Jace vs. Reality Shift
Asked by JamezZhanith 8 years ago
If my opponent has a Jace, Vryn's Prodigy and 4 Cards in the grave and EoT actives to flip and I in response Reality Shift to exile said Jace, will the Jace come back from exile and he get a Manifest?
TheRedMage says... Accepted answer #2
It doesn't work that way. When Reality Shift exiles Jace, when its ability tries to exile him in turn it won't "find" him - Jace, Vryn's Prodigy Flip has already left the battlefield because of another effect, and as such he is not the same object that activated the tap ability anymore. So it won't be able to return him either.
October 23, 2015 1:38 a.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #3
Let's look at this step by step:
1) Opponent activates Jace, Vryn's Prodigy Flip, putting the ability on the stack.
2) In response, before the ability starts resolving, you target said Jace with Reality Shift.
3) Reality Shift resolves, exiling Jace and manifesting a card from the top of the library.
4) Jace's ability then resolves, the opponent draws and discards per the text of the ability. However, since the Jace that activated the ability no longer exists as a permanent, it has no memory of its previous existence and will remain in exile as the ability resolves.
October 23, 2015 1:39 a.m.
TheRedMage says... #4
@ Trockenmatt: abilities are independent from the source that generated them. While it is true that the "if..." effect won't happen, the opponent will still be able to draw and discard.
October 23, 2015 1:41 a.m.
Trockenmatt says... #5
TheRedMage, ah, thanks. That also helps me learn rules too!
October 23, 2015 1:47 a.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #6
@ Trockenmatt. If you're curious for further insight:
if a spell or ability attempts to resolve, but one of the clauses or effects of said spell or ability cannot be done, or is no longer legal, the spell/ability is not completely countered. It will still do as much as it legally can. In this particular case, that much is only drawing and then discarding. :)
October 23, 2015 1:51 a.m.
TheRedMage says... #7
@ Trockenmatt: Yeah, no problem. Basically even if the source of an ability is gone by the time it resolves, the ability will still try to resolve at the best of its capabilities. In most cases, if it needs information about the source, it will use last known information (the most frequent exception being that if two creatures fight and one is removed before the fight can happen, the other creature won't be dealt damage according to last known information).
Let me give you an example of why things are that way. You are used to seeing abilities that come from permanent, but many instants and sorceries can generate "delayed triggers". Consider cards like Thunderheads - the way they work is that they create an effect now, and they set a delayed trigger that will trigger and go on the stack during the end step.
Now, the source of that trigger is Thunderheads... But by the time the trigger resolves, Thunderheads has been in the graveyard for a while. If abilities didn't work independently from the source, the tokens would not be exiled and cards like Thunderheads (or Tidal Wave) could not exist.
Trockenmatt says... #1
Short answer: It will be permanently exiled and they will get a manifest.
Long answer: If you stack the Reality Shift above Jace, Vryn's Prodigy Flip's ability, they will never draw and discard, and the "If ... Then" effect won't happen. They will also manifest because of Reality Shift.
October 23, 2015 1:37 a.m.