Say I have a Pack Rat on my board and I then cast a mutate card, say Gemrazer for its mutate cost, mutating my Pack Rat and putting Gemrazer on top. Three questions:
1) What is my creatures power and toughness, assuming no other creature on board? The top creature of the mutate is a 4/4, but the creature has a characteristic defining ability from Pack Rat, so in my scenario would it just be a 1/1?
2) Assuming the same as above, now let’s say I use the Pack Rat activates ability of my mutation to make a token. What are the characteristics of my token copy?
3) Finally, similar to the original scenario but let’s say I mutate a legendary mutate creature like Nethroi, Apex of Death in place of Gemrazer, putting Nethroi on the top of the mutation. If I then use my mutations Pack Rat activated ability to create a token copy, would I then have to place either my original mutation or the token copy into the graveyard as a state based effect due to the legendary rule?
1. Characteristic defining abilities overwrite the printed text so your Gemrazer will be a 0/0 and promptly be sent to the graveyard.
2. Should you activate its ability you will produce a copy the same as if a clone was cast. The copy will have all the copiable characteristics. It will be Green, named Gemrazer, be a beast, have the when it mutates text, and the CDA defining its p/t so it will be whatever the first card is. Considering you activated its ability you must control at least one rat so it should also be a 1/1 or you may have many rats or other anthems.
3. Once more assuming you control more rats or an anthem to keep your "not a packrat" alive when you resolve the ability and create a copy you will immediately choose one of them to be kept and all other legendary cards with the same name will be sent to the graveyard.
1. In this case, the "mutated" creature's "power and toughness [will still be] equal to the number of Rats you control", since the creature still has Pack Rat's usual abilities. In effect, that ability will override the power and toughness change from mutating, since it applies in a later layer (layer 7a vs. layer 1a [C.R. 613.4a, 613.1f, 613.1, 613.2a]). Thus, if no other Rats are on the battlefield and the resulting creature isn't a Rat, it will be 0/0 and go to the graveyard as a state-based action.
2. Assuming the situation in the first point, the creature will go to the graveyard as a state-based action even before players get priority to activate abilities, such as Pack Rat's usual activated ability. Thus, this question is moot.
3. Assuming the situation in the first point, this question is likewise moot for the same reason given in 2.
1) What is my creatures power and toughness, assuming no other creature on board? The top creature of the mutate is a 4/4, but the creature has a characteristic defining ability from Pack Rat, so in my scenario would it just be a 1/1?
2) Assuming the same as above, now let’s say I use the Pack Rat activates ability of my mutation to make a token. What are the characteristics of my token copy?
3) Finally, similar to the original scenario but let’s say I mutate a legendary mutate creature like Nethroi, Apex of Death in place of Gemrazer, putting Nethroi on the top of the mutation. If I then use my mutations Pack Rat activated ability to create a token copy, would I then have to place either my original mutation or the token copy into the graveyard as a state based effect due to the legendary rule?
Thanks in advance!
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Melira PodRIP 1/19/15GWHatebears2. Should you activate its ability you will produce a copy the same as if a clone was cast. The copy will have all the copiable characteristics. It will be Green, named Gemrazer, be a beast, have the when it mutates text, and the CDA defining its p/t so it will be whatever the first card is. Considering you activated its ability you must control at least one rat so it should also be a 1/1 or you may have many rats or other anthems.
3. Once more assuming you control more rats or an anthem to keep your "not a packrat" alive when you resolve the ability and create a copy you will immediately choose one of them to be kept and all other legendary cards with the same name will be sent to the graveyard.
2. Assuming the situation in the first point, the creature will go to the graveyard as a state-based action even before players get priority to activate abilities, such as Pack Rat's usual activated ability. Thus, this question is moot.
3. Assuming the situation in the first point, this question is likewise moot for the same reason given in 2.
EDIT (May 30): Edited 3.
EDIT (Aug. 19, 2023): Edited 1.
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