Mistmoon Griffin + Teysa interaction

Asked by RoarMaster 4 years ago

So say I have an Ashnod's Altar out, sacrificing Mistmoon Griffin while having Teysa Karlov also in play.

Is it infinite mana? Or Infinite mana and all creatures back from my grave? Or neither?

Mistmoon Griffin s wording is a bit different from most, as it doesnt say "If you do". Gatherer says it will return a creature even if its not in the grave upon resolving.

Mistmoon dies and hit the grave, which causes an additional mistmoon trigger. Stack the copied ability second as to resolve first. The copied mistmoon trigger resolves and returns the top creature to the battlefield, which is the mistmoon. Mistmoons 'real' ability now resolves even though mistmoon in back on the battlefield, returning the next top creature in the grave to the battlefield. This nets you 2 mana, the top creature in grave and Mistmoon back on the battlefield.

Am I understanding this correctly? Mistmoon can still return a creature, even though it is not exiled with its own ability?

Boza says... Accepted answer #1

Griffin's oracle text states:

"When Mistmoon Griffin dies, exile Mistmoon Griffin, then return the top creature card of your graveyard to the battlefield."

When you copy this ability you also copy the exile part. So what will happen is:

Griffin dies and triggers and teysa gives you another copy of that trigger. Regardless of how you stack them, since they are the same, you will first exile the griffin, then return the top card of your graveyard. Note that griffin cannot return itself, as it is exiled first.

The second instance will not exile griffin, since it is already exiled, but will return the top card of the graveyard regardless.

Griffin is still good value in teysa, but not that good.

May 22, 2019 4:51 a.m.

Yesterday says... #2

I understand the thought process, but as Boza described, it doesn't work that way. You don't copy the triggered ability and get a version that doesn't effect the card, you just get the actual Mistmoon triggering twice rather than once.

May 22, 2019 6:21 a.m.

RoarMaster says... #3

I see where I was confused.The copied ability is still tied to the mistmoon card, even though its only a copy. Derp, that makes sense. Thanks all!

May 22, 2019 9:24 p.m.

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