If you put Blightsteel Colossus into play with Goblin Welder does it shuffle back in?

Asked by Charlie791 5 years ago

I've posted a private decklist where you use this combo and i want to see if it works.

Caerwyn says... Accepted answer #1

For Goblin Welder's ability to work, you need to have (a) a target artifact in a graveyard, which will go into play and (b) a target artifact in play that will go to the graveyard.

You will not be able to put Blightsteel Colossus into play using Goblin Welder because Blightsteel Colossus cannot go into the graveyard. Blightsteel Colossus has a replacement effect, indicated by the word "instead" in its shuffle ability. Replacement effects do not use the stack--they merely occur in place of what normally would. So, in this example, if Blightsteel Colossus would go to the graveyard, it "instead" is shuffled into your library, meaning at no point does it ever actually touch the graveyard. As such, it will never be a legal target for recursion with Goblin Welder's ability.

Compare to Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, which has a very similar effect. However, Emrakul's is a triggered ability--meaning it hits the graveyard, the ability triggers and goes on the stack. Until the ability resolves, Emrakul is a valid target in a graveyard, which is why you can hit her with Surgical Extraction during that brief interlude.

January 8, 2019 9:13 a.m.