Does Undead Alchemist cancel combat damage effects?
Asked by Sikening 11 years ago
The topic is pretty straightforward, but here's an example;
Undead Alchemist is on the field, and Shriekgeist attacks without being blocked. Since the alchemist is on the field, the one damage for its power would be converted to mill. Its effect would make it so any time it damages, the opponent mills two. However, since Alchemist is out, the player isn't actually taking damage. The technicality that makes this an iffy question is; Is it just doing straight-up mill, or does it still count as dealt damage, that's just being converted? The latter could possibly mean that its effect will go off (which is a bonus if it's equipped with Paranoid Delusions .
If a replacement event causes that event not to happen, then triggers based on that event do not trigger.
So, because Undead Alchemist replaces (it says 'instead') combat damage with something else, combat damage does not happen and cannot cause a trigger.
June 18, 2013 8:52 p.m.
The card says "If a ZOMBIE you control would deal combat damage to a player etc. etc." Shriekgeist is a Spirit. It would deal the normal 1 damage, and mill the normal 2 cards. Although the 2nd effect of Undead Alchemist would STILL trigger, as it does not have any restrictions on where the Mill comes/came from.
June 18, 2013 8:53 p.m.
But yeah, as emrakool says, the Undead Alchemist doesn't affect a Shriekgeist .
June 18, 2013 8:53 p.m.
Ok, thanks. And yeah, I know Shriekgeist isn't a zombie, I just needed something off the top of my head for an example. Not the exact situation, but yeah. Thanks.
June 18, 2013 8:54 p.m.
Well, Alchemist's ability is whenever it deals combat damage to a player, they mill X amount. So it still counts as damage, just no "real damage" would go to you. Then the second part of the first ability is a "mill" effect. So no, it's not completely straight milling. If Paranoid delusions is cyphered onto Alchemist, yes that still activates because he has to deal combat damage to a player, even though his ability does make it so you take nothing.
June 18, 2013 8:56 p.m.
@CJ_95: The ability actually reads "If a Zombie you control WOULD deal combat damage to a player, instead do this".
June 18, 2013 9:02 p.m.
If you assume Shriekgeist -was- a zombie, the Alchemist would replace their combat damage with mill, so they wouldn't deal combat damage so their own effect wouldn't happen.
Shriekgeist would replace dealing 1 damage with causing them to put 1 card from the top of their library into their graveyard, which would cause them to exile that card and you to put a 2/2 zombie onto the battlefield.
June 18, 2013 9:13 p.m.
Trumbone is also correct on the 2nd ability. You can actually use say Mind Sculpt for instance, and Undead Alchemist 's 2nd ability will trigger each time a creature is milled into the opponent's graveyard.
Emrakool says... Accepted answer #1
Shriekgeist is not a Zombie, and therefore Undead Alchemist doesn't affect it. Undead Alchemist 's ability is a replacement effect however, and zombies on its controller's side of the battlefield have combat damage they would deal to a player replaced by that player milling cards equal to the damage that would have been dealt.
June 18, 2013 8:51 p.m.