Nareset emblem vs Bestow
Asked by nfcnorth 10 years ago
Does Narset Transcendent's emblem shuts down the bestow option on creatures like Boon Satyr or can they still bestow as normal with it out?
This seems to me like it might be a different case from the Prophet of Kruphix scenario, thanks to the combination of the rules quoted below, though I'm not certain. Is there any more firm rulings on this? Relevant rules, emphasis mine:
- 601.2. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. Casting a spell follows the steps listed below, in order. If, at any point during the casting of a spell, a player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the casting of the spell is illegal; the game returns to the moment before that spell started to be cast (see rule 717, "Handling Illegal Actions"). Announcements and payments can't be altered after they've been made.
- 601.5. A player can't begin to cast a spell that's prohibited from being cast.
- 717.1. If a player takes an illegal action or starts to take an action but can't legally complete it, the entire action is reversed and any payments already made are canceled. No abilities trigger and no effects apply as a result of an undone action. If the action was casting a spell, the spell returns to the zone it came from. (...snip)
May 18, 2015 11:40 p.m.
"A player can't begin to cast a spell that's prohibited from being cast." NOT: "A player can't cast a spell that's prohibited from being cast."
Beginning to cast the spell is the step detailed in rule 601.02a, moving the card from the players hand to the stack, which comes before the step in rule 601.02b, where the spell's modes and costs are chosen. At the time of step 601.02a Boon Satyr is still a creature spell, and beginning to cast it is not an illegal action under Narset's emblem.
May 19, 2015 12:21 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #4
Right, the word "begin" in 601.5 is very important. Boon Satyr is a creature at the time you begin casting the spell. Regardless of what choices you make about Bestow later in the process, Narset's emblem won't interfere with it.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
An effect that puts a special permission or restriction on casting a spell has to be evaluated before the casting process actually starts, otherwise it wouldn't be able to work properly and weird stuff would happen. This means it's legal to bestow Boon Satyr and friends under a Narset Transcendent emblem, because right before you announce the spell and move it to the stack it's still a creature. For a similar reason, Prophet of Kruphix lets you "flash-cast" a bestowed Herald of Torment, etc.
May 18, 2015 10:34 p.m.