MTG Salvation

Rings of Brighthearth copies an activated ability much like Mirari copies an instant or sorcery. But is there a card that can copy an activated ability per se and not just to copy the ability while its on the stack (like Rings of Brighthearth)? A card that copies any activated ability in play (a target) of any kind (under my control or not).

Quicksilver Elemental?

Nice, that's actually a kick ass creature. But I was hoping to get that same ability but for a permanent, and not just a creature. Like how the Rings copy any activated ability that's not a mana ability.

Just say it man. You wanna copy Ral Zarek's ultimate. We get it.

Necrotic Ooze does, but it depends on graveyard.

Experiment Kraj can copy creature-based activated abilities. And of course you can compliment him with cards like March of the Machines, Opalescence, and Rude Awakening that turn your non-creature permanents into creatures.

Quote from Golden

Experiment Kraj can copy creature-based activated abilities. And of course you can compliment him with cards like March of the Machines, Opalescence, and Rude Awakening that turn your non-creature permanents into creatures.

Shenanigans with Kraj was one of the reasons the rules for Loyalty abilities was changed. IIRC, there was a short time when you could turn a PW into a creature, give it a +1 counter, and then infinitely use its abilities thanks to Kraj. Now, a given permanent can onnly activate one loyaty ability per turn, not just Planeswalkers.

If we're talking clones and noncreatures...

• Phyrexian Metamorph
  
• Mizzium Transreliquat
  
• Sculpting Steel
  
• Copy Artifact
  
• Copy Enchantment

Quote from DementedKirby

Rings of Brighthearth copies an activated ability much like Mirari copies an instant or sorcery. But is there a card that can copy an activated ability per se and not just to copy the ability while its on the stack (like Rings of Brighthearth)? A card that copies any activated ability in play (a target) of any kind (under my control or not).

Everyone's kind of dancing around this, but I'll just come right out and say it.

No, this card does not exist. You'll have to find another avenue of strategy. Sorry.

Quote from SpiderParadox

Everyone's kind of dancing around this, but I'll just come right out and say it.

No, this card does not exist. You'll have to find another avenue of strategy. Sorry.

This isn't 100% correct. As described above, there are quite a few options depending on the the OP is actually trying to do.

OP: what interaction are you actually hoping to accomplish?

I'm trying to be able to copy planeswalker abilities, like the Experimental Kraj effect used to do, but without all the hoopla needed to accomplish it. The Rings of Brighthearth get the job done but I have to activate the ability first. I'm just trying to find a way to cheat activating a planeswalkers "ultimate" ability ahead of time.

There's always doubling season. Most walkers then come into play with enough loyalty to immediately ultimate.

Quote from 1classydude

There's always doubling season. Most walkers then come into play with enough loyalty to immediately ultimate.

Yeah, that and Gilder Bairn are probably your best bets if you just want to ult planeswalkers asap.

Quote from Golden

Yeah, that and Gilder Bairn are probably your best bets if you just want to ult planeswalkers asap.

Actually, the deck is Bant and it runs Gilder Bairn and Doubling Season but I just wanted it to be much faster than that, lol

Quote from Wildfire393

Proliferate, Clockspinning, or Mycosynth Lattice/Liquimetal Coating + Vorel the Hull-Clade work as well.

There is no way to force an activated ability to activate without paying its activation cost, which seems to be what you are trying to do here.

Nice! Thanks for the suggestion!

Quote from DementedKirby

I'm just trying to find a way to cheat activating a planeswalkers "ultimate" ability ahead of time.

Oh that's all? That's EASY.

Quote from DementedKirby

I'm trying to be able to copy planeswalker abilities, like the Experimental Kraj effect used to do, but without all the hoopla needed to accomplish it. The Rings of Brighthearth get the job done but I have to activate the ability first. I'm just trying to find a way to cheat activating a planeswalkers "ultimate" ability ahead of time.

Remember that the add/remove counters part of a loyalty ability is part of the cost. Copying Jace Beleren's +2 will not add an additional two counters, just make everyone draw an additional card.

Quote from Morphling

Oh that's all? That's EASY.

Ah yes, the card who breaks Hopping Automaton and that Lemure from Ice Age.

There's Doubling Season, if you don't want to pay the price for that you could look into cards with proliferate on them to add counters.

Quote from 1classydude

There's always doubling season. Most walkers then come into play with enough loyalty to immediately ultimate.

That doesn't copy; that's a replacement effect. You don't put "put a 1/1 black Faerie Rogue token onto the battlefield and lose 1 life" onto the stack twice; you simply edit BB to say "put two 1/1 black Faerie Rogue tokens onto the battlefield and lose 1 life". It feels similar, but multiple DS's (and reflections and Furnace of Raths) are a geometric progression (rather than a linear one).

Anyway, I add Illusionist's Bracers (only works for equipped creature) and Myr Welder (exiles artifacts to copy them).

Quote from hyalapterouslemur

That doesn't copy; that's a replacement effect.

So? The OP is actually just trying to ultimate his 'walkers faster. In Bant (the colors of his deck), there are 17 different Planeswalkers, only 6 of which won't ultimate immediately upon ETB with a Doubling Season in play.

Quote from Lithl

So? The OP is actually just trying to ultimate his 'walkers faster. In Bant (the colors of his deck), there are 17 different Planeswalkers, only 6 of which won't ultimate immediately upon ETB with a Doubling Season in play.

Exactly, I want to make a deck that abuses the planeswalkers abilities. Having two Doubling Season when they enter play is brutal. The only slow aspect of the deck is getting to the point where I have at least one Doubling Season in play. But with a deck that runs green that's pretty easy ;).

Thanks for all the ideas. Proliferate with Doubling Season is epic all its own - for planeswalkers or not.

And lol, I'd play with Magical Hacker in this deck 'cause it's just a casual deck I'd play with the bros, but it'd be too broken. I'd be adding an insane amount of loyalty counters to a planeswalker and on top of that using its ultimate ability. Constructing this deck on that basis would have it immediately banned in my circle of MTG players :D.

Also Incase you were unaware, Doubling Season will only double the counters for the planes walkers when they enter the battlefield. Not when you use an ability. Adding or removing a counter from a planeswalker is considered an activation cost. So it will not trigger doubling season.

Rowan Kenrith works if you can get to her ultimate. If you can pop it twice, you’ll have 3 emblems because it triggers for herself as well. Other than that, I recommend proliferate and things of that nature for planeswalkers as well. Deepglow Skate works for that as well if you have ways to bounce him, such as Conjurer’s Closet and Deadeye Navigator.