Face down cards (Morph) and Sacrifice effects

Asked by brcap 10 years ago

This came up the other night, and I was unsure how to argue it.

Player A has a face down card in play as their only creature

Player B casts Devour Flesh

Player A declares the face down creature as the creature being sac'd (puts it on the stack), and then pays the morph cost to flip the card. A argues that once the declared sac resolves (the face down creature) it's an invalid target (it's gone) but nevertheless satisfies the Devour Flesh so the face up card remains in play.

I'm pretty sure that's bunk; not only for devour flesh, but any sac effect on a morphed creature, but not sure of the technical argument against it. I feel as if morph not using the stack is part of it, but im also unsure if a face down creature and its face up counterpart count as the same creature.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1

Your instinct is right, none of that makes any sense.

Turning a face-down creature face-up doesn't make it a new object, it just changes its characteristics. Devour Flesh doesn't even target the creature, so that wouldn't matter anyway.

Besides, once Devour Flesh has started resolving no one can take any more actions until it's finished. As Devour Flesh resolves, the player has to sacrifice a creature. The only way to get out of that to either counter the spell, have no creatures, or have Sigarda, Host of Herons / Tajuru Preserver .

July 14, 2014 4:18 p.m.