Dark Depths + Thespian's Stage
Asked by Dorotheus 11 years ago
I know how its SUPPOSED to work and the Legendary rule is state based.
My friend told me that if I Thepian's Stage a copy of Dark Depths
said that you can bring in the copy, and immediately sac the copy as it checks for legendary rule, you sac, legend rule checks, it gets confused and sees only one, and then fizzles?
Please correct this interaction for me.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #2
It sounds like you're confused as to what state-based actions actually are.
The legend rule is a state-based action. SBAs check before each player gets priority and after anything happens in the game (e.g. a spell resolves, the game progresses to the next step or phase, etc.). You can't respond to SBAs.
If you activate Thespian's Stage 's ability targeting Dark Depths , Thespian's Stage becomes a Dark Depths with the ability "2, T: ~ becomes a copy of target land and gains this ability." The Thespian's Stage copy does not have any ice counters on it.
SBAs then check, and you are forced to put one Dark Depths into its owner's graveyard. You choose which one. You should choose the one that has ice counters on it.
Then, triggered abilities are handled. The state-based trigger of the Thespian's Stage /Dark Depths is put onto the stack because the land has no ice counters on it. The land will be sacrificed, and you will get your token.
The legend rule does NOT cause anything to be sacrificed. Also, spells and abilities are the only things that can fizzle. To fizzle is to be countered as a state-based action for not having any remaining legal targets.
October 23, 2013 10:20 p.m.
Tradeylouish says... #3
'Fizzling' is not a state-based action. A spell or ability with no legal targets will fizzle as it begins to resolve, not when state-based actions are checked.
October 23, 2013 11:58 p.m.
derecksisco says... #4
EpochalyptikI thought the new legend rule was that each player can have a copy of the permanent on the field, so if the op used thespian stages t(2) ability then he would just have a useless copy while his opponent keeps their copy as well?
October 24, 2013 12:09 a.m.
Tradeylouish says... #5
@derecksiscoEpochalyptik's answer assumed that you control both the Dark Depths and the Thespian's Stage . This wasn't very clear in the original question, but it is a reasonable assumption. You are correct about the new legend rule. However, you may not understand that if you copied your opponent's (or your own) Dark Depths with Thespian's Stage , your copy would have no ice counters on it and you would get a 20/20 Flying Indestructible Creature.
October 24, 2013 12:17 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #6
@Tradeylouish: You are correct. I mistyped; to fizzle is to be countered by the rules for not having any remaining legal targets.
@derecksisco: Each player may control one copy of a legendary permanent. I assumed OP was copying his or her own Dark Depths . If you were to copy an opponent's Dark Depths , you would still sacrifice yours because the copy would have no ice counters.
Dorotheus says... #1
Thespian's Stage
October 23, 2013 10:02 p.m.