Infinite reflection with Fiend hunter out?

Asked by magikarp57 9 years ago

Okay so the other day i was playing EDH With my brother, and i played an Infinite Reflection on my Stormtide Leviathan , and i had a Fiend Hunter and Banisher Priest out. Now my question is, because the wording on the two creatures state When this creature leaves the battlefield return the exiled card under its owners control, and since technically they didnt leave the battlefield, would the cards essentially be lost in exile unless Infinite Reflection is blown up first?

Epochalyptik says... #1

If Fiend Hunter dies while it no longer has its own abilities, then the card it exiled will remain exiled because there's nothing to bring it back. Fiend Hunter relies on a second, written triggered ability to return the exiled card.

Banisher Priest is different. It has a single triggered ability that establishes a duration. The exile lasts until Banisher Priest leaves the battlefield. Remember that when a card uses its own name in its text without also saying "a card named," then the mention is self-referential and basically means "this object right here." So whenever Banisher Priest (the object, which may not necessarily be a Banisher Priest at the time) leaves the battlefield, the exile effect will end immediately.

July 22, 2014 11:19 a.m.

Gidgetimer says... #2

Different answers for each one actually. Fiend Hunter has a second ability that triggers when he leaves the battlefield, so him leaving wouldn't trigger if he were a copy of something else and the exiled card would be permanently lost. Banisher Priest has a single ability with a stated duration, so when she leaves no matter if she is a copy of something else or not the exiled card comes back.

July 22, 2014 11:21 a.m.

Absinthman says... Accepted answer #3

Your own answer is partially correct in respect that neither Fiend Hunter nor Banisher Priest have left the battlefield, so nothing will come back, when Infinite Reflection enters the battlefield. But, there is more to this than just that, and that is what happens if either Fiend Hunter or Banisher Priest leaves the battlefield while Infinite Reflection is still there. Both Fiend Hunter and Banisher Priest will act differently in this scenario.

1. Fiend Hunter : Because what this card does is separated into two individual abilities which are linked to each other, the second (returning) ability must be present on the card when it leaves the battlefield in order to work. So if Fiend Hunter leaves the battlefield while being a copy of something else, the creature that was previously exiled with it will be lost in exile forever.

2. Banisher Priest : In this case, we have a single ability with a fixed duration set by "until Banisher Priest leaves the battlefield". Whenever a cards refers to itself by name, it only means "this object" so it's irrelevant whether its name changes to something else. The duration of the effect is set upon the resolution of the ETB ability and the game keeps track of that. So if Banisher Priest leaves the battlefield while being a copy of something else, the creature that was previously exiled with it will come back.

July 22, 2014 11:27 a.m.

magikarp57 says... #4

Thank you guys! That helps a ton! I never wouldve guessed that they both act differently!

July 22, 2014 11:31 a.m.

hyperlocke says... #5

Please select a correct answer to move this question out of the unanswered queue.

July 22, 2014 11:38 a.m.

Gidgetimer says... #6

Yeah Banisher Priest is a "fixed" Fiend Hunter . Just like Banishing Light is a "fixed" Oblivion Ring . They consolidated the abilities so that they weren't abusable (boo) and made it so that they could only hit things your opponents control (double boo).

July 22, 2014 11:43 a.m.

This discussion has been closed