If I have given opponents creatures that can't be sacrificed through Jon Irenicus, Shattered One, then I have Archfiend of Depravity, do my opponents have to count those creatures in their endstep for archfiend's ability? Like let's say they have two of such creatures. Are they required to pick those two since they can't be sacrificed? Or would they be able to pick others and then not be able to sacrifice those creatures they didn't pick that can't be sacrificed?
This is a great question, and I'm not sure either but would like to know.
However, if I would wager a guess, since the player chooses two creatures and then sacrifices the rest, I think they could choose not to choose the creatures gifted to them by Jon Irenicus, and then when they go to sacrifice them, they just can't, allowing them to keep more than 2 creatures.
My reasoning here is that the Archfiend allows the player to make a choice, and in that choice the player's ability to sacrifice a creature is not considered. There's nothing there to force a player to choose creatures that can't be sacrificed first. So they can choose whatever, and if the gifted creature isn't chosen, the player goes to sacrifice it, but can't, so they stay.
I'd like to see what people who have a better grasp of the rules would say about this though.
Archfiend of Depravity's triggered ability has a player choose certain creatures, then sacrifice others. In this process, if not all of the creatures they control not chosen can be sacrificed, as many of those creatures as possible are sacrificed.
However, if I would wager a guess, since the player chooses two creatures and then sacrifices the rest, I think they could choose not to choose the creatures gifted to them by Jon Irenicus, and then when they go to sacrifice them, they just can't, allowing them to keep more than 2 creatures.
My reasoning here is that the Archfiend allows the player to make a choice, and in that choice the player's ability to sacrifice a creature is not considered. There's nothing there to force a player to choose creatures that can't be sacrificed first. So they can choose whatever, and if the gifted creature isn't chosen, the player goes to sacrifice it, but can't, so they stay.
I'd like to see what people who have a better grasp of the rules would say about this though.
Compare Archfiend of Depravity with Necrotic Hex; see also Sundering Titan.
For further discussion on this matter, see:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/w7uq69/jon_irenicus_and_necrotic_hex/