How Would Sorceress Queen Interact With Counters?
Asked by TangoWithTojo 5 years ago
Would Sorceress Queen remove +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters on creatures because it makes them a 0/2 until end of turn?
The Oracle text specifically says:
- : Target creature other than Sorceress Queen has base power and toughness 0/2 until end of turn.
This means the power and toughness printed on the card are treated as being 0/2, regardless of counters on the creature.
Either way, though, cards like Sorceress Queen that modify power and toughness do not interact with counters unless they specifically say so. Just as Giant Growth doesn't put counters on a creature, only make its power and toughness bigger, so do cards like the Queen or Turn to Frog alter the printed numbers and ignore the counters. (The counters would continue to modify the changed power and toughness, so something changed by Sorceress Queen that had a +1/+1 counter on it would end up as a 1/3 until the Queen's effect wore off.)
A card that would add or remove counters would say as much, like both halves of Give / Take.
Tylord2894 says... Accepted answer #1
The base power and toughness with be a 0/2. The target will still have it's counters afterwards.
A little more technically, power and toughness are calculated in a series of steps. First, we look at the p/t printed on the creature then apply abilities that "set" p/t (like that of Sorceress Queen). Then, we look at things that modify p/t (like Giant Growth). Then, counters are considered. Lastly, effects that switch power and toughness are considered.
The errata on Sorceress Queen also sheds some light here, but old cards are worded strangely.
April 9, 2020 12:10 p.m. Edited.