Sliver Overlord vs Sliver Overlord
Asked by RicketyEng 8 years ago
I think I understand how the scenario should/could play out but I would like some reassurance or clarification.
Player A has Sliver Overlord then Player B copies it.
Then Player A activates his control ability targetting B's overlord.
B responds in kind targetting A's overlord.
A responds with a second activation targetting B's overlord and at this point neither player has enough mana for another activation.
So to resolve:
A takes control of B's Sliver Overlord and destroys it due to the legend rule.
At this point, would B's activation still resolve giving B control of A's original Sliver Overlord? I believe that it would because the ability is still on the stack and its target is a legal target.
A's first activation would no longer have a legal target.
So, for my questions, first, am I correct at how those would resolve in the given scenario? Second, if after the first resolution, A instead kept B's Sliver Overlord alive then B would not end up with an overlord and A would still have one, correct? Lastly, could the targets be chosen differently to result in A's overlord remaining in A's control?
TheRedMage says... #2
Jargon nitpick: A creature that goes to the graveyard due to the Legendary Rule is Dying, however it is neither destroyed, nor is it being sacrificed. "Destroy" is a loaded word in magic and creatures are only destroyed by lethal damage or effects that say "destroy" (i.e. basically anything that is circumvented by the keyword "indestructible")
January 22, 2016 3:08 p.m.
RicketyEng says... #3
Ah ha! I had thought of A targeting his own overlord, but I had only thought of doing that as the first activation which I wouldn't think would prompt B to activate in response. Putting both of A's activations on the stack before B's is quite clever, so thank you!
TheRedMage says... Accepted answer #1
Based on how you have described this interaction, it does indeed work as you say. With these choices of targets, A would end up with B's Sliver Overlord (but not his own) if he or she decides to put his or her own Sliver Overlord in the graveyard, and B ends up with A's Overlord (but not his or her own) if A chooses to keep the Overlord he or she owns alive and send the other one to the graveyard.
The interesting thing here is that Sliver Overlord's ability just says "gain control of target sliver" and Sliver Overlord is itself a sliver, so it can target itself. Basically A gets to keep his or her own Overlord alive and under his or her own control if A activates Sliver Overlord targeting B's Sliver Overlord, then holds priority and activates his or her Overlord again targeting itself. At that point, no matter what B targets with his or her Overlord's ability, A ends up with one Overlord. If B's overlord targets itself, A is going to end up with his or her own Overlord.
January 22, 2016 3:05 p.m.