Petrification counters and mechanics
Asked by ZarBluestar 11 years ago
If my opponent used Xathrid Gorgon on Sapphire Drake would all creatures with +1/+1 counters still have flying? What about if it was done on ambush leader, would my forests return to being just land and no longer be creatures?
They would not lose flying and the lands would still be 1/1 green land creature elf forests, since both of those are static abilities, not activated ones. However, Ambush Commander's second ability could no longer be activated, since it is an activated ability.
Activated abilities appear like this cost : effect. Anything else is not an activated ability.
July 26, 2013 9:52 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #3
Xathrid Gorgon specifies that activated abilities of the petrified creatures can't be activated. An activated ability is any ability written in the form "[cost]: [effect]." Sapphire Drake has a static ability (flying) and a triggered ability (evolve). Neither is shut down. Ambush Commander has a static ability (the first one) and an activated ability (the second one). Only the second one is shut down.
July 26, 2013 9:52 a.m.
ZarBluestar says... #4
wait, Epochalyptik, would tap abilities count as activated abilities too?
July 26, 2013 10:05 a.m.
GreatSword says... #5
Yes, because the cost is tapping the card, like in Gideon's Lawkeeper .
Again, anything that has a cost is an activated ability, even Haunted Plate Mail 's animate ability is one. They're always written as [Cost] : [Effect]
July 26, 2013 10:18 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #6
Activated abilities always have a colon. It defines the ability by separating the cost and the effect.
Take, for example, Arbor Elf . It has a tap symbol followed by a colon, so it is an activated ability.
ZarBluestar says... #1
whoops! i meant Ambush Commander !
July 26, 2013 9:30 a.m.