Phage vs blink effects
Asked by Spook9MM 5 years ago
I recently played an online EDH with my opponent using Phage the Untouchable as commander. He brought her out using tricks with Torpor Orb and Sundial of the Infinite. I destroyed the orb a turn later. If I were to cast Otherworldly Journey or some other blink effect card on my turn , that negates the sundial's ability? Meaning when Phage returns, he loses the game, yes?
Or does Phage return to command zone?
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2
@ClockworkSwordfish: Otherworldly Journey will bring Phage back to the battlefield if she hasn't moved away from the command zone by the beginning of the end step. It's because of the following rule:
400.7h If an effect causes an object to move to a public zone, other parts of that effect can find that object. If the cost of a spell or ability causes an object to move to a public zone, that spell or ability’s effects can find that object.
Because moving a commander to the command zone is a replacement effect, it changes the result of Journey's effect when it's applied. Though Phage moves to the command zone instead of exile as Journey resolves, the command zone is still a public zone, and the quoted rule applies. Journey can still find Phage in the command zone.
Note that this would be different if Journey were written more like Oblivion Ring and specifically told you to return "the exiled card". If the commander was moved to the command zone instead of exile then there would be no "exiled card".
ClockworkSwordfish says... #1
Generally speaking, if you flicker Phage, then yes, her controller would lose the game for having her come into play without having been properly cast. But keep in mind that in EDH, a player can have their commander go to the command zone any time it leaves play. So if your opponent is smart, he'd send Phage to the command zone instead of having her be exiled (temporarily) and just try to re-play her on his next turn.
August 22, 2018 6:03 p.m.