theNeroTurtle on card question about counter spells.
14 hours ago
Do I have to choose a target with Explosive Singularity before someone decided if they are going to counter it? Or, after I cast it giving people a moment to reply, once I have chosen a target, at that point it is too late and they can not respond?
legendofa on Anvil of Bogardan, Mornsong Aria, …
18 hours ago
Anvil of Bogardan has an updated rules text, making it clearer it's a triggered ability: "At the beginning of each player’s draw step, that player draws an additional card, then discards a card."
The opponent would only search once. Here's how I see it breaking down:
- Opponent's draw step, Mornsong Aria and Anvil trigger. You choose the order they resolve in.
2 (a). If Aria resolves first, they search for a card, get hit by Ob Nixilis, Unshackled, and get their card. Aria prevents the draw from Anvil.
2 (b). If Anvil resolves first, the draw is prevented by Aria. Aria resolves, they search for a card, get hit by Ob Nixilis, Unshackled, and get their card.
Either way, Aria prevents the draw from Anvil from happening.
Noire_Samhain on Anvil of Bogardan, Mornsong Aria, …
19 hours ago
Mornsong Aria prevents players from drawing at all, it's not a replacement effect akin to Underrealm Lich, so Bogardan wouldn't double the search. Each player would get one search and therefore trigger Ob Nixilis once each opponent's draw step.
Rmachowski on Anvil of Bogardan, Mornsong Aria, …
20 hours ago
If I play Mornsong Aria and Anvil of Bogardan then cast Ob Nixilis, Unshackled would opponents have to search for 2 cards? If so does Ob Nixilis' ability trigger 2x?
Key texts:
Anvil of Bogardan- each player skips their discard phase. During each player's draw phase, that player draws an additional card and then chooses and discards one.
Mornsong Aria- Players cant draw cards or gain life. At the beginning of each players draw step, that player looses 3 life, searches their library for a card, puts it in their hand, then shuffles.
Ob Nixilis, Unshackled- Whenever an opponent searches his or her library, that player sacrifices a creature and looses 10 life.
Aspitxon on How does Brako, heartless hunter's …
1 day ago
Brako's ability reads: "Whenever a creature an opponent controls with the greatest power among creatures that player controls dies, draw a card and put a +1/+1 counter on Brako."
Let's say I have Brako on the battlefield and my opponent only has Grizzly Bears and Ornithopter on the battlefield. I cast a Toxic Deluge paying 2 life (so each creature gets -2/-2) and, therefore, my opponent's grizzly bears and ornihtopter will die. How many times will my Brako trigger? Once because grizzly bears' power is 0 and ornithopter's is -2? Or does ornithopter's negative power get set to 0 and Brako's ability triggers twice?
Rhadamanthus on If Ascendant Spirit is blinked …
2 days ago
rockgobbler: Since it appears you got a satisfactory answer to your question and there don't seem to be any follow-ups or corrections that need to be made, I marked it as the "Accepted answer" so this topic can move out of the list of unanswered questions. In the future you can take care of this yourself using the "Mark as Answer" button on the response that you feel is the most helpful answer to your question.
StarchyTaters on How would Kirol interact with …
4 days ago
Thank you so much!
I realised Kirol could also be copied by Rings after I had posted the question, and it only makes the combo better! I'll just have to throw something like Mirari's Wake into the deck to increase the viability.
Now I'm really excited to make the deck!
Thank you again!
Neotrup on How would Kirol interact with …
4 days ago
The copy would still be for Gavony Township, but do note you'll need to pay both times for a total of if you want to copy it twice. Rings will also trigger off of Kirol, but you'd need to pay to copy letting you pay again to copy Gavony for a total of if you wanted to copy it three times.
StarchyTaters on How would Kirol interact with …
4 days ago
Heya! I'm working on a new +1/+1 counter deck, and found a combo I want to build if it works:
- First, I would activate Gavony Township's second ability. This would trigger Rings of Brighthearth onto the stack, copying Gavony Township.
- Second, I would activate Kirol, Attentive First-Year, obviously targeting Rings of Brighthearth.
My question is: Would the copy of Rings of Brighthearth apply to the activated ability of Gavony on the stack or not?
If I'm reading rule 707.10 correctly, the copy would use the same context as the original trigger of Rings of Brighthearth so it would see the activated ability of Gavony, but I often misunderstand things like this.
Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it!
Rhadamanthus on Can Skill borrower use artifact …
5 days ago
You can use double square brackets around a card's name to create a reference link: Skill Borrower, Ancient Den. It's the best way to help make sure everyone understands what's going on in the question.
Yes, Skill Borrower can tap for mana in that example. Skill Borrower's ability will work with any kind of artifact and any kind of creature. If it were just meant to work with cards with only the "artifact" type and nothing else or only the "creature" type and nothing else then it would be written in a more specific way to make that clear.
rockgobbler on If Ascendant Spirit is blinked …
5 days ago
Yikes. Sinking that much mana seems insane when you could simply have a better snow creature in its place.
Avacyn1986 on Can Skill borrower use artifact …
5 days ago
If I have Skill borrower out on the field, and the top card of my library revealed is an artifact land like Ancient Den or Goldmire Bride, can she generate mana?
Neotrup on If Ascendant Spirit is blinked …
6 days ago
It will be a 1/1 spirit. Exiling it and returning it to the battlefield makes it a new object with no connection to the original, the same as if you cast a new Ascendant Spirit from your hand.
rockgobbler on If Ascendant Spirit is blinked …
6 days ago
My assumption is that the spirit would be a 4/4 Spirit Warrior Angel that draws a card upon hitting a player. However, each one of those steps could be contingent on the presence of the counters. Tricky tricky. Any help would be appreciates!
rockgobbler on If Ascendant Spirit is blinked …
6 days ago
After four turns, Ascendant Spirit is now a 6/6 flyer with the ability to draw a card after dealing damage to a player. If the spirit is hit with Flicker of Fate, which abilities will remain?
DarkKiridon on Planeswalkers as Commanders?!?!
1 week ago
As already stated, yes Grist, the Hunger Tide can be your commander. Also, while cool, who is much more cooler (in my opinion lol) is Zask, Skittering Swarmlord who can make Grist be cast from the graveyard.
Crow_Umbra on Planeswalkers as Commanders?!?!
1 week ago
"As long as Grist isn’t on the battlefield, it’s a 1/1 Insect creature in addition to its other types."
"Grist, the Hunger Tide can be your commander as its first ability works before the game begins during deck construction. (2021-06-18)
Anywhere but on the battlefield, Grist is a Legendary Planeswalker Creature — Grist Insect. Once it enters the battlefield, it is no longer a creature and is just a planeswalker. Anything that could search for or affect a creature or planeswalker card in zones other than the battlefield could affect Grist. For example, you could put it onto the battlefield with Chord of Calling, it could be countered by Essence Scatter (but not by Negate), and opponents couldn't make you discard it with Duress. (2021-06-18) "
theNeroTurtle on Planeswalkers as Commanders?!?!
1 week ago
I saw that Grist, the Hunger Tide is listed in the possible commanders section on EDHREC, as I am currently trying to build a deck in that color wheel. I already play Commodore Guff as a commander, but he has a ruling that says he can be in that spot.
Grist, the Hunger Tide does not say that... so why is it in that section of the EDHREC website? If it can be, I am thinking about building around it.
plakjekaas on The Jolly Balloon Man copying …
1 week ago
Just like tokens can die and trigger "when this permanent is put into a graveyard"- effects, tokens can be returned to hand. It doesn't exile, it won't trigger a Ketramose, the New Dawn for example, but it will trigger Barrin, Tolarian Archmage in the end step. The token just stops existing as soon as it arrives in its new zone (your hand, instead of the battlefield) and can't be retrieved from anywhere after it stopped existing.
Last_Laugh on The Jolly Balloon Man copying …
1 week ago
Will the token Riders of the Mark be able to produce tokens? I know the token exiles, but does going through the motion of returning it to my hand before it poofs meet the requirement?
Rhadamanthus on Can I use an opponent's …
1 week ago
Example of a goad effect for reference: Besmirch
You'll have to send the Dreadmaw at opponent B. When dealing with different requirements and restrictions on how you declare attackers, a legal attack is one that satisfies the maximum number of requirements without breaking any restrictions. The one restriction here is B's Crawlspace, so you can't send more than two creatures B's way. Goad sets up two requirements: the creature has to attack and it has to attack someone other than the player who goaded it if possible. Sending Dreadmaw at A and two creatures at B only satisfies one requirement from goad, but sending Dreadmaw at B (with a friend or not) satisfies two requirements of goad, so that's how you have to declare attackers.
Rhadamanthus on Xu-Ifit and reanimating Clones (Layers, …
1 week ago
Type-changing effects are applied in an earlier layer than ability granting/removing effects, so that's why Ashaya's effect still gets applied.
I think I understand more of your question about Clone. Clone's ability to copy something is not, in itself, a copy effect. It's a static ability with a replacement effect that modifies how Clone enters the battlefield and it creates a copy effect as it's applied. Xu-Ifit is removing Clone's static ability at the time it would normally be applied, so the copy effect is never created. When Clone gets to the battlefield and you start going through the steps of layers to determine Clone's characteristics, there's nothing in layer 1 (the copy effect layer) to consider, so it's just a 0/0 Skeleton of itself with no abilities.
kryophyre on Can I use an opponent's …
1 week ago
Say I have 2 opponents, (A and B), and my board has 5 soldier tokens and a Colossal Dreadmaw.
If opponentA goads my Colossal Dreadmaw and opponentB has a Crawlspace, can I send 2 soldiers at opponentB, thus allowing me to attack opponentA with my Colossal Dreadmaw?
Chaospyke on Xu-Ifit and reanimating Clones (Layers, …
1 week ago
How would Xu-Ifit work with Ashaya, Soul of the Wild then? Everything I've seen says that Ashaya's type changing ability would keep applying even if it loses all abilities.
Rhadamanthus on Xu-Ifit and reanimating Clones (Layers, …
1 week ago
Backing up what Neotrup said, there was also a rulings note added to Xu-Ifit's Oracle/Gatherer entry late last year to clarify this and other interactions:
2025/10/01 If a permanent returned to the battlefield by Xu-Ifit's ability has an ability that triggers "when" it enters, it will lose that ability before it can trigger. If it has an ability that causes it to enter tapped, it will lose that ability before it can apply. The same is also true of any other abilities that modify how it enters the battlefield, such as abilities that would cause it to enter with some number of counters, or apply "as" it enters, such as Famished Worldsire's devour land ability or Clone's ability that causes it to enter as a copy of a creature on the battlefield.
I admit I would have initially assumed the result you laid out in your original question, but I suppose this has to do with the particular way the effect is worded. It's not a series of instructions that tells you to put it onto the battlefield, then change its type and then remove its abilities. It's an instruction to put it onto the battlefield with a number of changes to its characteristics as you do that.
Rhadamanthus on Exchange of Words between Sol …
1 week ago
They get reset. Exchanging text boxes is a special kind of text-changing effect where each the text on each object gets completely replaced by the text of the other. The new text on each card represents a different ability from the one that was there before (even in a case like this where they happen to have all the same words) and is also separate from the ability that existed on the other card it was brought in from.
Neotrup on Xu-Ifit and reanimating Clones (Layers, …
1 week ago
Since Clone will be entering with no abilities, it doesn't have the ability that makes itself a copy. If another effect would make it a copy (such as Infinite Reflection) it would enter as a copy with no abilities, but without such an effect it will enter as a 0/0 with no abilities.
Quickspell on Exchange of Words between Sol …
1 week ago
I have Sol'Kanar the Tainted an a copy of it on the battlefield, say with Irenicus's Vile Duplication.
This turn, Sol‘Kanar would get exiled, but the copy would remain another turn on the battlefield. I play Exchange of Words, targeting Sol and it’s copy.
Does Sol get exiled this turn because the text is the same? Or do the abilities get reset because the text is a new instance?
Chaospyke on Xu-Ifit and reanimating Clones (Layers, …
1 week ago
Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist can reanimate creature cards but causes them to lose abilities. My understanding of layers is that since clone is the highest layer, Clone should be able to enter as a copy of another creature, then loses its abilities after becoming a copy
Rhadamanthus on Card interaction Question for Commander
1 week ago
You're going to risk confusing yourself more if you think about things "targeting" when they don't actually target, because the word "target" has a specific rules meaning and whether or not something actually targets matters a lot for various card interactions and rules interactions. Declaring an attacking creature does not target. Any effect that does not specifically use the word "target" in its rules text (either printed on the card or packed into the rules for a keyword ability on the card) does not target.
The easy way to remember the full effects of protection is with the letters DEBT:
- Damage is prevented
- Enchanting/Equipping is not allowed (or Fortifying, but that's just one weird card from Future Sight)
- Blocking is not allowed
- Targeting is not allowed
The reminder text on Absolute Virtue summarizes the above and leaves out blocking since it doesn't matter (you, the player sitting there in real life, can't attack so it's irrelevant whether something can block you).
theNeroTurtle on Card interaction Question for Commander
1 week ago
right... my main thought was mainly just the attack phase because when they attack they are "targeting" me when they declare attack. Seems like a gray area.
but it makes sense. target does not mean protection.
legendofa on Card interaction Question for Commander
1 week ago
Just be careful with how you use the word "targeted". Protection means you can't be targeted, and it has to use the word "target" to be a targeted effect.
theNeroTurtle on Card interaction Question for Commander
1 week ago
That is what I assumed, legendofa. I just find it in the gray area when you think on it because they are declaring that they are attacking me. if that makes sense. The answer is, yes I can be targeted, just not effected. Thanks.
legendofa on Card interaction Question for Commander
1 week ago
As long as you have protection from opponents, you can't be targeted by any spell or ability your opponents control. So for the planeswalker example, your opponent can't choose you as a target to begin with. For an outside case like Kaya, Spirits' Justice's -2, only your creature is being targeted, not you, so it would still be exiled.
Annihilator isn't a targeting ability (it doesn't use the word "target" in its rules text or reminder text), and neither is attacking. A creature with annihilator (e.g. Ulamog's Crusher) can attack you through Absolute Virtue, and you will still sacrifice your stuff. You just won't take any damage from that creature.
theNeroTurtle on Card interaction Question for Commander
1 week ago
I have already asked about Absolute Virtue before. I can not be directly effected, but here is the question... can I still be targeted?
For example, someone can resolve a loyalty counter on a planeswalker with me as the target... it just doesn't do anything. Same thing with attacking... I can be targeted with attacking creatures during an attack phase so that triggers may occur, but won't take damage. Is this correct?
The reason I ask this is because my pod plays annihilator a lot. I want to be sure they can still target me with an attack, which would still resolve the annihilator obviously, but since I have protection, that doesn't mean they still can't target me during attack phase for triggers to occur, right?
That is what I would think. Just checking.
Rhadamanthus on Twilight Diviner copying Gray Merchant …
2 weeks ago
Yes, if you stack the triggers correctly. When the original Gary ETBs, both it and the Diviner will trigger. You want to put the Diviner trigger on top so it resolves first and makes the token copy. Since Gary's trigger isn't written specifically to use information from the moment it triggered, it will get information about your devotion to black at the time it resolves, so both Gary triggers will see 8 devotion in your example (as long as no one has responded with any removal).
Last_Laugh on Twilight Diviner copying Gray Merchant …
2 weeks ago
If Twilight Diviner copies a Gray Merchant of Asphodel re-entering (via Marchesa, the Black Rose)... do the copies see one another as far as Devotion to black goes? I.e. my Devotion will jump from 4 to 8 with those 2x Garys... will each drain for 8?
capwner on Divine Presence Question
2 weeks ago
Yep! :) Additionally this works via a replacement effect and not damage prevention which is kind of cool
H3y_Im_R0b on Divine Presence Question
2 weeks ago
I had stumbled upon the card Divine Presence and was curious if it could save creatures with toughness 4 and up from something like a Blasphemous Act or a Star of Extinction?
theNeroTurtle on Need clarification about a card …
2 weeks ago
Rhadamanthus, that is what I assumed, which is why I made my creature base with the shadow mechanic. After reading that I started thinking, "my creatures don't need to have shadow?".
Makes sense. Thanks
Rhadamanthus on Need clarification about a card …
2 weeks ago
The AI summary results you found were incorrect. With the way a Large Language Model (LLM) works, it's essentially doing a highly sophisticated autocomplete for a discussion about your topic. LLM responses are most reliable on topics with a lot of content represented in the training data. In this case, I get the feeling not enough has been written about effects that give a player "protection from opponents" for the LLM approach to give an accurate answer. It likely gave you results that were based on a combination of what's been written about protection in general as well as things written specifically about True-Name Nemesis, which would have had a lot more content built up over the years than Absolute Virtue has at this point.
theNeroTurtle on Need clarification about a card …
2 weeks ago
legendofa, that is how I read it too, but when I googled it, the Ai response it that people can't block my creatures. I have no idea. Seems OP to me.
legendofa on Can I cast wordly tutor …
2 weeks ago
You can use double square brackets to link cards. Manipulate Fate
[[Manipulate Fate]]
No, that doesn't work. Once a spell starts to resolve, it has to fully resolve and do everything the card says before you can do something else. You can't resolve part of a card's effect, cast another spell, then resolve the rest of the effect. So in this case, you have to draw immediately after exiling and shuffling.
legendofa on Need clarification about a card …
2 weeks ago
I haven't seen any discussion on Absolute Virtue, but my reading is that it gives you protection from your opponents, but it doesn't give that same protection to your creatures or other permanents. Those can still be targeted, damaged, blocked, and enchanted as normal. I'm basing this off cards like Leyline of Sanctity or Aegis of the Gods, which gives hexproof to you but not your creatures. If AV said said something like "You and creatures you control have protection from..." that would be more in line with what you're describing.
Caerwyn on Need help understanding a card …
2 weeks ago
In the future, please use the Rules Q&A section of this site when you have questions about rules, cards, or card interactions. That section of the site has some additional functionalities, such as linking your questions to the cards at issues to help anyone with similar questions. You can also mark a question there as answered to indicate your matter is resolved.
I have moved this thread and marked an answer on your behalf as a correct answer was given.
theNeroTurtle on Need help understanding a card …
2 weeks ago
seshiro_of_the_orochi, that is what I assumed, but the Ai google response I got made that a very gray area that didn't make sense.
theNeroTurtle on Need help understanding a card …
2 weeks ago
SaberTech, everything you said makes sense and is what I assumed. Where I am coming up with this stuff is just google/chatGBT junk. Like, I googled "Can my oponents block my creatures when Absolute Virtue in of the field?" The answer was basically that no, they can not block... but they are not unblockable. LOL
seshiro_of_the_orochi on Need help understanding a card …
2 weeks ago
The might be a missunderstanding somewhere. I googled for rulings regarding Virtue, and google AI gave me a missunderstandable, but technically correct answer.
If you control AV, you, the player, get protection from your opponents. Protection is defined as "you can't be damaged, equipped/enchanted, blocked or targeted by anything that fulfills the defined quality". That doesn't say anything about any of your creatures. So no, AV doesn't prevent your creatures from being blocked.