If I enchant a permanent with an Aura, is that permanent also attached to the Aura, or is it one-way?
Asked by Yesterday 2 years ago
I control a Darksteel Plate that's been enchanted by a Curator's Ward.
Does the Curator's Ward have indestructible?
If not, is it because Darksteel Plate refers specifically to a creature in its static ability?
Or does "equipped creature" basically just mean "attached permanent"?
Or for an example, if Darksteel Plate were equipped to something that somehow both would stop being a creature and would be sent to the graveyard from the battlefield at the same time, would that attached permanent still be indestructible during the first round of SBAs checked that would remove the Darksteel Plate from it due to it not being a creature?
For your second question, I should note that indestructible specifically stops a permanent from dying because of either damage or a "destroy" effect. Sacrifice or having 0 or less toughness will send it right to the graveyard regardless of indestructible.
I can't think of any scenario where a card would stop being a creature and be destroyed by the same effect, but assuming there were a card that said "target permanent is no longer a creature. Destroy it," Darksteel Plate woul stop it being destroyed before it fell off.
December 8, 2021 11:31 a.m.
Right, presumably meaning that attachment is only one-way. So if I control a Darksteel Plate that's been enchanted by a Curator's Ward, then Curator's Ward is attached to Darksteel Plate, but Darksteel Plate is not attached to Curator's Ward?
December 8, 2021 5:31 p.m. Edited.
That's correct. Even if it were somehow the other way around, though, Curator's Ward still wouldn't qualify as the "equipped creature."
December 8, 2021 5:41 p.m.
Right, but to clarify, you mean if it were the other way around and Darksteel Plate were attached to Curator's Ward, it specifically wouldn't work because the Darksteel Plate would fall off due to Curator's Ward not being a creature, right?
Because otherwise, why wouldn't it? You've just said that a card that read "Target permanent is no longer a creature. Destroy it" would not destroy a creature equipped with Darksteel Plate, because "Equipped creature" functionally just means "Attached permanent".
December 9, 2021 4:56 a.m. Edited.
I misspoke a bit there. Here's what I found in the comprehensive rules. For starters, Auras and Equipment that are creatures fall off, and an Aura will go to the graveyard because of this, See rules 301 and 303:
301.5c An Equipment that’s also a creature can’t equip a creature.
303.4d ... An Aura that’s also a creature can’t enchant anything. If this occurs somehow, the Aura becomes unattached, then is put into its owner’s graveyard
Second (and this is where I misspoke), the static ability Darksteel Plate gives only makes "equipped creature" indestructible, so even though it only falls off as a state-based action, a permanent it's attached to that's not a creature is not "equipped creature" and won't have indestructible. See rule 301.5:
301.5e An ability of a permanent that refers to the “equipped creature” refers to whatever creature that permanent is attached to, even if the permanent with the ability isn’t an Equipment.
Finally, see the rules on continuous effects.
611.3a A continuous effect generated by a static ability isn’t “locked in”; it applies at any given moment to whatever its text indicates. Example: A permanent with the static ability “All white creatures get +1/+1” generates an effect that continuously gives +1/+1 to each white creature on the battlefield. If a creature becomes white, it gets this bonus; a creature that stops being white loses it.
There's no time delay, state-based action, or round of priority for a continuous effect to start or stop applying, it just does. Once Darksteel Plate is not equipped to a creature, there's no longer anything that qualifies for its effect.
Polaris says... #1
"Equipped creature" means "the creature this Equipment is attached to" and nothing else. Curator's Ward will not get indestructible from enchanting Darksteel Plate, even if you make it a creature somehow (also, if you animate an Aura, it goes to the graveyard because it can't be enchanting something if it's a creature).
December 8, 2021 11:21 a.m.