If Daybound isn't a SBA, then what is it?
Asked by Delphen7 2 years ago
SBA is state based action
I was reading the rules on Daybound/Nightbound when I noticed this little tidbit:
702.145c: "Any time a player controls a permanent that is front face up with daybound and it’s night, that player transforms that permanent. This happens immediately and isn’t a state-based action."
My question is threefold.
- Why is it not a SBA?
- Would be the consequences if it were?
- What is it classified as since it's not an SBA?
Thanks!
Rhadamanthus Thanks for the answer! I didn't think about the upkeep ramifications ^_^
October 12, 2022 5:31 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #3
Another implication is that if a card both gave a negative toughness effect and changed the day/night status at the same time it could effect if that creature survives. There are currently no cards that do this, but if a Unnatural Moonrise like card instead gave +2/-1 Kessig Prowler Flip could survive under current rules, but would not if it were a SBA.
October 12, 2022 8:55 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #4
Shoot Kessig Prowler Flip isn't day/night. You get the idea.
October 12, 2022 10:52 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #5
It almost feels as though it is a triggered ability, without using the proper wording.
Like the card is perpetually looking for a trigger, and the event of it being Day or Night is that trigger. As long as the creature recognizes it being either Day or Night, and it has the means to transform appropriately, it will.
Therefore, being Day or Night triggers the ability to transform. Ergo, my guess is it is a triggered ability.
October 12, 2022 11:49 p.m. Edited.
Gidgetimer says... #6
Triggered abilities go on the stack and wait to resolve. It isn't a triggered ability. It is currently unclassified as to how it should be referred to.
October 13, 2022 7:18 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #7
The detailed rules for day/night and daybound/nightbound don't have any of the language used for triggered abilities ("when/whenever/at"). If there were a triggered ability here it would have the same issues as an SBA plus some more, because when a triggered ability triggers it has to wait until the next time a player receives priority to be put onto the stack, and then everyone is given a chance to respond before it actually starts resolving.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
SBAs are checked and executed right before each time a player would receive priority. The day and night rules were set up to evaluate day/night status and changes at the very beginning of the turn during the untap step, after phasing and before untapping. No one gets priority until the upkeep step, so if transforming daybound/nightbound permanents was an SBA there'd be a short span of time where the face showing wouldn't match the current day/night status. Since that time would overlap with determining which permanents untap, it could cause unexpected results in certain situations.
The day/night evaluation and switch is a "turn-based action". I don't know if that designation carries over into the instruction to transform the card, whether the transformation is just another "special action", or whether it's just not classified in any particular way.
As to why day/night and daybound/nightbound were set up this way in the first place, I really don't have much insight there.
October 12, 2022 12:05 p.m.