I have, for example, 10 life and my opponent 20. I also have Axis of Mortality. My question lies in the actual mechanics of exchanging life totals. When axis triggers and I choose to exchange life totals, do I gain 10 life and my opponent loses 10? Or do we simply and inexplicably swap?
When a life total is set to a certain number (like another player's life total), the player gains or loses the amount of life needed to reach the new life total. Exchanging life totals is exactly that happening to two players at once.
Rule 701.10c: When life totals are exchanged, each player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other player’s previous life total...
Wow, I would have thought it was the opposite. I never would have thought exchanging life totals entailed gaining or losing life, just an instantaneous exchange.
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Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)