If an ability of the form "At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice [this permanent] unless [you do A]" triggers, it won't do anything right away (C.R. 603.2). Other spells and abilities, including those that sacrifice permanents, can be cast or activated in response to that ability (C.R. 117.7).
When it resolves, if "you choose" not to "do A", the permanent is sacrificed if possible, and there is no further consequence if it can't be sacrificed (C.R. 101.3, 118.12, 118.12a).
1. Yes. Note that reminder text has no game function under the rules (C.R. 207.2, 207.2a). See also C.R. 700.7.
2. The words "it" and "its", where they appear on the ability granted to a creature by Breathkeeper Seraph, mean the card the creature becomes in the graveyard (C.R. 400.7e). Once it leaves the graveyard by any means, including by Myrkul's second ability, the ability can no longer return that card to the battlefield (C.R. 400.7, 400.7e, 400.2).
Lithoform Engine doesn’t make a creature a copy of another creature. It copies abilities (activated or triggered) and spells. I’m mostly asking about if Ria Ivor can make twice as many Mites with Lithoform Engine’s first activated ability, and at what point I can activate Lithoform Engine to facilitate this.
In general, if you copy Ria's second ability with Lithoform Engine, either the copy's target should be different from the original, or the target should have double strike. You can copy an ability with Lithoform Engine's first ability only while that ability is on the stack.
If you copy Ria's second ability with Lithoform Engine, and have the original and the copy target the same creature, this will generate two effects that would both affect the same combat damage the creature would deal "to one or more players this turn". One effect will prevent the damage and create tokens, and the other will do nothing.
Suppose combat damage is dealt, and suppose the opponent both owns and controls Wrathful Red Dragon.
If a Dragon the opponent controls is dealt damage this way, Wrathful Red Dragon's ability will trigger. However, if the opponent's life total is 0 or less:
The opponent will lose the game (and thus leave the game together with Wrathful Red Dragon and any other objects they own) even before those abilities will go on the stack (C.R. 510.2, 117.5, 704.5a, 800.4a).
If only one player remains, that player wins and the game is over (C.R. 104.1, 104.2a, 104.5).
The abilities from Wrathful Red Dragon won't go on the stack (C.R. 800.4d).
Note that in game terms, the word "dies" means "is put into a graveyard from the battlefield" (C.R. 700.4). To refer to a player losing a multiplayer game, use the phrase "leave the game" instead (C.R. 104.5).
The suspend keyword gained by a card exiled with Jhoira won't be retained once that card leaves exile; in general, an object that moves from one zone to another becomes a new object in its new zone (C.R. 400.7).
EDIT (Mar. 25): With Phyrexia: All Will Be One, the rules were updated to accommodate the toxic keyword. Toxic is cumulative in the sense that a player dealt combat damage by a creature gets poison counters equal to that creature's "total toxic value", which is "the sum of all N values of toxic abilities that creature has" (C.R. 702.164b, 120.3g, 113.2c). For example, a creature whose only abilities are:
Two instances of "toxic 1" has a total toxic value of 2.
"Toxic 1" and "toxic 2" has a total toxic value of 3.
The text "That land doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step" on Winter's Night's ability expresses a continuous effect, in this case, one which lasts for the rest of the game since no duration is stated (even though the effect applies only during a particular untap step) (C.R. 611.2a). The effect will continue even after Winter's Night leaves the battlefield.
The text doesn't express a delayed triggered ability since it lacks "when", "at", and "whenever" (see also Undiscovered Paradise [C.R. 108.1]) (C.R. 603.7).
With Gleeful Demolition, you need only have controlled the artifact in question in order to create the tokens; that artifact need not have been destroyed.
Gleeful Demolition doesn't say "If you controlled that artifact and it was destroyed this way, ..." Compare Gleeful Demolition with Tuktuk Scrapper.
Spiteful Bully's ability can target any "creature you control", even if that's Spiteful Bully itself or another creature named Spiteful Bully (C.R. 115.1a).
If you cast a spell that makes the "When you next cast a spell..." ability from Lucea trigger, that spell will be copied when the ability resolves, even if the spell has left the stack in the meantime, using the spell's last-known information (C.R. 608.2h).
Azor's Elocutors will still have its counters despite Solemnity, which doesn't remove any counters from anything.
Indeed, when Azor's Elocutors's first ability resolves it will do as much as it can (C.R. 101.3, 609.3). The ability doesn't say, for example, "...put a filibuster counter on Azor’s Elocutors. If you do, if Azor’s Elocutors has..."
A prototype card will have only its normal mana cost, power, and toughness (e.g., mana cost 7 and power and toughness 4/3 in the case of Arcane Proxy) if it enters the battlefield by any means other than resolving from a prototyped spell (C.R. 719.4). An exception is if it enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that was a prototyped spell (C.R. 719.3d).
For purposes of Visions of Ruin, a double-faced card (modal or otherwise) in the command zone has only the front face's characteristics (C.R. 712.4a).
Remember that in general, you can choose between a modal double-faced card's front or back face only at the moment you're playing or casting that card (C.R. 712.7, 712.8), and not when you're moving it from one zone to another for any other reason.
Note that if you cast Visions of Ruin with flashback, its cost reduction can reduce its cost by more than 8 if it would otherwise have more than eight generic mana in its cost (e.g., due to Thalia, Guardian of Thraben) (C.R. 601.2f). This cost reduction doesn't reduce the "flashback cost" (which is 8RR) (C.R. 702.1a), but rather the cost of the spell. Compare Visions of Ruin with Henzie "Toolbox" Torre; see also:
When it resolves, if "you choose" not to "do A", the permanent is sacrificed if possible, and there is no further consequence if it can't be sacrificed (C.R. 101.3, 118.12, 118.12a).
See also:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/xk4c14/cant_be_sacrificed_and_triggered_abilities/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/wq2ioc/jon_irenicus_and_cumulative_upkeep_creatures/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/usq84g/what_happens_when_a_creature_says_cant_be/
- https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-rulings/790711-varchilds-war-riders-equipped-with-assault-suit
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/xb5h10/cumulative_upkeep/
2. The words "it" and "its", where they appear on the ability granted to a creature by Breathkeeper Seraph, mean the card the creature becomes in the graveyard (C.R. 400.7e). Once it leaves the graveyard by any means, including by Myrkul's second ability, the ability can no longer return that card to the battlefield (C.R. 400.7, 400.7e, 400.2).
If a Dragon the opponent controls is dealt damage this way, Wrathful Red Dragon's ability will trigger. However, if the opponent's life total is 0 or less:
Note that in game terms, the word "dies" means "is put into a graveyard from the battlefield" (C.R. 700.4). To refer to a player losing a multiplayer game, use the phrase "leave the game" instead (C.R. 104.5).
- https://twitter.com/WotC_Matt/status/1616552617156673538
See also C.R. 113.2c as well as:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/10hhk3w/stacking_toxic/
EDIT (Mar. 25): With Phyrexia: All Will Be One, the rules were updated to accommodate the toxic keyword. Toxic is cumulative in the sense that a player dealt combat damage by a creature gets poison counters equal to that creature's "total toxic value", which is "the sum of all N values of toxic abilities that creature has" (C.R. 702.164b, 120.3g, 113.2c). For example, a creature whose only abilities are:
The text doesn't express a delayed triggered ability since it lacks "when", "at", and "whenever" (see also Undiscovered Paradise [C.R. 108.1]) (C.R. 603.7).
See also:
- https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-rulings/776288-doesnt-untap-during-its-controllers-next-untap
- https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-rulings/792783-what-happens-to-planewalker-abilities-after-they
- https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-rulings/774925-confused-about-take-into-custody
Gleeful Demolition doesn't say "If you controlled that artifact and it was destroyed this way, ..." Compare Gleeful Demolition with Tuktuk Scrapper.
See also:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/10656ht/question_about_new_warhammer_deck_i_picked_up
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/r1w060/interaction_between_possibility_storm_rule_of_law/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/xc8mfk/question_regarding_the_spells_cast_by_neera_wild/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/x657qe/shattering_spree_and_chalice/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/qc70fa/volo_followup/
Indeed, when Azor's Elocutors's first ability resolves it will do as much as it can (C.R. 101.3, 609.3). The ability doesn't say, for example, "...put a filibuster counter on Azor’s Elocutors. If you do, if Azor’s Elocutors has..."
Compare—
Remember that in general, you can choose between a modal double-faced card's front or back face only at the moment you're playing or casting that card (C.R. 712.7, 712.8), and not when you're moving it from one zone to another for any other reason.
Note that if you cast Visions of Ruin with flashback, its cost reduction can reduce its cost by more than 8 if it would otherwise have more than eight generic mana in its cost (e.g., due to Thalia, Guardian of Thraben) (C.R. 601.2f). This cost reduction doesn't reduce the "flashback cost" (which is 8RR) (C.R. 702.1a), but rather the cost of the spell. Compare Visions of Ruin with Henzie "Toolbox" Torre; see also: