202.3. The converted mana cost of an object is a number equal to the total amount of mana in its mana cost, regardless of color.
202.3b When calculating the converted mana cost of an object with an {X} in its mana cost, X is treated as 0 while the object is not on the stack, and X is treated as the number chosen for it while the object is on the stack.
117.9c An alternative cost doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost, only what its controller has to pay to cast it. Spells and abilities that ask for that spell’s mana cost still see the original value.
That last one is important; a miracle cost is an alternative cost. Your opponent is not paying Terminus' mana cost, he is paying its miracle cost. Mental Misstep can only target a spell whose converted mana cost is 1, and it only checks converted mana cost. Alternative costs and additional costs don't factor into that.
If a spell has X in its mana cost, then the converted mana cost of that spell is X plus whatever colored mana symbols may be in the cost, but only while that spell is on the stack. If the sum of those things isn't 1, then Mental Misstep can't target that spell.
No. The miracle cost of a card is not its converted mana cost, which is always the cost printed in the upper right hand corner of the card. Therefore, Mental Misstep will never be able to counter Terminus.
with the effects of shroud being in place, say for a crystalline sliver. I understand that Shroud is for a specific target, ie "Slivers." now does this have any affect when i cast forced march and remove all with a casting cost of 3 or less from the battlefield??
Shroud only prevents a permanent from being targeted by spells or abilities that target. Forced March does not target, so it will destroy all creatures with converted mana cost X or less, even if any of those creatures has shroud. To determine whether a spell targets, look for the word "target" in its text; if it doesn't say "target (something)", it doesn't target.
1. That's correct. The Phantasmal Image will enter the battlefield as a copy of Elesh Norn, and both Norns' static abilities will briefly apply before the "legend rule" puts them into your graveyard. Anything that might happen as the result of both static abilities will still happen (your opponents' creatures dying due to having 0 toughness, etc).
2. Griselbrand's ability is not static, it's activated. If a Phantasmal Image enters the battlefield copying Griselbrand, there is no time to activate either of their activated abilities before the "legend rule" applies and puts them both into your graveyard. SBAs are checked before a player would receive priority.
When Fiend Hunter enters the battlefield, its "exile target creature" ability triggers. You can respond to that by casting Restoration Angel. It'll enter the battlefield and its blink ability will trigger and go on the stack, targeting Fiend Hunter. When the abilities resolve, Fiend Hunter will be exiled (triggering Fiend Hunter's second ability) and immediately return (triggering the first). The Fiend Hunter's first ability will exile another creature, its second ability will do nothing, and the first creature won't return from exile.
Any time a card or token (before it ceases to exist) could be put into a graveyard, it's put into its owner's graveyard, regardless of who controls that card or token at the time.
In this case, if an opponent uses Eternal Dominion to take another player's Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, and that Ulamog would somehow be put into a graveyard (for example, if it were sacrificed), the Ulamog will end up in its owner's graveyard. Then its "when Ulamog is put into a graveyard from anywhere" ability will trigger and its owner will shuffle his or her graveyard into his/her library when it resolves.
Alabaster Replica
Artifact Creature - Angel Construct (U)
Flying, protection from nonartifact spells and permanents
3/3
Next:
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (R)
:1mana::symg::symu:, :symtap:: Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a nonland card, you may play an additional land this turn. Otherwise, tap up to two artifacts or creatures. Those permanents don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
2/2
This is incorrect; note that Sheoldred's ability targets. While you can choose the order in which the abilities are placed on the stack, you have to choose a target for Sheoldred's ability when you put it onto the stack. Since this happens before the Splinterfright's ability resolves, you can't target any creatures you happen to mill off the Splinterfright.
D'oh, you're right. I've struck my answer; I missed the word "target" when playing through the scenario in my head.
Yes. If you control both of those creatures, you can stack their triggers in any order you choose when they trigger. You can therefore choose to mill two cards for Splinterfright's ability, then, if one of those cards was a creature card, return it to the battlefield for Sheoldred, Whispering One's ability, assuming that card is still in your graveyard when the ability resolves.
This is not correct, see Artscrafter's post below.
You may only name creature types that currently exist in Magic for Cavern of Souls. "Legend" is no longer a creature type as of Champions of Kamigawa, and "legendary" is a card supertype, not a creature type. You can't name either one for Cavern of Souls' ability.
Yes, that works but not in any way that might give you much more of an advantage. When Vexing Devil enters the battlefield, its ability triggers and goes on the stack. You can respond to it by targeting it with Cloudshift, exiling it then returning it to the battlefield. When Vexing Devil returns, its ability will trigger again, and so there will be two instances of its "an opponent may have it deal 4 damage to him/her" ability on the stack. Your opponent will have to choose twice whether to take the damage.
However, if your opponent chooses not to take the damage the first time, the Devil can't be sacrificed to the second (original) instance of its triggered ability since it is no longer the original Vexing Devil that entered the battlefield before it was exiled. Whether your opponent chooses to take the damage or not, the Devil sticks around, so your opponent has no reason to take damage again.
No. When one of those spells resolves, you perform its actions in the order specified on the card. For Preordain, you will scry 2, then draw a card. For Serum Visions, you will draw a card first, then scry 2.
Some of my friends in high school played Magic games during lunch hour. I decided I wanted to play too, because the game looked interesting and seemed to be less complicated than other games. I dabbled between Magic and Pokémon when the latter came out in 1998, but finally settled on Magic because I had more cards and Magic seemed much easier to learn, and the release of 6th Edition in 1999 helped cement that fact for me.
Disa the Restless :3mana::symg::symw:
Legendary Creature - Human Scout
Nonbasic landwalk, vigilance
:symtap:: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, then put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only if Disa the Restless dealt combat damage to a player this turn.
2/3
That last one is important; a miracle cost is an alternative cost. Your opponent is not paying Terminus' mana cost, he is paying its miracle cost. Mental Misstep can only target a spell whose converted mana cost is 1, and it only checks converted mana cost. Alternative costs and additional costs don't factor into that.
If a spell has X in its mana cost, then the converted mana cost of that spell is X plus whatever colored mana symbols may be in the cost, but only while that spell is on the stack. If the sum of those things isn't 1, then Mental Misstep can't target that spell.
Mental Misstep
No. The miracle cost of a card is not its converted mana cost, which is always the cost printed in the upper right hand corner of the card. Therefore, Mental Misstep will never be able to counter Terminus.
Forced March
Crystalline Sliver
Shroud only prevents a permanent from being targeted by spells or abilities that target. Forced March does not target, so it will destroy all creatures with converted mana cost X or less, even if any of those creatures has shroud. To determine whether a spell targets, look for the word "target" in its text; if it doesn't say "target (something)", it doesn't target.
Phantasmal Image
Griselbrand
1. That's correct. The Phantasmal Image will enter the battlefield as a copy of Elesh Norn, and both Norns' static abilities will briefly apply before the "legend rule" puts them into your graveyard. Anything that might happen as the result of both static abilities will still happen (your opponents' creatures dying due to having 0 toughness, etc).
2. Griselbrand's ability is not static, it's activated. If a Phantasmal Image enters the battlefield copying Griselbrand, there is no time to activate either of their activated abilities before the "legend rule" applies and puts them both into your graveyard. SBAs are checked before a player would receive priority.
When Fiend Hunter enters the battlefield, its "exile target creature" ability triggers. You can respond to that by casting Restoration Angel. It'll enter the battlefield and its blink ability will trigger and go on the stack, targeting Fiend Hunter. When the abilities resolve, Fiend Hunter will be exiled (triggering Fiend Hunter's second ability) and immediately return (triggering the first). The Fiend Hunter's first ability will exile another creature, its second ability will do nothing, and the first creature won't return from exile.
Eternal Dominion
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Any time a card or token (before it ceases to exist) could be put into a graveyard, it's put into its owner's graveyard, regardless of who controls that card or token at the time.
In this case, if an opponent uses Eternal Dominion to take another player's Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, and that Ulamog would somehow be put into a graveyard (for example, if it were sacrificed), the Ulamog will end up in its owner's graveyard. Then its "when Ulamog is put into a graveyard from anywhere" ability will trigger and its owner will shuffle his or her graveyard into his/her library when it resolves.
Artifact Creature - Angel Construct (U)
Flying, protection from nonartifact spells and permanents
3/3
Next:
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (R)
:1mana::symg::symu:, :symtap:: Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a nonland card, you may play an additional land this turn. Otherwise, tap up to two artifacts or creatures. Those permanents don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
2/2
D'oh, you're right. I've struck my answer; I missed the word "target" when playing through the scenario in my head.
Yes. If you control both of those creatures, you can stack their triggers in any order you choose when they trigger. You can therefore choose to mill two cards for Splinterfright's ability, then, if one of those cards was a creature card, return it to the battlefield for Sheoldred, Whispering One's ability, assuming that card is still in your graveyard when the ability resolves.This is not correct, see Artscrafter's post below.
You may only name creature types that currently exist in Magic for Cavern of Souls. "Legend" is no longer a creature type as of Champions of Kamigawa, and "legendary" is a card supertype, not a creature type. You can't name either one for Cavern of Souls' ability.
Yes, that works but not in any way that might give you much more of an advantage. When Vexing Devil enters the battlefield, its ability triggers and goes on the stack. You can respond to it by targeting it with Cloudshift, exiling it then returning it to the battlefield. When Vexing Devil returns, its ability will trigger again, and so there will be two instances of its "an opponent may have it deal 4 damage to him/her" ability on the stack. Your opponent will have to choose twice whether to take the damage.
However, if your opponent chooses not to take the damage the first time, the Devil can't be sacrificed to the second (original) instance of its triggered ability since it is no longer the original Vexing Devil that entered the battlefield before it was exiled. Whether your opponent chooses to take the damage or not, the Devil sticks around, so your opponent has no reason to take damage again.
Legendary Creature - Human Scout
Nonbasic landwalk, vigilance
:symtap:: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, then put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only if Disa the Restless dealt combat damage to a player this turn.
2/3
Next: Gisa the Mad