A rant about spellmorph

Quote from k-rad
As for spellmorph, there should be a rule in CCC that says "If it doesn't work under current rules for a small number of reasons, assume there is a rules change".


OK, so as shown in the above quote, spellmorph requires a lot of changes in the rules to make things work.

First, here's a sample card with the mechanic:

Hieroglyphic Insight 2UU
Instant [Common]
Spellmorph 2U (You may cast this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. You may cast it for its spellmorph cost by turning it face up.)
Target player draws two cards.

Some clarifications:
-Spellmorph appears on instant, sorcery, and Aura enchantment cards.
-Spellmorph does have timing restrictions, unlike morph. You can only cast a spell with spellmorph at any time it could normally be cast. So if the card is a sorcery, you can only spellmorph it as a sorcery. Also, you can't cast one of these in response to something with split second.

So, some people see this and think "Oh, hey, cool, a new version of morph". Others see this and say "Hey! An instant can't exist on the battlefield! Just do this instead!"

[name] 2UU
Creature - [creaturetype] [Common]
Flash
Morph 2U
When ~ dies, draw two cards.
-100/-100

And the thing is, if you think like this, you're probably really strongly Melvin, almost void in Vorthos. These things are, flavor-wise, instants and sorceries, obviously. Having a bunch of creatures that die instantly for the sake of doing this is, well, inelegant.

Any other reasons to insist on using spellmorph?

Well, one of the important reasons for purposes of the set is that you can trigger "Whenever you cast a spell" effects (eg. Inexorable Tide) twice with one card (once for casting face down, once for turning face up).

A "sorcery" morph can be done with morph by having the extra clause "if it's your main phase" in the effect. But that is still a bit clunky.

Finally, you can't easily do Auras with morph.


Fangs of Terrapeak 2R
Enchantment - Aura [Common]
Flash
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+0 and has trample.
Spellmorph 1R (You may cast this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. You may cast it for its spellmorph cost by turning it face up.)

So, what rules does this break?

OK, so I recall that when dealing with madness, the card actually gets exiled briefly when the madness ability is used, and then the card is put onto the stack from exile. If casting a spell from the battlefield does not work, then maybe something similar must be applied here.

So, as a card with spellmorph is turned face up for its spellmorph cost, it gets exiled immediately. Then it is put onto the stack as usual.

So, I guess, the long version of the rule for spellmorph would state the following:

-You can cast a card with spellmorph face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. The creature is colorless, has no creature types, and no name.
-If any effect turns a card with spellmorph face up, exile it immediately. Then its controller casts it without paying its mana cost if able.
-The creature's controller may pay the card's spellmorph cost at any time he or she can normally cast that card. (If he or she does, exile it as per the above instruction. He or she then casts the card if able.)

So, what about unusual interactions? How do we resolve those?

Having nonpermanents on the battlefield?
This is where we need to amend the rules. Any instant or sorcery card that for whatever reason manages to stick around on the battlefield gets exiled as a state-based effect.

Break Open?
If another effect causes the card to be turned face up, its controller exiles the card, then casts the card without paying its mana cost from exile if able. If the card can't be cast, it stays in exile.

Turn to Mist?
If the card is not a permanent card, just leave it in exile. It can't be returned to the battlefield. (If it's an Aura, then it must be returned to the battlefield on a legal permanent it can enchant if able. If it can't, leave it in exile since it can't be returned to the battlefield.)

Sudden Spoiling, then Break Open?
Sudden Spoiling removes the spellmorph ability, which removes the effect that causes you to cast it as it's turned face up. Therefore, this leads to the case in which the nonpermanent card would stay on the battlefield, so it just gets exiled as a state-based effect. (If it's an Aura, then just put it into the graveyard for not being attached to anything.)

Final comment:
Whenever anyone creates any custom mechanic, they would technically modify the rules of the game by adding that mechanic. While those edits to the rules are minor since they don't really interfere with other things, they are still adding to the rulebook (albeit a custom rulebook). So, if rules can be added, then rules can be added to support this (although for this one we need to add more things to rules about state-based effects and not just a new section about the keyword itself).

Anything I missed? Fire away.
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Lasersharp

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