How Does My Laughter Echoes Affect Plots that Span Centuries?

Asked by DemonDragonJ 5 years ago

If a player has an ongoing My Laughter Echoes in their command zone, and they set into motion Plots That Span Centuries, choosing to abandon my laughter echoes, how many schemes will they set into motion on their next turn? Six, I presume?

Neotrup says... #1

Next turn you'll set 5 schemes in motion.

October 17, 2018 12:19 a.m.

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2

It depends on what the player wants to do. They can either set 5 schemes in motion on the next turn or set 3 schemes in motion this turn.

When the player sets Plots That Span Centuries in motion, 2 abilities will trigger in your example: The ability on Plots that Span Centuries ("When you set this scheme in motion...") and the ability on My Laughter Echoes ("Whenever you set a non-ongoing scheme in motion..."). Because the triggered abilities are trying to go onto the stack at the same time and they're controlled by the same player, that player can choose what order to put them onto the stack.

• If they put the Plots trigger on the stack first, then the Laughter trigger will resolve first and put another Plots in motion on top of the original. The copy of Plots will create a replacement effect as its trigger resolves and then the original Plots will do the same. The next time the player would set a scheme in motion, one of the replacement effects will be applied and 3 schemes will be set in motion instead. The remaining replacement effect will be applied to the first of those schemes, so the player will set a total of 5 schemes in motion (1 - 1 + 3 - 1 + 3 = 5).
• If they put the Laughter trigger on the stack first, then the Plots trigger will resolve first and create a replacement effect. As the Laughter trigger resolves, it will try to set another Plots in motion, but the replacement effect from the original Plots will be applied and 3 schemes will be set in motion instead.

October 17, 2018 12:44 a.m.

DemonDragonJ says... #3

Rhadamanthus, thank you very much; that is a rather complicated explanation, but I am glad to know how it works, in the rare chance that I ever am able to execute that combination.

October 17, 2018 6:48 a.m.