Cloning
Asked by LordAshaman 8 years ago
If I was to Use Clone on a Mercurial Pretender Would the clone be a copy of the creature mercurial pretender is or will it just be a 0/0 and die straight away
When you copy a permanent, such as with Clone, you get a copy of that permanent as modified by other copy effects. That means that in your example, your Clone will be a copy of whatever the Mercurial Pretender is copying, and it will additionally also copy the "return to hand" ability of the Mercurial Pretender.
July 3, 2015 2:51 a.m.
LordAshaman says... #3
Oh thanks guys, I had thought that it would have died and a friend told me it would live
Boza says... Accepted answer #1
If mercurial pretender is copying something else (I assume it is, otherwise it will most likely not be able to survive as a 0/0 creature), then you will copy whatever Pretender is copying. Here is the relevant rules excerpt, highlighted for the important bits:
706.2. When copying an object, the copy acquires the copiable values of the original objects characteristics and, for an object on the stack, choices made when casting or activating it (mode, targets, the value of X, whether it was kicked, how it will affect multiple targets, and so on). The "copiable values" are the values derived from the text printed on the object (that text being name, mana cost, color indicator, card type, subtype, supertype, rules text, power, toughness, and/or loyalty), as modified by other copy effects, by its face-down status, and by as . . . enters the battlefield and "as . . . is turned face up" abilities that set power and toughness (and may also set additional characteristics). Other effects (including type-changing and text-changing effects), status, and counters are not copied.
July 3, 2015 2:50 a.m.