Can a Clone entering as a second clone use the second clone's ability?

Asked by Chaospyke 3 years ago

My Friend wanted cast Sculpting Steel having it enter as a copy of Cursed Mirror and then wanted it to use Cursed Mirror's ability to enter as a copy of Steel Hellkite. Is this a legal play?

Yesterday says... Accepted answer #1

It is.

There are interesting rules about copiable characteristics and copying temporary clones, which I or someone else here can elaborate on if you want, but none of them is particularly relevant here as long as Cursed Mirror has already reverted back into a mana rock.

Sculpting Steel has a replacement effect for how it enters the battlefield. It becomes a copy of Cursed Mirror before it enters the battlefield, and so your friend has an opportunity to apply Cursed Mirror's replacement effect before it enters the battlefield, too.

It's the same principle as creating a token copy of Painter's Servant; you'd get to choose a new colour with the token that you've made. However, if you were to make an existing permanent (like Shapesharer) into a copy of the Painted Servant or Cursed Mirror, you would miss out on the option as the copy is not entering the battlefield.

September 29, 2021 8:26 a.m.