Manabond, Psychosis Crawler, and Tatyova, Benthic Druid
Asked by bushido_man96 5 years ago
This scenario popped up in a game the other day, and wanted to check to how it actually happens. All three of those cards were on the table. I had returned a bunch of lands to my hand with Storm Cauldron . I used Manabond to discard my hand and drop all my lands onto the battlefield, which was around 18. This gave me 18 triggers of Tatyova, Benthic Druid , so I drew 18 cards and gained 18 life. My question is, though, is there a point in all that where my hand size equals 0, and before I'm able to start triggering Tatyova, does Psychosis Crawler die as a state-based action? If so, can I use some kind of bounce trigger to return a card to my hand to keep the Crawler from dying?
Please let me know!
If you are looking for a card to keep it from dying, you can use a spell that pumps its toughness, such as Giant Growth . This will ensure the Crawler has 3 toughness when it would otherwise be a 0/0.
Like Kogarashi’s suggestion of tucking Crawler away, you would have to proactively pump crawler before Manabound resolves.
January 14, 2019 12:46 p.m.
bushido_man96 says... #3
Ok, that helps. Here's an addition to the scenario: I have a card in play like Oboro Breezecaller , which allows me to pay 2 to return a land I control to my hand. Is there a way I can use that ability to order the stack to at least keep the Crawler at 1 toughness, and prevent it from dying?
January 14, 2019 4 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #4
There is no way to do anything that would keep Psychosis Crawler 's toughness above zero after Manabond resolves without pumping him via counters, auras, equipment, or effects like Giant Growth .
Additionally, IDK why the Exodus printing is the default view of Manabond . Since the "discard phase" is no longer a game concept the card has received erata that is shown on the Tempest Remastered version. The erata makes another line of play viable. You can use flicker effects that return the card EOT such as Roon of the Hidden Realm or Flickerform to keep your Psychosis Crawler safe by putting the return trigger on the stack first and then putting the Manabond trigger on top of it. The downside to this is that it wouldn't ping off of the Tatyova draws.
January 14, 2019 4:21 p.m.
Ah, yes, that does affect options. I didn't even think about flicker effects where the return trigger is end of turn.
So you'll have to choose with the flicker effect: do you want to save Psychosis Crawler , or do you want to get the card draw triggers from its second ability.
Pre-emptively increasing toughness is how you're going to get both.
January 14, 2019 4:47 p.m.
bushido_man96 says... #6
Ok, that answers my question. Thank you guys for all the help.
Kogarashi says... Accepted answer #1
The short answer is that you will lose Psychosis Crawler , and there's no way to save it without preemptive action.
The long answer:
When your discard phase comes up, you choose to use Manabond 's effect. You place all 18 lands on the table, triggering Tatyova, Benthic Druid 18 times, and discard the rest of your hand. However, before those triggers are even placed on the stack, state-based actions are checked. So state-based actions find that Psychosis Crawler is 0/0 due to your hand being empty, and it's put into your graveyard. Then the triggers go on the stack and can start resolving.
The only way to save Psychosis Crawler is to find a way to move it somewhere "safe" before you use Manabond 's effect. Bouncing it to your hand won't work, because you'll have to do it before the Manabond discard, and Psychosis Crawler will be discarded with the rest. You can't save it in the moment because you can't respond to state-based actions with spells or abilities, so you can't empty your hand with Manabond and then immediately use some kind of bounce ability to return Psychosis Crawler to your hand because state-based actions will be checked before you could do that.
January 14, 2019 12:35 p.m.