Can I Copy an Animated Planeswalker
Asked by -Xiphos- 8 years ago
If I were to use Clone or Phyrexian Metamorph while a planeswalker used an ability to turn into a creature until end of turn could I copy them? Would my creature turn into the planeswalker at the end of my turn?
For example, they use Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker to attack me and after the combat phase I use Alchemist's Refuge or I use Shimmer Myr with Phyrexian Metamorph would I get to copy the 4/4 dragon with flying. indestructible, and haste?
TheRedMage says... #2
What happens exactly with the legendary/planeswalker uniqueness rule depends on the way the planeswalker has been animated.
- The various flavors of Gideon (Gideon Jura, Gideon, Champion of Justice, Gideon, Battle-Forged Flip and soon Gideon, Ally of Zendikar) can all turn themselves into creatures while staying a planeswalker. So if you play a clone copying a Gideon Jura that is a creature, while the clone will not be a creature at the time, you will be controlling two planeswalkers with the subtype Gideon, and be forced to choose one as soon as Clone enters the battlefield.
- Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker can become a creature and, when he does, he loses his planeswaker type. That means that if you animate him and then Clone him, you will control a nonplaneswalker legendary creature named Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker and a noncreature planeswalker named Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker with subtype Sarkhan. Now, the legendary rule looks for two legendary permanents with the same name, but your planeswalker is technically not legendary, so it can coexist with its creature counterpart. The planeswalker uniqueness rule, on the other hand, looks for two planeswalkers with the same subtype, but the first Sarkhan is not a planeswalker anymore, and as such, cannot have pleswalker subtypes, so things are fine on this front as well. However, if you animate your Cloned Sarkhan, you will be controlling two legendary creatures with the same name, and forced to choose one to keep. And, regardless of what you do, at the end of turn, your original Sarkhan will revert to a planeswalker, gain his Sarkhan subtype back, and you will be forced to pick one of the two by the planeswalker uniqueness rule.
September 18, 2015 12:16 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #3
@TheRedMage: His opponent controls the Sarkhan in the original question.
September 18, 2015 12:53 p.m.
TheRedMage says... #4
Hahaha I guess I should do a better job of reading questions, ha?
Well in that case you can ignore most of what I said. The point about you just getting an unanimated copy of Sarkhan stands though.
TheRedMage says... Accepted answer #1
First things first: Yes, you can copy them - they are a creature afterall - but when you copy a permanent you don't copy any ongoing effects that might affect it - basically you just get what is printed on the card. So if you copy an animated planeswalker you will just get an unanimated planeswalker that is not a creature.
Secondly, notice that you don't need Shimmer Myr or Alchemist's Refuge as Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker's effect lasts until end of turn. You can just play your Clone in your post-combat main.
Finally, remember that the planeswalker uniqueness rule and/or the legendary rule will eventually force you to pick one of your two Sarkhans (The original and the Clone) to keep
September 18, 2015 12:01 p.m. Edited.