This came up in an EDH game the other night. Player A used Thada Adel, Acquisitor to exile and cast player B's Venser's Journal. Player B responded with Delay and an argument ensued about what happens. After stumbling through the comp rules, we ended up concluding that it would go back to the owner's control when cast from suspend. Is this correct? In either case, why? I want to understand exactly what's going on so I can explain it clearly in person if this comes up again.
This came up in an EDH game the other night. Player A used Thada Adel, Acquisitor to exile and cast player B's Venser's Journal. Player B responded with Delay and an argument ensued about what happens. After stumbling through the comp rules, we ended up concluding that it would go back to the owner's control when cast from suspend. Is this correct? In either case, why? I want to understand exactly what's going on so I can explain it clearly in person if this comes up again.
That was correct, because B is the owner.
702.61. Suspend
702.61a Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that
functions while the card with suspend is in a player’s hand. The second and third are triggered
abilities that function in the exile zone. “Suspend N—[cost]” means “If you could begin to cast
this card by putting it onto the stack from your hand, you may pay [cost] and exile it with N
time counters on it. This action doesn’t use the stack,” and “At the beginning of your upkeep, if
this card is suspended, remove a time counter from it,” and “When the last time counter is
removed from this card, if it’s exiled, play it without paying its mana cost if able. If you can’t, it
remains exiled. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of the
spell or the permanent it becomes.”
112.8. The controller of an activated ability on the stack is the player who activated it. The controller of
a triggered ability on the stack (other than a delayed triggered ability) is the player who controlled
the ability’s source when it triggered, or, if it had no controller, the player who owned the ability’s
source when it triggered. To determine the controller of a delayed triggered ability, see rules
603.7d–f.
B controls the suspend triggers from a suspended card that B owns. B follows the instructions when those triggered abilities resolve, especially the "play it" instruction.
A is the "target spell's controller", and the only player referenced by any of the text of that card.
The delayed triggered ability will trigger at the beginning of each of A's upkeeps, because A is "that player".
And A is the "he or she" in "he or she puts it onto the stack as a copy of the original spell".
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Why bother with mere rulings when so many answers can be found in the Rules?
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Bonus round: What if it were Ertai's Meddling instead of Delay?
B controls the suspend triggers from a suspended card that B owns. B follows the instructions when those triggered abilities resolve, especially the "play it" instruction.
A is the "target spell's controller", and the only player referenced by any of the text of that card.
The delayed triggered ability will trigger at the beginning of each of A's upkeeps, because A is "that player".
And A is the "he or she" in "he or she puts it onto the stack as a copy of the original spell".