Activating Mutavault in time for Liliana's Contract?
Asked by alexplaysbass 5 years ago
Basically I'm just curious if I can use Mutavault's activated ability in time at the beginning of my upkeep to trigger Liliana's Contract for the win?
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2
Unfortunately no, this doesn't work. It has to do with the specific way the trigger on Liliana's Contract is written.
The second ability on Liliana's Contract is written with something called an "intervening 'if' clause". A triggered ability written this way checks the condition two times: once at the time it would trigger and again at the time it would start resolving. If the trigger condition isn't true at the time the ability would trigger then it doesn't trigger at all (and if it isn't true at the time it would start resolving then the trigger doesn't do anything).
In your example this means that if you don't already have 4 different demons at the beginning of your upkeep then the Contract just doesn't trigger. Even if you turn Mutavault into a creature right after that, it's too late.
Madcookie says... #1
No. Liliana's Contract as per Gatherer states that if you don't control 4 demons at the start of your upkeep it doesn't trigger at all and you can't take any actions before your upkeep begins (at which point it won't matter). The only way to circumvent this is to play Paradox Haze, gaining two separate upkeeps, making Mutavault a demon at the start of first, pass, then at the start of the bonus upkeep the contract triggers and unless someone Path to Exile one of your demons you win.
September 16, 2018 6:35 p.m.