Can two effects which both state "If X would happen, do something else" occur?
Asked by Yesterday 9 years ago
Hi.
Let's say I have 0 life and a Platinum Angel in play.
My opponent swings in for 15 damage that would ordinarily bring me to -15 life, but because of my Phyrexian Unlife I would instead remain on 0 and gain 15 poison counters but still not lose the game.
After declaring I'm not blocking but before taking damage, I play Angel's Grace because it's funny.
Angel's Grace states that I'd remain on 1 life if I take damage that reduce my life below 0. It doesn't give you life if you're already below 1, so if I hadn't a Phyrexian Unlife in play, I'd remain on 0 at the end of the turn.
Both Angel's Grace and Phyrexian Unlife state different things that would happen if my life would decrease below 0 this turn.
Which effect takes precedence? Do I get to chose?
Epochalyptik says... #2
Phyrexian Unlife's replacement effect causes damage that would be dealt to you to be dealt as though its source had infect. Infect damage doesn't reduce your life total, so Angel's Grace's replacement effect won't do anything for you. You'll still get the poison counters.
May 16, 2016 1:56 p.m.
Pah. Okay. This was the example I that occurred to me because I'm trying to do something with these cards at the moment.
What happens when two cards each expressly state that where X would happen, you should instead do something else? Assuming you follow the instructions from one of them, X wouldn't happen and the second one shouldn't trigger. Do you get to chose which to use?
May 16, 2016 2:05 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #4
It depends.
Let's say an opponent controls Abundance and you control Notion Thief. Let's also say that he/she is about to draw his/her second card for the turn thanks to some draw spell.
Both of the above cards have replacement effects that would apply to your opponent's draw. This means that your opponent is the affected player for both of these effects, so he or she gets to choose which replacement effect to apply first. After the first effect is applied, other replacement effects are applied if they could still modify the event.
If your opponent chooses to apply Abundance's effect first, he/she has the option of replacing his or her draw with a series of other actions. If he/she does, then no draw occurs and Notion Thief's replacement effect won't apply. Neither player will draw a card.
If he/she instead chooses not to follow the other actions from Abundance's ability, or if he/she chooses to apply Notion Thief's replacement effect first, then his/her draw will be replaced and you'll draw a card. Abundance's other effects won't happen, and your opponent won't draw any cards.
May 16, 2016 2:16 p.m.
So in basic, the controller gets to chose which effect to apply first, and if in applying this it causes the other to no longer be applicable, the second effect doesn't occur?
May 16, 2016 7:12 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #6
Not quite.
The affected player gets to make the choice. This is generally the player who's being affected or who controls the object that's being affected. But yes, if a replacement effect is rendered inapplicable due to another effect being applied first, then that second effect isn't applied.
Yesterday says... #1
I asked it twice in the same thread because it's obviously very important to me.
May 16, 2016 1:30 p.m.