If the ability would be to tap target creature (in stead of untap) it would be very useful defensively because then I could prevent another creature from attacking or using its activated tapped ability.
Right?
IF you did that before he had a chance to use it. For declaring an attacker, that's just a matter of doing so in (or before) the beginning of combat step. For activating an ability, remember that they would probably be able to activate it in response.
Target, yes. But by the time the Fork or whatever would resolve, its target will have finished resolving and left the stack. There will be no copy.
608.2b If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target
that’s no longer in the zone it was in when it was targeted is illegal. Other changes to the game
state may cause a target to no longer be legal; for example, its characteristics may have changed
or an effect may have changed the text of the spell. If the source of an ability has left the zone it
was in, its last known information is used during this process. If all its targets, for every instance
of the word “target,” are now illegal, the spell or ability doesn’t resolve. It’s removed from the
stack and, if it’s a spell, put into its owner’s graveyard. Otherwise, the spell or ability will
resolve normally. Illegal targets, if any, won’t be affected by parts of a resolving spell’s effect
for which they’re illegal. Other parts of the effect for which those targets are not illegal may still
affect them. If the spell or ability creates any continuous effects that affect game rules (see rule
613.11), those effects don’t apply to illegal targets. If part of the effect requires information
about an illegal target, it fails to determine any such information. Any part of the effect that
requires that information won’t happen.
To start off, I am newer to mtg. I was curious if it were possible to flash caste a golgari grave troll as a mass of token creature hit the graveyard before being "removed from the game"
Certainly not with any sort of casting; there would be several times that the tokens in the graveyard would cease to exist before the spell resolves.
704.3. Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 117, “Timing and Priority”), the game checks for
any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions
simultaneously as a single event. If any state-based actions are performed as a result of a check, the
check is repeated; otherwise all triggered abilities that are waiting to be put on the stack are put on
the stack, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based actions have been performed as the
result of a check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, the appropriate player
gets priority. This process also occurs during the cleanup step (see rule 514), except that if no statebased
actions are performed as the result of the step’s first check and no triggered abilities are
waiting to be put on the stack, then no player gets priority and the step ends.
704.5. The state-based actions are as follows:
704.5d If a token is in a zone other than the battlefield, it ceases to exist.
There are a few effects that would destroy tokens and put the Golgari Grave-Troll on the battlefield as part of the same resolution, but that still wouldn't matter because of the following:
would it's power/toughness be affected by the token? If not, why?
No, tokens would not matter at all for the "Golgari Grave-Troll enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each creature card in your graveyard." ability.
111.6. A token is subject to anything that affects permanents in general or that affects the token’s card
type or subtype. A token isn’t a card (even if represented by a card that has a Magic back or that
came from a Magic booster pack).
I was confused on this since other cards explicitly call out "Goblin Creatures" for example.
That's mainly so you don't get something silly like Goblin Caves (check its Oracle text rather than printed text) trying to include Boggart Shenanigans in its toughness boost.
though it's to my knowledge that state effect is persistent,
The static ability will apply as soon as that is on the battlefield, and will last as long as its source.
604.2. Static abilities create continuous effects, some of which are prevention effects or replacement
effects. These effects are active as long as the permanent with the ability remains on the battlefield
and has the ability, or as long as the object with the ability remains in the appropriate zone, as
described in rule 113.6.
Does this also mean that casting a 3/3 green creature while having Oran-Rief, the Vastwood on the battlefield and tapping it any one moment - before, on the stack while casting the 3/3, or after - will not trigger Garruk's Uprising in any situation as it will always get the counter after it enterED the battlefield, right?
If Centaur Courser is still on the stack (or in your hand) when "T: Put a +1/+1 counter on each green creature that entered the battlefield this turn." resolves, it won't get a counter; it hasn't entered the battlefield (yet). Garruk's Uprising's ability won't trigger for a 3/3 that enters the battlefield, even if it's going to become 4/4 Real Soon Now.
At this point can they still respond to their own curiosity?
Sure, why not?
I'll assume the Niv-Mizzet in question is Niv-Mizzet, Parun. Then the sequence could look like:
AP's main phase begins.
AP gets priority and casts Curiosity. You didn't say what its target is, but I'll assume it's Niv-Mizzet. They pay the cost using U obtained in an unspecified way.
AP gets priority and passes.
You get priority and cast Word of Seizing. You choose Niv-Mizzet as the target and pay the cost using 3RR obtained in an unspecified way. This triggers an ability of Niv-Mizzet.
You would get priority, but there is a triggered ability to put on the stack. AP puts "Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell, you draw a card." on the stack.
You get priority and pass.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
The top object on the stack (the ability put there in step 5) resolves. AP draws a card. This triggers an ability of Niv-Mizzet.
AP would get priority, but there is a triggered ability to put on the stack. AP puts "Whenever you draw a card, Niv-Mizzet, Parun deals 1 damage to any target." on the stack, choosing you as the target.
AP gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
The top object on the stack (the ability put there in step 9) resolves. Niv-Mizzet deals 1 damage to you.
AP gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
The top object on the stack (the spell cast in step 4) resolves. You untap Niv-Mizzet and gain control of it until end of turn. It gains haste until end of turn. Curiosity Word of Seizing goes to your graveyard.
AP gets priority and ....
AP's priority at step 16 can be used for things like instant spells and most activated abilities, just like your priority at step 4.
117.1. Unless a spell or ability is instructing a player to take an action, which player can take actions at
any given time is determined by a system of priority. The player with priority may cast spells,
activate abilities, and take special actions.
117.1a A player may cast an instant spell any time they have priority. A player may cast a
noninstant spell during their main phase any time they have priority and the stack is empty.
117.1b A player may activate an activated ability any time they have priority.
117.1c A player may take some special actions any time they have priority. A player may take other
special actions during their main phase any time they have priority and the stack is empty. See
rule 116, “Special Actions.”
All this passing of priority is somewhat tedious, so the tournament rules tend to assume a lot of priority passing (especially at steps 3 and 6) unless a player explicitly retains priority.
Word of Seizing's split second ability limits what can be done with priority for steps 5 through 14, but that effect ends when it leaves the stack in step 15.
Are you sure about this? Anything that has a tap symbol followed by : is an activated ability.
My phrasing could have been better.
"t: Choose a card name that hasn't been chosen from among Disenchant, Braingeyser, Terror, Shivan Dragon, Regrowth, and Black Lotus. Create a copy of the card with the chosen name. You may cast the copy. (You still pay its costs.)"
This is absolutely an activated ability. And for clarity, the definition of activated ability doesn't care whether the activation cost includes T.
"So far, that ability has been used to copy cards named ...."
I was referring to this information when I mentioned that list. This isn't an activated ability. Also, it's not a characteristic (let along a copiable value), so actual copy effects like Vesuvan Doppelganger and Mirage Mirror will ignore the original's list.
One way to think of this is to get a sticky note for that list and note each card chosen for the ability so far. If you use Quicksilver Elemental or a copy effect to put that ability elsewhere, you don't copy the sticky note, you start the new one with a blank note each time. [CR 607.5] (For Quicksilver Elemental or Mirage Mirror, you'll be ditching the note in the cleanup step, but it still applies until then.)
That ability is linked to itself. It does not see decisions made for similar abilities on any other object (or copied at a different time). Card choices previously made for an ability like that are not characteristics, so they can not be copied. Also, that list is not an activated ability, so Quicksilver Elemental will ignore it.
607. Linked Abilities
607.1. An object may have two abilities printed on it such that one of them causes actions to be taken or
objects or players to be affected and the other one directly refers to those actions, objects, or
players. If so, these two abilities are linked: the second refers only to actions that were taken or
objects or players that were affected by the first, and not by any other ability.
607.1c An ability printed on an object that fulfills both criteria described in rule 607.1 is linked to
itself.
607.2. There are different kinds of linked abilities.
607.2d If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to “choose a [value]” and an
ability printed on it that refers to “the chosen [value],” “the last chosen [value],” or similar,
those abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to a choice made as a result of the first
ability.
607.5. If an object acquires a pair of linked abilities as part of the same effect, the abilities will be
similarly linked to one another on that object even though they weren’t printed on that object. They
can’t be linked to any other ability, regardless of what other abilities the object may currently have
or may have had in the past.
Example: Arc-Slogger has the ability “{R}, Exile the top ten cards of your library: Arc-
Slogger deals 2 damage to any target.” Sisters of Stone Death has the ability “{B}{G}: Exile
target creature blocking or blocked by Sisters of Stone Death” and the ability “{2}{B}: Put
a creature card exiled with Sisters of Stone Death onto the battlefield under your control.”
Quicksilver Elemental has the ability “{U}: Quicksilver Elemental gains all activated
abilities of target creature until end of turn.” If a player has Quicksilver Elemental gain
Arc-Slogger’s ability, activates it, then has Quicksilver Elemental gain Sisters of Stone
Death’s abilities, activates the exile ability, and then activates the return-to-the-battlefield
ability, only the creature card Quicksilver Elemental exiled with Sisters of Stone Death’s
ability can be returned to the battlefield. Creature cards Quicksilver Elemental exiled with
Arc-Slogger’s ability can’t be returned.
No. Nothing entered the battlefield, so the "When Hoarding Dragon enters the battlefield ...." ability doesn't trigger.
707.4. Some effects cause a permanent that’s copying a permanent to copy a different object while
remaining on the battlefield. The change doesn’t trigger enters-the-battlefield or leaves-thebattlefield
abilities. This also doesn’t change any noncopy effects presently affecting the permanent.
Example: Unstable Shapeshifter reads, “Whenever a creature enters the battlefield,
Unstable Shapeshifter becomes a copy of that creature and gains this ability.” It’s affected
by Giant Growth, which reads “Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.” If a creature
enters the battlefield later this turn, Unstable Shapeshifter will become a copy of that
creature, but it will still get +3/+3 from the Giant Growth.
Other notes:
Hoarding Dragon (or whatever) needs to actually have that last ability for that ability to trigger.
The two abilities are linked; the third ability from one copy operation doesn't see cards exiled by the second ability from a different copy operation.
607.2a If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that instructs a player to exile
one or more cards and an ability printed on it that refers either to “the exiled cards” or to cards
“exiled with [this object],” these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to cards in
the exile zone that were put there as a result of an instruction to exile them in the first ability.
607.5. If an object acquires a pair of linked abilities as part of the same effect, the abilities will be
similarly linked to one another on that object even though they weren’t printed on that object. They
can’t be linked to any other ability, regardless of what other abilities the object may currently have
or may have had in the past.
Example: Arc-Slogger has the ability “{R}, Exile the top ten cards of your library: Arc-
Slogger deals 2 damage to any target.” Sisters of Stone Death has the ability “{B}{G}: Exile
target creature blocking or blocked by Sisters of Stone Death” and the ability “{2}{B}: Put
a creature card exiled with Sisters of Stone Death onto the battlefield under your control.”
Quicksilver Elemental has the ability “{U}: Quicksilver Elemental gains all activated
abilities of target creature until end of turn.” If a player has Quicksilver Elemental gain
Arc-Slogger’s ability, activates it, then has Quicksilver Elemental gain Sisters of Stone
Death’s abilities, activates the exile ability, and then activates the return-to-the-battlefield
ability, only the creature card Quicksilver Elemental exiled with Sisters of Stone Death’s
ability can be returned to the battlefield. Creature cards Quicksilver Elemental exiled with
Arc-Slogger’s ability can’t be returned.
Yes. Nothing about the Lightning Kick ability interferes with alternative costs.
118.9. Some spells have alternative costs. An alternative cost is a cost listed in a spell’s text, or applied
to it from another effect, that its controller may pay rather than paying the spell’s mana cost.
Alternative costs are usually phrased, “You may [action] rather than pay [this object’s] mana cost,”
or “You may cast [this object] without paying its mana cost.” Note that some alternative costs are
listed in keywords; see rule 702.
601.2f The player determines the total cost of the spell. Usually this is just the mana cost. Some
spells have additional or alternative costs. Some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay,
or may provide other alternative costs. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents,
sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana cost or alternative
cost (as determined in rule 601.2b), plus all additional costs and cost increases, and minus all
cost reductions. If multiple cost reductions apply, the player may apply them in any order. If the
mana component of the total cost is reduced to nothing by cost reduction effects, it is considered
to be {0}. It can’t be reduced to less than {0}. Once the total cost is determined, any effects that
directly affect the total cost are applied. Then the resulting total cost becomes “locked in.” If
effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect.
Q: Does an artifact turn off when it becomes tapped?
A: Yes, unless it's an artifact creature or artifact land. For
instance, you can't activate the second ability on a tapped Phyrexian
Furnace ... but a tapped Clay Statue *can* regenerate.
There are 3 artifact abilities which do *not* turn off when the artifact
is tapped: (1) Phase costs (like upkeep costs) must still be dealt
with; (2) abilities used to untap the artifact are usable; (3) any time
the card says something happens while it's tapped, like Mana Vault
damage.
The "Tapped artifacts have no effect" rule has led to a lot of
confusion, as many novice players believe that the rule also extends to
all other permanents. Untrue: it only applies to artifacts.
Yes, you lose the game. Here are two sequences to show exactly why that happens.
First, I'll modify your scenario so you have 22 life at the start of the combat damage step:
Combat damage step begins.
23/23 trample assigns 2 damage to Kalastria Highborn and 21 to you. Kalastria Highborn assigns 2 damage to 23/23 trample.
Simultaneously: 23/23 trample deals 2 damage to Kalastria Highborn and 21 to you (reducing you to 1 life). Kalastria Highborn deals 2 damage to 23/23 trample.
AP would get priority, but there is a state-based action to perform. Kalastria Highborn has lethal damage and is destroyed. This triggers its ability.
AP would get priority, but there is a triggered ability to put on the stack. You put "Whenever Kalastria Highborn or another Vampire you control dies, you may pay B. If you do, target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life." on the stack. You choose AP as the target.
AP gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
The top object on the stack (the ability put there in step 5) resolves. You pay B. AP loses 2 life going down to 0, while you gain 2 life going up to 3.
AP would get priority, but there is a state-based action to perform. AP has 0 life and loses. Game over. (If there had been players besides you two, the game would continue but without AP and their stuff.)
And now the situation as described:
Combat damage step begins.
23/23 trample assigns 2 damage to Kalastria Highborn and 21 to you. Kalastria Highborn assigns 2 damage to 23/23 trample.
Simultaneously: 23/23 trample deals 2 damage to Kalastria Highborn and 21 to you (reducing you to -1 life). Kalastria Highborn deals 2 damage to 23/23 trample.
AP would get priority, but there are state-based actions to perform. Simultaneously: Kalastria Highborn has lethal damage and is destroyed, triggering its ability. You have -1 life and lose. Game over. (If there had been players besides you two, the game would continue but without you, without your Kalastria Highborn, and without that triggered ability that you were going to control.)
Target, yes. But by the time the Fork or whatever would resolve, its target will have finished resolving and left the stack. There will be no copy.
That would work.
Certainly not with any sort of casting; there would be several times that the tokens in the graveyard would cease to exist before the spell resolves.
There are a few effects that would destroy tokens and put the Golgari Grave-Troll on the battlefield as part of the same resolution, but that still wouldn't matter because of the following:
No, tokens would not matter at all for the "Golgari Grave-Troll enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each creature card in your graveyard." ability.
That's mainly so you don't get something silly like Goblin Caves (check its Oracle text rather than printed text) trying to include Boggart Shenanigans in its toughness boost.
It triggers as that enters the battlefield, and once that ability goes on the stack you will have to wait for it to resolve.
The static ability will apply as soon as that is on the battlefield, and will last as long as its source.
Yes.
[c]Curiosity[/c] -> Curiosity
[c]Word of Seizing[/c] -> Word of Seizing
Sure, why not?
I'll assume the Niv-Mizzet in question is Niv-Mizzet, Parun. Then the sequence could look like:
- AP's main phase begins.
- AP gets priority and casts Curiosity. You didn't say what its target is, but I'll assume it's Niv-Mizzet. They pay the cost using U obtained in an unspecified way.
- AP gets priority and passes.
- You get priority and cast Word of Seizing. You choose Niv-Mizzet as the target and pay the cost using 3RR obtained in an unspecified way. This triggers an ability of Niv-Mizzet.
- You would get priority, but there is a triggered ability to put on the stack. AP puts "Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell, you draw a card." on the stack.
- You get priority and pass.
- Opponent gets priority and passes.
- The top object on the stack (the ability put there in step 5) resolves. AP draws a card. This triggers an ability of Niv-Mizzet.
- AP would get priority, but there is a triggered ability to put on the stack. AP puts "Whenever you draw a card, Niv-Mizzet, Parun deals 1 damage to any target." on the stack, choosing you as the target.
- AP gets priority and passes.
- You get priority and pass.
- The top object on the stack (the ability put there in step 9) resolves. Niv-Mizzet deals 1 damage to you.
- AP gets priority and passes.
- You get priority and pass.
- The top object on the stack (the spell cast in step 4) resolves. You untap Niv-Mizzet and gain control of it until end of turn. It gains haste until end of turn.
- AP gets priority and ....
AP's priority at step 16 can be used for things like instant spells and most activated abilities, just like your priority at step 4.CuriosityWord of Seizing goes to your graveyard.All this passing of priority is somewhat tedious, so the tournament rules tend to assume a lot of priority passing (especially at steps 3 and 6) unless a player explicitly retains priority.
Word of Seizing's split second ability limits what can be done with priority for steps 5 through 14, but that effect ends when it leaves the stack in step 15.
My phrasing could have been better.
"t: Choose a card name that hasn't been chosen from among Disenchant, Braingeyser, Terror, Shivan Dragon, Regrowth, and Black Lotus. Create a copy of the card with the chosen name. You may cast the copy. (You still pay its costs.)"
This is absolutely an activated ability. And for clarity, the definition of activated ability doesn't care whether the activation cost includes T.
"So far, that ability has been used to copy cards named ...."
I was referring to this information when I mentioned that list. This isn't an activated ability. Also, it's not a characteristic (let along a copiable value), so actual copy effects like Vesuvan Doppelganger and Mirage Mirror will ignore the original's list.
One way to think of this is to get a sticky note for that list and note each card chosen for the ability so far. If you use Quicksilver Elemental or a copy effect to put that ability elsewhere, you don't copy the sticky note, you start the new one with a blank note each time. [CR 607.5] (For Quicksilver Elemental or Mirage Mirror, you'll be ditching the note in the cleanup step, but it still applies until then.)
Other notes:
Hoarding Dragon (or whatever) needs to actually have that last ability for that ability to trigger.
The two abilities are linked; the third ability from one copy operation doesn't see cards exiled by the second ability from a different copy operation.
Q: Does an artifact turn off when it becomes tapped?
A: Yes, unless it's an artifact creature or artifact land. For
instance, you can't activate the second ability on a tapped Phyrexian
Furnace ... but a tapped Clay Statue *can* regenerate.
There are 3 artifact abilities which do *not* turn off when the artifact
is tapped: (1) Phase costs (like upkeep costs) must still be dealt
with; (2) abilities used to untap the artifact are usable; (3) any time
the card says something happens while it's tapped, like Mana Vault
damage.
The "Tapped artifacts have no effect" rule has led to a lot of
confusion, as many novice players believe that the rule also extends to
all other permanents. Untrue: it only applies to artifacts.
First, I'll modify your scenario so you have 22 life at the start of the combat damage step:
And now the situation as described: