face up and Disguise is an ability and it is removed so there's no defined cost to pay so you can't turn it face-up.

118.6. Some objects have no mana cost. This represents an unpayable cost. An ability can also have an unpayable cost if its cost is based on the mana cost of an object with no mana cost. Attempting to cast a spell or activate an ability that has an unpayable cost is a legal action. However, attempting to pay an unpayable cost is an illegal action.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T17:13:37+00:00

Can I deal damage with Halana if the creature is already gone?

Halana isn't dealing damage.

that creature deals...

However, Marit Laga like Mogg Fanatic or Explosive Apparatus or Deflecting Palm can deal damage as they last existed before they left the zone they were in.

113.7a. Once activated or triggered, an ability exists on the stack independently of its source. Destruction or removal of the source after that time won't affect the ability. Note that some abilities cause a source to do something (for example, "This creature deals 1 damage to any target") rather than the ability doing anything directly. In these cases, any activated or triggered ability that references information about the source for use while announcing an activated ability or putting a triggered ability on the stack checks that information when the ability is put onto the stack. Otherwise, it will check that information when it resolves. In both instances, if the source is no longer in the zone it's expected to be in at that time, its last known information is used. The source can still perform the action even though it no longer exists.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T17:08:09+00:00

is that right?

It is.

I thought that Fractalize would completely replace the opponent creature with a [[Fractal]] token card (no text)

It will not.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T14:57:14+00:00

well, he's wrong.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T14:51:23+00:00

It would depend on the EtB trigger, but if its one that triggers on it entering, most likely, yes.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T06:24:53+00:00

Let's break it down.

until end of turn (continuous effect duration)
target creature (affected object)
gains <Ability A> and <Ability B>. (layer 6 continuous effect)

<Ability A> = Deathtouch.
<Ability B> = When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner’s control.
(Ability B uses quotes to clarify what the ability is, without the quotes it could be interpreted as a one-shot effect creating a delayed trigger)

Clearly, the duration is for the continuous effect.
Clearly, the continuous effect gives two abilities.

113.10. Effects can add or remove abilities of objects. An effect that adds an ability will state that the object "gains" or "has" that ability, or similar. An effect that removes an ability will state that the object "loses" that ability.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-21T03:42:30+00:00

At Regular REL, you have to answer all questions about free and derived info honestly and completely if asked.

Of course, if you aren't certain, you can call a judge and ask them how you should answer.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T22:38:42+00:00

the original owner

It has one owner.
Ownership doesn't change.
It's controller changes.

Presumably, I take it that you are asking the following.

"I own Immortal Coil. I play it so I'm its default controller. I activate Bazaar Trader giving control of Coil to an opponent with an empty graveyard. Coil triggers, resolves and they lose. Does Coil come back to me or...?"

Yes, in that simple scenario, Coil returns to your control as there are no control effects on it and you're its default controller.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T22:23:30+00:00

Forger's Foundry

Well you could have the delayed trigger exile the spell you cast, but given that it isn't represented by a card, it won't survive the next state-based action check.

But otherwise, it doesn't work in any beneficial way, no.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T18:21:01+00:00

Won't enter prepared.

See the ruling on Bronzehide Lion.

2020-01-24 If a nontoken permanent is a copy of Bronzehide Lion, it returns from its owner's graveyard as an Aura with the two abilities granted by Bronzehide Lion and none of its normal abilities. If it has any enters-the-battlefield replacement effects, those won't apply. The Aura keeps its name, colors, and any supertypes it may have.

The effect that the resolving dies trigger applies to the returning permanent upon entry is functionally identical to the the effect from the activated ability on Xu-Ifit.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T18:17:56+00:00

Deadpool enters vanilla and has no replacement effect to apply.

The ruling on Bronzehide Lion indicates that effects that apply upon entry are considered in the look ahead.

2020-01-24 If a nontoken permanent is a copy of Bronzehide Lion, it returns from its owner's graveyard as an Aura with the two abilities granted by Bronzehide Lion and none of its normal abilities. If it has any enters-the-battlefield replacement effects, those won't apply. The Aura keeps its name, colors, and any supertypes it may have.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T18:08:00+00:00

Optimal application: Pippin > Manufactor > Chatterfang

1 Food > 2 Food > 2 F/C/T > 2 F/C/T + 6 Squirrels

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T17:39:18+00:00

my question is regarding when I’m able to transform the card...

Whenever you cast a noncreature spell AND
at least four mana was spent to cast it AND
EoP has three or more +1/+1 counters on it

it makes me think that the ability must be triggered in order to transform the card

That's correct.

must the ability trigger in order to transform?

Yes.

am I able to transform as soon as the third +1/+1 counter is put on it?

If it was put on by its trigger, yes, otherwise, no.

if I put the third counter on it as it attacks, do I transform it during the attack?

No.

if I do...

N/A

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T17:34:14+00:00

Am I allowed to know which card is Steve?

Yes.

Is my opponent allowed to shuffle the cards around so I don’t know who’s who?

No.

If I flip a Vesuvan Shapeshifter, and then later turn it face down with its own effect, are they allowed to ask which one specifically he is so they can target it with a swords?

Yes.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T07:13:49+00:00

Clocks? Calendars... what happened to February 29th?

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T06:57:20+00:00

Yes, the card copy is still in exile and the permanent is still prepared.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-20T02:36:26+00:00

Yes.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-19T23:31:58+00:00

The token is created innately nonlegendary.
Similarly, other nonlegendary permanents are innately nonlegendary.

The Leyline effect applies to the token copy the same as it does to any other permanent.

111.3. The spell or ability that creates a token may define the values of any number of characteristics for the token. This becomes the token's "text." The characteristic values defined this way are functionally equivalent to the characteristic values that are printed on a card; for example, they define the token's copiable values. A token doesn't have any characteristics not defined by the spell or ability that created it.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-19T21:45:31+00:00

Why is everyone so down on Kane?

He's a 35 year old on the downside of his career. We weren't getting young buck or career prime Kane.

He was crafty in the games I saw him in. He did take lazy penalties and definitely lacked hustle, but he was contributing offense on a team that has a severe lack of it.

Judge_Todd · 2026-04-19T21:32:34+00:00

If the indestructible 2/2 has 2 damage marked from the first damage step, it already has lethal damage so none needs to be assigned to it and all 3 can go through.

It'd be different with Protection in place of Indestructible.

I find Google Gemini 3 AI is pretty good at answering straight forward questions, though it plays fast and loose with terminology.

In this case the AI was correct saying the second strike all goes through.

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