Does a goblin token dying trigger Boggart Shenanigans?

Asked by Ilovespiders 12 years ago

If I have a Boggart Shenanigans in play with a lot of goblin tokens and someone plays a board-wipe spell, do the tokens trigger its ability? And same question with Goblin Sharpshooter in place of Boggart Shenanigans .

KevinLS says... Accepted answer #1

Yes. It goes to the graveyard, but then because tokens can exist in no other zone except the battlefield, they go poof.

November 22, 2012 6:24 a.m.

tempest says... #2

To be more specific, if your opponent board wipes, the tokens would die. But instead of going to the graveyard, it goes to a different zone because it can only exist on the battlefield and a special zone only for tokens. Boggart Shenanigans will not deal damage because the tokens never enter the graveyard. Goblin Sharpshooter will not deal damage either because yet again, the tokens never enter the graveyard.

November 22, 2012 8:27 a.m.

Muzrub says... #3

No w999, that's wrong. They hit the graveyard before disappearing, and count as though they died.

November 22, 2012 8:37 a.m.

sharpy1 says... #4

w999 is incorrect - Tokens will go to the graveyard when they die, and they do trigger the appropriate abilities when they do so. Boggart Shenanigans will trigger for each Goblin token which goes to the graveyard. They stop existing the next time state-based actions are checked, but can change zones.

110.5f A token that's phased out, or that's in a zone other than the battlefield, ceases to exist. This is a state-based action; see rule 704. (Note that if a token changes zones, applicable triggered abilities will trigger before the token ceases to exist.)

November 22, 2012 8:38 a.m.

nazrul says... #5

If a token leaves the battlefield will poof as described above, and also it cannot change a zone without ceases to exist, but if a token is to change zone all aplicable triggered abilities will trigger, so yes you can use Boggart Shenanigans or Goblin Sharpshooter for damage.

November 22, 2012 8:53 a.m.

Ohthenoises says... #6

Actually w999 "... But instead of going to the graveyard, it goes to a different zone..." is incorrect. How you are describing it is how one would describe a replacement effect (Dryad Militant ). Tokens do actually hit the graveyard but are removed as a state based action.

"110.5f A token thats phased out, or thats in a zone other than the battlefield, ceases to exist. Thisis a state-based action; see rule 704. (Note that if a token changes zones, applicable triggeredabilities will trigger before the token ceases to exist.)"

November 22, 2012 8:56 a.m.

Ohthenoises says... #7

Sigh, got ninja'd while at breakfast. lol.

November 22, 2012 8:56 a.m.

If tokens didn't trigger dying effects then Blood Artist would suck in token decks lol

November 22, 2012 10:05 a.m.

DocLawless says... #9

November 22, 2012 11:17 a.m.

tempest says... #10

Ok. I see

November 22, 2012 1:49 p.m.

Ilovespiders says... #11

Thanks for the help everyone!

@UmbrotheUmbreon Well, Blood Artist says "Whenever a creature dies", whereas Boggart Shenanigans and Goblin Sharpshooter say "Whenever a goblin is put into a graveyard from play", and I've been told that tokens die but never hit the graveyard. But I understand how it works now.

November 23, 2012 3:18 a.m.

That's what "dies" means though. Dies is a replacement for "put into the graveyard from play"

November 23, 2012 9:55 a.m.

Ohthenoises says... #13

Dies is shorthand for "put into the graveyard from play" as UmbrotheUmbreon said.

November 23, 2012 9:56 a.m.

S2000Gan says... #14

Why does the Oracle text not say "dies"?

February 9, 2017 2:45 a.m.

Overseer76 says... #15

I'd hate to leave someone hanging. This card does not use the "abbreviation" 'dies' in place of 'is put into a graveyard' because not all goblins are creatures. This enchantment itself is a goblin, and enchantments don't die. This quirk of wording is likely part of why Wizards has abandoned the Tribal card type.

September 23, 2020 12:27 a.m.

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