[Unset] What happens when someone gains control of Split Screen
Asked by comfuzzled 4 years ago
Ok so Split Screen says: When Split Screen enters the battlefield, shuffle your library and deal it into four libraries. If anything refers to your library, choose one of your libraries for it. Play with your libraries' top cards revealed. When Split Screen leaves the battlefield, shuffle your libraries together.
So when Split Screen leaves the battlefield I shuffle my libraries together. And when I have Split Screen I can choose which library to interact with when I need to interact with one (Draw, Search, etc.).
What happens if someone, for sale of example, casts Lay Claim on my Split Screen?
It never leaves the battlefield. But I don't control it.
What library or libraries do I interact with?
Rhadamanthus says... #2
Looking at each ability separately:
- You still have four different libraries. This is an effect created as the triggered ability resolves and doesn't depend on you keeping control of Split Screen.
- You don't play with the top card of your libraries revealed, and the player who took control of Split Screen does. A static ability like this is only talking to whoever currently controls the card.
- If Split Screen leaves the battlefield while someone else controls it, that means they also control this last ability when it triggers. They won't shuffle anything together (unless they split their own screens earlier in the game) and neither will you.
March 25, 2020 8:58 a.m.
comfuzzled says... #3
I think my real question is, is the ability to choose which library I interact with a static effect that must have the card on my side, or an effect of it entering the battlefield, in which as long as I played the card once it works.
March 25, 2020 8:46 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #4
You still have 4 different libraries and you get to choose which one you interact with for drawing cards and other library-related effects.
Here are the relevant rules:
611.2 A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a spell or ability.
611.2a A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability lasts as long as stated by the spell or ability creating it (such as "until end of turn"). If no duration is stated, it lasts until the end of the game.
In your example, the continuous effect saying you have 4 libraries and you get to choose how to interact with them is generated by the resolution of Split Screen's first triggered ability. It doesn't specify a duration or end-point, so it lasts forever.
March 26, 2020 12:09 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #5
comfuzzled: Correct answers to your questions have been up for a while. I chose one to mark as the "Accepted answer" so that this topic can move out of the list of unanswered questions. Please remember to take care of this yourself in the future.
I try to avoid choosing my own response when I do this, but in this case it seemed like the most complete option.
Boza says... #1
As long as you controlled Split Screen as it entered the battlefield, you get its effect. Afterwards, if another player gets Split Screen with Lay Claim - nothing happens - the card did not leave the battlefield. If the card leaves the battlefield while under the control of another player, again, nothing will happen, as the card's current control does not have multiple libraries.
Once again this is speculative silver border land, so take any non-gatherer, non-Maro rules explanations with a grain of salt.
March 25, 2020 3:47 a.m.