How does Chains of Mephistopheles work?
Asked by ABadMagicPlayer100 7 years ago
The name of the question basically says it all. The way the oracle text is worded, it makes it seem like you'd have an effect draw an extra card, then you'd discard your entire hand and mill a card off the top, because Chains would replace its own draw effect. Is this correct, or am I misunderstanding the rules on replacement effects?
Gidgetimer says... #2
Yay flowchart. I would personally like to see it actually done in an organized manner, but they had to fit it into the text box.
August 31, 2017 9:14 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #3
Thanks! The replacement effect not applying to itself is more of what I was looking for but the flowchart card is sweet!
Quick follow-up: if I have two copies on board, is it true that the second would replace the draw from the first, the first replaces the draw from the second etc, until the player's entire hand is gone and they mill a card to end the loop?
August 31, 2017 9:29 p.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #4
10/4/2004 The effect is cumulative. If there are two of these on the battlefield, each of them will modify each draw (after the first one if during the draw step), and will cause the player to discard or to "mill" a card from their library. As they resolve in order, the player must discard if possible. Once the player fails to discard and instead mills a card, all further effects of additional Chains of Mephistopheles will not do anything. This is because the "mill" also replaces the draw effect and the player is no longer drawing a card. You handle them in order. Each one makes you discard first and then continue or else mill a card and lose the draw.
Each replacement effect only applies to each card draw once, not an unlimited number of times.
August 31, 2017 9:39 p.m.
So effectively, if you have a hand full of cards and there are two Chains of Mephistopheles on the field, when you go to draw a card you'll have to discard two cards first, so trying to draw cards is actually card disadvantage. If however you don't have cards in hand, the first Chains of Mephistopheles will replace that draw with milling a card, and the second will see you're not actually drawing and not do anything.
August 31, 2017 10:11 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #6
What Neotrup said, except for "...when you go to draw a card, besides the first one on your draw step, you'll have to discard two cards first..."
August 31, 2017 10:16 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #7
So I discard cards equal to the number of Chains, then draw a card. If at some point I am unable to discard I mill a card and stop.
Raging_Squiggle says... Accepted answer #1
This picture should help your understanding. Also, a replacement effect can't apply to itself. It happens once for each instance of drawing a card, no more no less.
August 31, 2017 8:40 p.m.