1 the 3/3 creature deals nor takes combat damage because it's blocker is not in the field anymore and it doesn't have trample.
2 your opponent cannot do that. combat damage is not put in the stack anymore, so once the combat damage is dealt, it's dealt and Blinking Spirit would die.
3 Your opponent is dealt 3 damage. your 3/3 trampling dude is still blocked, and the total damage their blockers would be able to stand is 0 as there's none.
so it can assign all damage to the player.
601.2e. 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 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.
601.2f. If the total cost includes a mana payment, the player then has a chance to activate mana abilities (see rule 605, "Mana Abilities"). Mana abilities must be activated before costs are paid.
601.2g. The player pays the total cost in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. Unpayable costs can't be paid.
Furthermore:
702.50. Convoke
702.50a. Convoke is a static ability that functions while the spell with convoke is on the stack. "Convoke" means "For each colored mana in this spell's total cost, you may tap an untapped creature of that color you control rather than pay that mana. For each generic mana in this spell's total cost, you may tap an untapped creature you control rather than pay that mana." The convoke ability isn't an additional or alternative cost and applies only after the total cost of the spell with convoke is determined. Example: Heartless Summoning says, in part, "Creature spells you cast cost {2} less to cast. You control Heartless Summoning and cast Siege Wurm, a spell with convoke that costs {5}{G}{G}. The total cost to cast Siege Wurm is {3}{G}{G}. After activating mana abilities, you pay that total cost. You may tap up to two green creatures and up to three creatures of any color to pay that cost, and the remainder is paid with mana.
702.50b. Multiple instances of convoke on the same spell are redundant.
I'm having a hard time understanding if convoke-tapping is performed at any time after 601.2e, or specifically during 601.2g; the first would allow eldrazi spawn tokens to both tap and sac (paying for 2 each), the second would only allow either tapping or saccing, but not both. The last part of the example would indicate the second, leading me to say you can either tap, or sac, but not both.
yeah, you're getting to exactly the same conclusions I am.
but I'm really inclined to go with what Artscrafter is saying.
mainly because rulings say: "Mana abilities must be activated before costs are paid."
I get the feeling that the "The player pays the total cost in any order" is only relevant AFTER you already have the mana in the pool...
I guess you essentially could pay it by tapping the dudes and then saccing them, but then it gets killed by the excerpt: "Partial payments are not allowed"
to tap the dudes and then proceed to sac then, you'd need to do a Partial Payment before activating mana abilities, thus making this action forbidden.
Well, it was nice thinking for some time that it was possible, but most certainly, Artscrafter is right.
If convoke was a cost reduction instead...
it would be possible.
Actually, you can't. The reason why involves the details of how you cast spells.
Convoke allows you to choose to tap creatures instead of paying mana when you pay the cost of a spell. However, paying costs is the very last step of casting a spell, and the step right before that is to activate mana abilities. This is the part where you would sacrifice your Eldrazi Spawn if you are going to do so, but if you do, they won't be there when it comes time to actually pay the spell's cost.
I'd say you're right.
this is likely the relevant ruling
601.2f If the total cost includes a mana payment, the player then has a chance to activate mana
abilities (see rule 605, “Mana Abilities”). Mana abilities must be activated before costs are paid.
still, convoke reminder text changed... and we don't have the full rulings on it yet, it's confusing... lol
I announce I'm casting it...
and tap my 4 Eldrazi Spawns for convoke.
Can I still sacrifice them for their mana abilities to fuel my chord?
I guess I can...
but need confirmation.
It's a pretty nice card. The turn after you cast it, if it survives it essentially makes it so that you have 10 mana to work with during your main phase
Trying to think of any broken things u can do with it
Mainly because it's a gimmicky win condition for 6 mana....
it will not steal any games and that alternate win con will only work if everything else is already on your favor.
it's pretty fragile...
1- you need to get to 40 life.... if that happens you're probably winning anyway.... 2 more attacks with Serra Ascendant or Ajani's Pridemate will most likely seal the deal at this point in 99% of all matches.
2- you need to be able to pay 4WW.
3- the card needs to survive a whole turn... and all he has going for him to help with this is those 6 toughness... which is mostly relevant against red removal and nothing else.
If you manage to have 1, 2 and 3....
AND no other relevant win conditions, which would debunk the "win more" aspect of the gimmicky alternate wincon.
then Felidar Sovereign will trigger and win...
I don't think this is very likely... really.
I have a casual Stoneblade variant which tries to equip High Priest of Penance with Sword of Fire and Ice for the lulz. (you attack.... he passes, then you do the 2 damage from the sword to the priest itself and destroy whatever you want :P)
in standard I guess he's still just an amazing blocker, and yeah, Athreos is pretty nice with him...
I am confused. Where does it go after the Maggot leaves the field? Back to their hand? Have we ever seen an effect that moves things from exile to hand?
I don't understand why printing cards like this....
what purpose does it fill?
this guy is not interesting for Jhonny, to small for Timmy because it's just a vanilla below the curve with a drawback on top of that, to horrible for Spike as it's not playable in standard, not playable in draft, hell... it's not even playable in sealed!
what purpose does this card have?
It's just plain bad anyway you look at it.
Is it meant to just sit in everybody's binders forever or maybe won't even find it's way into binders, will just sit in reject boxes.
It's about time they stop printing this kind of stuff... seriously.
Calm down... It is a common meant for limited, so if you don't pull some kind of game ender this can serve as that.
It's not.... that's exactly my point...
this card is meant to... NOTHING.
it's not interesting, it's not powerful, it's not good in limited, it's not good on constructed, it's not decent on commander, it doesn't have enough flavor.
it's just a total filler that at most exists so other stuff looks better... adds nothing to the game and takes a slot that could very much be occupied with a common card you'd pick 5th in draft.
I mean, a 5/5 vanilla for 6 mana would hardly be high pickable in draft and probably not strong enough to be a shoe in even in sealed and this guy is just that WITH A DRAWBACK!
why?!
commons in the last years are a sad story. damn.
I don't understand why printing cards like this....
what purpose does it fill?
this guy is not interesting for Jhonny, to small for Timmy because it's just a vanilla below the curve with a drawback on top of that, to horrible for Spike as it's not playable in standard, not playable in draft, hell... it's not even playable in sealed!
what purpose does this card have?
It's just plain bad anyway you look at it.
Is it meant to just sit in everybody's binders forever or maybe won't even find it's way into binders, will just sit in reject boxes.
It's about time they stop printing this kind of stuff... seriously.
2 your opponent cannot do that. combat damage is not put in the stack anymore, so once the combat damage is dealt, it's dealt and Blinking Spirit would die.
3 Your opponent is dealt 3 damage. your 3/3 trampling dude is still blocked, and the total damage their blockers would be able to stand is 0 as there's none.
so it can assign all damage to the player.
yeah, you're getting to exactly the same conclusions I am.
but I'm really inclined to go with what Artscrafter is saying.
mainly because rulings say: "Mana abilities must be activated before costs are paid."
I get the feeling that the "The player pays the total cost in any order" is only relevant AFTER you already have the mana in the pool...
I guess you essentially could pay it by tapping the dudes and then saccing them, but then it gets killed by the excerpt: "Partial payments are not allowed"
to tap the dudes and then proceed to sac then, you'd need to do a Partial Payment before activating mana abilities, thus making this action forbidden.
Well, it was nice thinking for some time that it was possible, but most certainly, Artscrafter is right.
If convoke was a cost reduction instead...
it would be possible.
I'd say you're right.
this is likely the relevant ruling
still, convoke reminder text changed... and we don't have the full rulings on it yet, it's confusing... lol
then a Draw a Chord of Calling
I announce I'm casting it...
and tap my 4 Eldrazi Spawns for convoke.
Can I still sacrifice them for their mana abilities to fuel my chord?
I guess I can...
but need confirmation.
thank you.
Primal Surge?
it will not steal any games and that alternate win con will only work if everything else is already on your favor.
it's pretty fragile...
1- you need to get to 40 life.... if that happens you're probably winning anyway.... 2 more attacks with Serra Ascendant or Ajani's Pridemate will most likely seal the deal at this point in 99% of all matches.
2- you need to be able to pay 4WW.
3- the card needs to survive a whole turn... and all he has going for him to help with this is those 6 toughness... which is mostly relevant against red removal and nothing else.
If you manage to have 1, 2 and 3....
AND no other relevant win conditions, which would debunk the "win more" aspect of the gimmicky alternate wincon.
then Felidar Sovereign will trigger and win...
I don't think this is very likely... really.
in standard I guess he's still just an amazing blocker, and yeah, Athreos is pretty nice with him...
well, they need to be flying squirrels and they need to have extra 6 of anything to sacrifice... lol
yeah, card power is pretty bad when trying and evaluate lore.
pretty awesome combat trick, and resolves one of the main issues of the original Grave Pact which was the BBB in the cost.
this card is a lot more playable outside of monoblack, it's plain scary against creature heavy decks.
Solid sideboard option imo.
Also, for casual team games, it's miles ahead Grave Pact in power as it does not make your teammates sacrifice stuff.
It's the "fixed" version of Tidehollow Sculler ability.
yeah, it goes back to hand as the effect ends.
LOVE IT! want 4 now.
It's not.... that's exactly my point...
this card is meant to... NOTHING.
it's not interesting, it's not powerful, it's not good in limited, it's not good on constructed, it's not decent on commander, it doesn't have enough flavor.
it's just a total filler that at most exists so other stuff looks better... adds nothing to the game and takes a slot that could very much be occupied with a common card you'd pick 5th in draft.
I mean, a 5/5 vanilla for 6 mana would hardly be high pickable in draft and probably not strong enough to be a shoe in even in sealed and this guy is just that WITH A DRAWBACK!
why?!
commons in the last years are a sad story. damn.
what purpose does it fill?
this guy is not interesting for Jhonny, to small for Timmy because it's just a vanilla below the curve with a drawback on top of that, to horrible for Spike as it's not playable in standard, not playable in draft, hell... it's not even playable in sealed!
what purpose does this card have?
It's just plain bad anyway you look at it.
Is it meant to just sit in everybody's binders forever or maybe won't even find it's way into binders, will just sit in reject boxes.
It's about time they stop printing this kind of stuff... seriously.