How exactly does Mikaeus, the Unhallowed ability work?
Asked by Ansraer 9 years ago
According to the rules at gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=249896 (scroll down) Mike brings creatures back with a 1/1 bost but no counter. However, the card text says that he brings them back with a counter. So what is true now?
Gidgetimer says... #2
Please link all cards in your question:
The exact wording of the ruling you are refering to is:
The +1/+1 bonus that Mikaeus gives to other non-Human creatures is not a counter and wont prevent the undying ability from working.
This is referencing the last printed ability on Mikaeus, the Unhallowed. "Other non-Human creatures you control get +1/+1 and have undying". He gives them a static +1/+1 that isn't a counter and the ability undying which has the reminder text "When a creature with undying dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it". What the ruling is saying is that the static buff does not prevent undying from working.
For example; you have a Highborn Ghoul on the battlefield and then cast Mikaeus, the Unhallowed. The Highborn Ghoul is now a 3/2 with undying. Something kills the Highborn Ghoul. When it died it had no +1/+1 counters on it so undying will trigger, returning it to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it. Highborn Ghoul is now a 4/3 (2/1 base, +1/+1 static buff, +1/+1 counter) with undying. If the Highborn Ghoul is killed again, undying will not trigger because it had a +1/+1 counter on it.
May 1, 2016 9:41 a.m.
Oh... reading sure is a usefull skill...(bang head against wall emoticon)
Thx for clearing that up. And sorry for not linking the card directly, won't forget to do it next time.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
Link all cards in your question.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
That's not what the ruling says.
This just clarifies that the "Other non-Human creatures you control get +1/+1" portion of the ability is a static buff, not a counter, and that it therefore does not prevent undying from triggering. Undying returns creatures to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter, per the rules for undying.
May 1, 2016 9:32 a.m.