Inkmoth Nexus and Phantasmal Image
Asked by nathanwobbe 13 years ago
So I was at a GPT recently and after 30 minutes the ruling was:
When I cast Phantasmal Image, I get a carbon copy of what is printed on Inkmoth Nexus. So; I get an unactivated version of the land. It isn't a creature when it comes into play. It only becomes a creature when I activate it. Also since it comes into play as a noncreature land, it looses Illusion as a type.
Please confirm this.
Next question that wasn't addressed that night:
If I have an unactivated land and the card reads "when this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it." Do I have to sacrifice it if it is targeted when it is just a land?
PS. My apologies for any migraines I just caused.
caveatlector says... Accepted answer #2
Phantasmal Image would enter as an unactivated Inkmoth Nexus because it doesn't have the ability activated for the same reason that it wouldn't be a 3/3 if the Inkmoth Nexus in question happened to have a mutagenic growth behind it. The effect isn't associated with the state of the card as it comes into play.
source: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/161d&page=4
(ctrl + f 205.3d)
It is also correct that it will not be an illusion because it will come into play as a land, and lands cannot have creature types. However it still has the "when this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it" because it isn't invalid for a land to have that effect. I know it says creature, but in effect it refers to the image no matter what type it is. I know its a little confusing, I don't think the developers expected people to try to bend the rules in such ways XD
For your second post you have a sacrificed Phantasmal Image, because Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas 's ability to make it a 5/5 targets it. As does Cackling Counterpart.
March 1, 2012 1:49 a.m.
OmegaSerris says... #3
Inkmoth Nexus, Phantasmal Image
Yes, it will be a 'non-animated' version of Inkmoth. This is because the reason the original is a creature is due to an effect placed on it. Just like Giant Growth's effect on a chosen creature won't be copied by Phantasmal Image, anything not printed on the card won't be copied.
It loses the illusion type because it is no longer a creature (unlike Dryad Arbor, which is both) and illusion is a creature sub-type.
204.1a When an objects card type changes, the new card type(s) replaces any existing card types. Counters, effects, and damage marked on the object remain with it, even if they are meaningless to the new card type. Similarly, when one or more of an objects subtypes changes, the new subtype(s) replaces any existing subtypes from the appropriate set (creature types, land types, artifact types, enchantment types, planeswalker types, or spell types). If an objects card type is removed, the subtypes correlated with that card type will remain if they are also the subtypes of a card type the object currently has; otherwise, they are also removed for the entire time the objects card type is removed. Removing an objects subtype doesnt affect its card types at all.
As far as 'turning off' the sac ability by not being a creature, the part 'this creature' is only referencing the object the ability is on, not checking to see if it is a creature or not.
201.5. If an ability of an object uses a phrase such as this [something] to identify an object, where[something] is a characteristic, it is referring to that particular object, even if it isnt the appropriatecharacteristic at the time.
March 1, 2012 1:54 a.m.
caveatlector says... #4
To clarify on the sacrifice, as I understand it the text "this creature" refers to whatever object phantasmal image is and not the actual card type "creature". Usually it would use the card's name "When X becomes the target..." but that could feasibly be any name so it is irrelevant. Basically it seems to come down to the fact that saying "when this permanent" would be confusing to too many new players.
March 1, 2012 1:56 a.m.
caveatlector says... #5
Haha nice, me and omega were plagiarizing eachother! XD
March 1, 2012 1:58 a.m.
OmegaSerris says... #6
When I started on my answer, you hadn't responded yet. You just beat me to the punch. :-P
But yes, caveatlector is correct. You would kill the Phantasmal-ed Inkmoth Artifact by targeting it with either Tezzeret or Cackling. A plain old Clone could do it though.
March 1, 2012 2:04 a.m.
KrazyCaley says... #7
Concur on the correct answer being that it is an unactivated version of the land. This happened all the time when people tried to Mirrorweave an activated Mutavault.
March 1, 2012 9:39 a.m.
What if someone just copied Inkmoth Nexus with Cackling Counterpart? Would it be the same result as copying with Phantasmal Image?
April 3, 2012 1:56 p.m.
nathanwobbe says... #9
I think so... The token would be a carbon copy of the card it copies. So in any case where you use a copy effect on an activated Inkmoth Nexus, you get an UNactivated Inkmoth Nexus.
April 12, 2012 10:57 a.m.
nathanwobbe says... #10
Of course if you have a Bludgeon Brawl out and you use a Phyrexian Metamorph to copy Inkmoth Nexus, the resulting Artifact-Land would also be an Equipment with an equip cost of 0 that gives target creature +0/+0 and for 1 mana can become a 1/1 non-equipment artifact creature-land.
April 12, 2012 11:03 a.m.
nathanwobbe says... #11
Okay...here we go. You Have an Opal Acrolith that has become a creature, a Gideon Jura, and an Inkmoth Nexus (and plenty of mana). You use Phyrexian Metamorph to copy the Opal Acrolith then turn the Metamorph(ed) creature-artifact into an enchantment, then get it to turn back into a creature (opponent snapcasters?), then you activate Inkmoth Nexus and cast Mirrorweave targeting the activated Inkmoth Nexus. Then you activate Gideon's third ability making him a Creature-Planeswalker and cast Mirrorweave targeting Gideon.
You will now have a permanent that has been every permanent type in one turn, Creature, Land, Artifact, Enchantment, and Planeswalker. 0_0
nathanwobbe says... #1
Oh and for the masochists out there:
I activate Inkmoth Nexus and copy it with Phyrexian Metamorph. Then I activate and copy that with a Phantasmal Image. Then I use Tezzeret's ability to make the unactivated artifact land copy into a 5/5 Then I copy that with a Cackling Counterpart... What do I have? 0.0
Bonus points for whoever uses set editor to make a token for this that shows all of its types and abilities and such. XD
March 1, 2012 1:08 a.m.