How do Voracious Hydra and other doubling effects interact?

Asked by TheMr42 4 years ago

I'm playing an EDH game and I decide to play my Voracious Hydra for lets say 10 (plus cost) with my Doubling Season in play. How does this interact on the stack? My assumption was that: Voracious Hydra enters the battlefield with 10 +1/+1 counters on it. Doubling Season's effect goes on the stack along with Voracious Hydra's choice effect and I can stack them in whichever order I want giving a total of 40 +1/+1 counters.

But re-reading the cards Hydra's enter the battlefield with the counter on them so perhaps is comes in with 20 (Doubled by doubling season). Then the ETB goes on the stack and when that resolves the doubling season doubles those as well? End result in this case being 60 +1/+1 counters.

I am utterly confused by this any clarification would be appreciated.

Gidgetimer says... Accepted answer #1

The two effects are different types of abilities and this lets you get a total of 60 counters.

Voracious Hydra has a triggered ability. These go on the stack and wait to resolve. Triggered abilities are identified by beginning with the words "when", "whenever", or "at". Triggered abilities do what they say when they resolve and create a new game event to accomplish this.

Doubling Season has a replacement effect. These do not go on the stack and therefore can not be responded to. Replacement effects are identified by being phrased "If... ...instead". Replacement effects replace one game event with another and can only apply once to a single event.

Voracious Hydra would attempt to enter with 10 counters and this would be modified to 20 by Doubling Season . When its ETB resolves it would attempt to put 20 counters on itself and this would be modified to 40.

August 16, 2019 7:31 a.m.

Please login to comment