3- Do you have to roll the dice to determine the random zombie card when the ability triggers or just when it resolves? There's no "target" word in the text, so it's not clear to me.
1- What qualifies as a zombie card? I can only think about zombie creatures, but the text says zombie card.
A zombie card is any MTG card either with Zombie somewhere on its type line like Ghoulraiser or a card with the changeling ability which gives it all creature types.
For a general rule cards are only referred to by just there types/subtypes whilst they are on the battlefield, whilst they are on the stack they are spells. In all other zones they are simply cards. As to why it does not specify zombie creature cards the wording given allows to you to retrieve a nameless inversion
Moan of the unhallowed is bog standard sorcery, these can only have creature subtypes if they also have the tribal type and the zombie creature type. Just creating Zombies is not enough to make it a Zombie card
3- Do you have to roll the dice to determine the random zombie card when the ability triggers or just when it resolves? There's no "target" word in the text, so it's not clear to me.
Thank you.
You and your opponent have to find a mutually agreeable way of determining which card you get back. This could be assigning each one a number and rolling a dice or shuffling them up and having your opponent select one. Or any other means that you can think of. Just be aware in the older formats you do need to preserve the order of cards in your graveyard, but that is not an issue for Modern or Standard.
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The last question though was more about the when rather than the how to determine the random card.
As the ability doesn't target (you can tell as it doesn't use the word target), the random zombie card you return is determined when the ability resolve.
Ok, so does that mean I can get Ghoulraiser back to my hand if the graveyard is empty when I cast it?
Well, Ghoulraiser is supposed to get on the battlefield when you cast it, not in the graveyard. But if it enters the battlefield, triggering its ability, and then it dies before its ability resolves (say, because you sacrifice it to something), yes, the ability will return it to your hand if it's the only zombie card in your graveyard at that point.
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I'm a former judge (lapsed), who keeps up to date on rules and policy. Keep in mind that judges' answers aren't necessarily more valid than those of people who aren't judges; what matters is we can quote the rules to back up our answers. When in doubt, ask for such quotes.
There are no card type Zombie cards that are not creatures, however there are Tribal(the card type) Shapeshifters(Nameless Inversion, Wings of Velis Vel, etc) so they would count for the purposes of Ghoulraiser.
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1- What qualifies as a zombie card? I can only think about zombie creatures, but the text says zombie card.
2- I don't suppose a card like Moan of the Unhallowed is a zombie card, or is it?
3- Do you have to roll the dice to determine the random zombie card when the ability triggers or just when it resolves? There's no "target" word in the text, so it's not clear to me.
Thank you.
A zombie card is any MTG card either with Zombie somewhere on its type line like Ghoulraiser or a card with the changeling ability which gives it all creature types.
For a general rule cards are only referred to by just there types/subtypes whilst they are on the battlefield, whilst they are on the stack they are spells. In all other zones they are simply cards. As to why it does not specify zombie creature cards the wording given allows to you to retrieve a nameless inversion
Moan of the unhallowed is bog standard sorcery, these can only have creature subtypes if they also have the tribal type and the zombie creature type. Just creating Zombies is not enough to make it a Zombie card
You and your opponent have to find a mutually agreeable way of determining which card you get back. This could be assigning each one a number and rolling a dice or shuffling them up and having your opponent select one. Or any other means that you can think of. Just be aware in the older formats you do need to preserve the order of cards in your graveyard, but that is not an issue for Modern or Standard.
- H.L Mencken
I Became insane with long Intervals of horrible Sanity
All Religion, my friend is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination and poetry.
- Edgar Allan Poe
The Crafters' Rules Guru
The last question though was more about the when rather than the how to determine the random card.
As the ability doesn't target (you can tell as it doesn't use the word target), the random zombie card you return is determined when the ability resolve.
Oops, forgot to add Bloodthrone Vampire is on the battlefield and I sacrifice Ghoulraiser the moment he enters the battlefield.