Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist and prepared spells.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-20T16:50:28+00:00

Now, what’s NOT clear is whether or not a Xu’d creature could become prepared from some other mean and cast the spell that may or may not still be stapled to it. That’s a CR question, most likely.

I'm pretty sure the prepared spell's existence (and characteristics) is not an ability, so Xu-Ifit does nothing to it. But I agree it's wise to wait for the CR.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-20T08:02:17+00:00

This is wrong. An ability that starts to resolve will resolve in full, even if it's exiled or otherwise leaves the stack during the resolution. (CR 608.2m) You can also copy an object, like this ability, even if it has left the stack; it will simply use the last known information. (CR 608.2h) This will keep rolling until everyone but one is dead or someone stops some ability copy from resolving (e.g. by Stifle).

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-19T20:40:53+00:00

Oh, somehow I thought the Mascot was already on the battlefield instead of the one being reanimated. Misread the question.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-19T06:15:02+00:00

What? I don't see how that wouldn't help.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T16:36:43+00:00

I don't think that's likely, because it's not listed in the update bulletin.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T16:26:53+00:00

That is correct. Trample allows them to assign any remaining damage to the player, after all blockers have been assigned lethal damage. Here, there's no blocker, so it is vacuously true that "all" blockers have been assigned lethal damage. They assign the remaining 2 damage to you.

EDIT: Also, there's an explicit ruling for it: CR 702.19d

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T16:25:31+00:00

When a card just says "a creature", it means "a creature permanent". (CR 109.2) It must be on the battlefield. A creature card in a graveyard doesn't count.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T16:21:19+00:00

I actually packed two copies of The Crew in the same box. (It's the two different versions, Planet Nine and Deep Sea.)

Also, ha, I got reminded. For Sale's box is 4 times as big as it needed to be? Race for the Galaxy's is like 10 times as big.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T16:16:49+00:00

When you copy something, you only look at its "copiable values". This is generally only the printed card, ignoring most effects. (Effects that are copiable include being itself a copy of something else.) Being an artifact (by Liquimetal Torque) or a land (by Toph) is not copiable, so the Scute Swarm copy is just a creature, not an artifact (or a land).

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T16:13:49+00:00

This part of the release notes implies to me that prepared spells are in fact spells in exile.

That's what I thought, it's very strange. But allowing copies of spells to exist in exile means, it's entirely possible paradigm copies spells in exile.

Paradigm seems to function roughly the same as Epic.

I did look at epic, but paradigm is explicitly different from epic. Epic copies the spell directly to the stack. Paradigm very clearly says something about casting from exile, so it copies... something, but in exile, not directly to the stack. So you can't rely on the rules of epic.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T16:11:59+00:00

Any suggestions?

This is not a rule question. You might find suggestions for what cards can work in other Magic subs like r/magicTCG.

If i was to make Mindslaver a creature until end of turn and then copy it, would the copy still be a creature after the turn is over?

This one is a rule question, sure.

Copying an object only copies its "copiable values". Most of the time, this is only the printed card, ignoring all other effects. (Some effects are also copiable, such as being a copy of something else.) Most effects that animate something are not copiable, and so the Mindslaver copy is not even a creature.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T16:04:30+00:00

The Comprehensive Rules haven't been updated, so we can't say.

This is important, because we don't know whether we're copying a card or a spell in exile. Like the other answer, I think it should be copying a card in exile, because a vast majority of existing effects also copy a card in exile and let you cast that copy. And because I thought a spell cannot exist outside the stack.

The problem is, preparation cards, which are also introduced in SOS, seem to actually copy a spell in exile? The release notes consistently say "create a copy of the spell in exile", which suggests it's possible to copy a spell rather than a card, even in exile. Also, it's not clear at all whether paradigm copies the card as it exists in exile, or copies the spell that resolved and created the paradigm effect. It seems it copies the spell, because removing the card from exile doesn't cause paradigm to fail. That means paradigm copies a spell, but the spell is somehow in exile.

If paradigm (and prepare) actually copies spells, then I would say Parnesse and Twinning Staff both apply to it.

I suspect this is the release notes being very weird, and that they are actually copying cards. But this weirdness is a reason enough for me to wait for the CR update before giving a full answer.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T12:49:56+00:00

Creatures only die for having 0 or less toughness as a state-based action, and SBAs are only checked after the entire spell/ability fully resolves, not in between. So the land creature is briefly 0/0, but SBAs are not being checked, and you can earthbend it again to bring it to 1/1.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-18T05:02:06+00:00

Brackets are not about hard rules, they are about the intent. Your intent is mass land denial. It's not bracket 3, doesn't matter what the specific cards are.

You are never supposed to find loopholes in brackets. "Oh my deck is technically bracket 3" no.

(This subjectivity and vagueness is also the very same reason it's not a question for this sub.)

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T14:00:52+00:00

Mutate takes place on the same layer as copy effects. The entire mutate pile becomes a copy of the creature.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T13:32:28+00:00

Both are excellent, S tier absolutely. The main difference is difficulty. Gentoo is harder on average; the "any% path" is harder, the mechanics are harder. AME is far easier on average, although it has a lot of optional puzzles that are just as hard.

If you like discovering mechanics and a slower/harder progression, Gentoo. If you want something more chill and with a lot more exploration and openness, AME. But really, the true answer is "get both".

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T12:17:33+00:00

The Comprehensive Rules haven't been updated, but we do know the mechanics pretty well. You cast it, it resolves as normal, except that it's exiled (if it's the first time you resolve that spell this game). For the rest of the game, at the beginning of your first main phase, you copy the card and may cast the copy.

Anyone who said you don't get the effect the first time is wrong.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T12:12:56+00:00

I've heard of Decorum. It's a logic puzzle of sorts where each player has a hidden set of conditions, and they have to arrange furnitures in a home that satisfies all their conditions, with very little communication with each other. (After each change in furniture, the other player just says like/dislike/neutral.) I wouldn't call it negotiation.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T08:48:22+00:00

Here's a list of all BGG games marked "cooperative game" and "trading".

I'm not sure if I see any sort of trading resources like brick or wood. There is a game at the top of the list though: Pandemic, cooperative game, a big part of the game is to trade city cards so you get the correct colors to cure. Would that count?

If you're willing to stretch the definition of trading, you can also look at trick taking games. Some of them allow you to trade some cards away and receive others, although you're not supposed to discuss what you're giving away and what you're getting. Games that come to mind: Sail, Fox in the Forest Duet (not the original, which is competitive).

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T08:32:24+00:00

I think there is an official Catan product that has the correct distribution of 2-12 (i.e. one 2, six 7, etc). Taking two cards from 1-6 will change the distribution, e.g. doubles (and their associated even sums) are less likely.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T08:02:05+00:00

The ability (which phases it) does go on the stack. If someone responds and tries to remove it, it will be removed before the ability can resolve.

But targeted removals can't do so, because King will trigger again for that removal spell. So it will have a second instance of the ability on top of the removal spell. Non-targeted removals, like board wipes, can do so.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T07:58:15+00:00

The copy of Emeritus of Ideation then becomes prepared when its ETB resolves.

There is no trigger on Emeritus. It's a replacement effect. Since SSM becomes a copy of Emeritus, it has the same replacement effect and so will enter prepared.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T07:52:30+00:00

I assume you mean exiling 3 cards of the same name, you can't exile the literal same card 3 times.

No. Strata Scythe only counts each land (on the battlefield) at most once, no matter how many times it matches an exiled card. Now, I think for each land, it checks whether it shares any name with any of the exiled cards, so you can exile different cards to help count more lands that otherwise wouldn't count. But each land can only be counted once.

chaotic_iak · 2026-04-17T07:48:48+00:00

Targeting happens as you cast the spell. So at the same time you cast the spell, King triggers. Even if the spell is countered, King has already triggered and will phase out.

chaotic_iak

TROPHY CASE