How does copying a walker as a creature work?
Asked by Nephilim 10 years ago
If I flash in a Clever Impersonator (in a deck running Prophet of Kruphix and copy my opponent's Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker that's attacking... is it a 4/4 red Dragon creature with flying, indestructible, and haste forever? or is it a copy of the walker form? My thought is that it's the creature. But a friend argued that it was a copy of the walker. His argument was that if it was the creature then on my turn it would be a 4/4 flying, indestructible dragon with all of Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker's abilities.
Just a little more specification on what you are actually copying with Clever Impersonator. Drilnoth explained perfectly, just to keep credit where it's due.
When you flash in Clever Impersonator copying the "permanent" Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker it has this "temporary writing'' on the card:
Until end of turn, CardName is a Red legendary dragon creature with Power and Toughness = 4, has Indestructible, Flying and Haste.
At the end of the current turn, your opponents planeswalker will revert its Type and so will yours. Assuming this was the turn your opponents played Sarkhan, his will have 5 counters, yours will have 4 when they revert.
December 1, 2014 3:44 p.m.
@Enyeto: That is not correct. The Impersonator does not copy what you refer to as the "temporary writing". It enters the battlefield as an unanimated planeswalker, as I said in my original post.
Effects, other than copy effects, that change a permanent's abilities or types do not change that permanent's copiable values.
Drilnoth says... Accepted answer #1
It would be a copy of the planeswalker. The ability which makes Sarkhan into a creature does not change his "copiable values" (which are, in short, what is printed on the card as modified by any other copy effects), so if you use Clever Impersonator to copy him you will get a non-animated Sarkhan.
He also will not spontaneously turn into a creature on your turn unless you use his ability (or some other card) to make him a creature.
November 29, 2014 11:43 a.m.