Master Biomancer and Fathom Mage
Asked by polydeuces17 7 years ago
If I have Master Biomancer and Fathom Mage on the field and I play a creature whose original power and toughness are equal to fathom mages current power and toughness but then gets boosted above her power and toughness due to master biomancer being on the field, will that then also trigger fathom mage to get the counters?
Yes. The phrase "enters the battlefield with" is a Replacement Effect, defined by Rule 614 (the relevant subsections are 614.1 and 614.1c).
Replacement effects change how a card fundamentally works. In this case, the replacement effect means the creature actualizes on the battlefield with X counters, where X is Master Biomancer's power.
As such, the creature enters the battlefield as a 4/4, triggering Fathom Mage.
Let's look at a slightly different example, by way of contrast. Cathars' Crusade triggers when a creature enters the battlefield. This card triggers in response to a creature entering the battlefield. The new creature would enter as a 2/2, failing to trigger Fathom Mage, as the counter would be placed after the creature actualizes as a permanent.
Rule 614.1:
Some continuous effects are replacement effects. Like prevention effects (see rule 615), replacement effects apply continuously as events happenthey arent locked in ahead of time. Such effects watch for a particular event that would happen and completely or partially replace that event with a different event. They act like shields around whatever theyre affecting.
614.1c
Effects that read [This permanent] enters the battlefield with . . . , As [this permanent] enters the battlefield . . . , or [This permanent] enters the battlefield as . . . are replacement effects.
Neotrup says... #1
Because the new creature enters the battlefield with counters, as opposed to entering and then getting counters, it will trigger abilities based on the modified power/toughness. Fathom Mage will evolve.
February 24, 2018 8:10 p.m.