Goldnight Commander - Entering alongside other creatures.

Asked by TehGrief 6 years ago

I am playing with Lifeline, a board-wipe occurs.

Goldnight Commander and X other creatures are returned to the battlefield.

Will Goldnight Commander's ability "Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn." trigger for those other creatures entering?

Thank you for your time.

ClockworkSwordfish says... Accepted answer #1

It would trigger for all of them, yes. Creatures that all come into play (or leave play, or go to the graveyard etc.) will all recognize each other doing the same.

This is outlined in

Rule 603.6a Show

Enters-the-battlefield abilities trigger when a permanent enters the battlefield. These are written, "When [this object] enters the battlefield, . . . " or "Whenever a [type] enters the battlefield, . . ." Each time an event puts one or more permanents onto the battlefield, all permanents on the battlefield (including the newcomers) are checked for any enters-the-battlefield triggers that match the event.

December 24, 2017 3:31 p.m.

Neotrup says... #2

The first problem is how are the creatures returned? Lifeline requires a creature to still be on the battlefield surviving the board wipe to trigger at all. The next issue is that Lifeline creates separate delayed triggered abilities for each creature. What this means is at the beginning of the next end step an ability will be put onto the stack for each creature that died. Each creature that enters after Goldnight Commander returns to the battlefield will trigger its ability and cause all previous creatures to get that boost, but not ones that return after it. The third issue is that the boost only lasts until end of turn, and its being applied during the end step so it is unlikely to be relevant as you won't be able to attack or block.

December 24, 2017 9:27 p.m.

TehGrief says... #3

Neotrup,

For your first point, assume there is a creature with indestructible (meaning there is at least one creature on the battlefield for Lifeline).

In your second point, you've now brought up a more confusing situation...

"The next issue is that Lifeline creates separate delayed triggered abilities for each creature."

In the case of a board wipe, what determines time stamps for these delayed triggered abilities? Which creature technically dies first? Which creature is technically returned first?

For your third point, I am wanting to use this combo with Warstorm Surge, so this is, in fact, quite relevant.

December 24, 2017 10:03 p.m.

Neotrup says... #4

For the second part, time stamps don't matter. With Lifeline even if the creatures die at different times, it's not until the end step where the delayed triggered abilities actually trigger that you actually put the abilities on the stack and choose their relative order. At the End Step you'll look at all the creatures that Lifeline is going to return and pick an order for them to return in. One by one you'll return them.

As for the third part, with Warstorm Surge when a creature returns it will trigger both Goldnight Commander and Warstorm Surge. You'll choose the order those abilities go on the stack, and obviously have Goldnight Commander's ability resolve first, the Warstorm Surge's. This will let you eek out one more damage, but both abilities will have to resolve before the next creature enters, so you won't be getting the massive boost to damage you want. If all the creatures came back at once (like if you were returning them all with a Twilight's Call) you'd be able to stack all the Warstorm Surge triggers under all the Goldnight Commander triggers to give all the creatures the full boost before all the damage was dealt.

December 25, 2017 9:25 a.m.