What happens when a Legendary Creature with a Static Ability is Copied?
Asked by giveuptheghost 3 years ago
Hello everyone, earlier today, playing some EDH with friends, I had an Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and a Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker out on the battlefield. I tapped Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker to make a copy of Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, which I know causes one of the two copies of Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite to be put into the graveyard. I had thought that the static abilities would stack, but my opponent states that a special action prevents the second Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite's static ability from triggering. I do not doubt that, and we continued the game as such, but I would like to know if someone could explain the interaction to me for my own knowledge. Thanks, and good games everyone.
dragonstryke58 says... Accepted answer #2
To clarify Tylord2894's answer a bit in reference to your question:
Static abilities can stack even when those static abilities belong to copies of legendary creatures you control.
Static abilities do NOT trigger. Therefore, there is no such thing as a special action that prevents a static ability from triggering. Static abilities are effects that are always "on" and do not trigger or activate.
604.1. Static abilities do something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. They are written as statements, and they’re simply true.
and
604.2. Static abilities create continuous effects, some of which are prevention effects or replacement effects. These effects are active as long as the permanent with the ability remains on the battlefield and has the ability, or as long as the object with the ability remains in the appropriate zone, as described in rule 113.6.
Since the game will see you have two legendary creatures before SBA's are checked, there is a moment in the game when the static abilities of the two legendary creatures will stack before SBA's are checked and one is moved to the graveyard.
May 12, 2020 1:22 a.m.
giveuptheghost says... #3
Tylord2894 thank you for the explanation, and you're totally right, I should not have been able to copy the elesh norn with kikijiki anyway! But I do have other ways to make copies so the clone explanation was super helpful.
dragonstryke58 Thank you for finding the exact rulings. It's awesome when you can quote the exact rules to people, not to put them in their place or whatever, but to help all players elevate the game and keep it moving.
Appreciate you both taking time to answer this, it cleared it up nicely and is a great future reference.
May 12, 2020 9:48 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #4
giveuptheghost: If you've received a satisfactory answer to your question, please use the green "Mark as Answer" button on the reply that you feel offers the best answer to show that this question has been resolved.
Tylord2894 says... #1
Ok first things first, Kiki-Jiki can't copy Elesh Norn . Kiki's ability states that it can only copy nonlegendary creatures.
Nevertheless, the interaction you described could happen if you cast Clone or made a copy some other way. Let's walk through what happens when you have two Elesh Norns out.
First, the game will see that there are two Elesh Norn abilities, which gives buffs and debuffs to creatures. This happens before state-based actions (SBAs) are checked. Information about the status of a cards is continuously checked. Now, SBAs are checked and the game will see that you need to put one of the Elesh Norns in the graveyard and, likely, many of your opponents' creature will need to die. After SBAs are checked, any necessary actions are all performed at the same time. So, all creatures with zero or less toughness die, and you choose and put one of the Elesh Norns in the graveyard.
Working with SBA can be tricky, I hope this helps!!
May 11, 2020 11:44 p.m.