Questions about Giada, Font of Hope
Asked by Guerric 1 year ago
Hi all! While I often answer questions here, I have a question for the rules pros about a new card. While I think I know the answer, I'd appreciate confirmation as I am building a new angels deck around Giada, Font of Hope, and want to make sure that I build it correctly. The card states that "each other angel that you control enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it for each angel you already control." This is significantly different from the more typical formulation where the counters are put on the creature after it enters the battlefield as a triggered ability. I have some questions about how this works in several specific scenarios.
1) I have Giada, Welcoming Vampire, and two other angels on the battlefield when I cast Angelic Curator. Vampire would normally let me draw a card off curator since it is a 1/1, but in this case it enters with two +1/+1 counters making it functionally 3/3. If the card were worded the traditional way the card draw and counters would trigger at the same time, netting me both. In this case it would appear that I don't get the counters. However, I could be misunderstanding the ability, and additionally there was a comprehensive rules recently that I believe impacts this, so I would appreciate clarity!
2) I have Giada and four angels with counters on the board. An opponent plays a board wipe, and I respond with Cosmic Intervention to save my creatures. They dodge the wipe to return on my end step. My guess is that none of them get counters both because Giada enters with them and isn't on the board when the others ETB, and because the language of "You already control" would be zero at the time they ETB anyway. This seems like the correct interpretation, but I want to confirm.
3) I have Giada and three angels on the board and play a fourth. Can my opponent Stifle the trigger, or can they not do that since the counters enter with it? This kinds of gets at whether Giada's ability is a triggered ability which uses the stack, or more of a global rule that applies while she is on the battlefield.
Thanks in advance for the clarifications!
In scenario 2 your understanding of Giada, Font of Hope is correct, but your understanding of Cosmic Intervention is not. If you were using Eerie Interlude instead, that is exactly how it would work. However, Cosmic Intervention grants each exiled card it's own delayed triggered ability, so each creature is returned one at a time instead of all at once. If you have Giada, Font of Hope enter first, each other angel will enter with an increasing number of counters.
2021-02-05: Each permanent that is exiled instead of being put into a graveyard from the battlefield creates its own triggered ability to return itself. Those abilities all trigger at the beginning of the next end step, and you can choose the order in which those abilities will go on the stack. The cards will be returned to the battlefield one at a time as those abilities resolve.
April 27, 2022 3:35 p.m.
Thanks both of you! The tip on Cosmic Intervention is especially nice Neotrup. I am also playing Eerie Interlude, so knowing the difference will be helpful.
dragonstryke58 says... Accepted answer #1
Giada, Font of Hope's ability is a replacement effect that modifies how angels you control enter the battlefield. The ability is a replacement effect similar to Master Biomancer.
For scenario 1: I am assuming you mean you do not get the draw off the Welcoming Vampire because the Angelic Curator would enter in with 3 +1/+1 counters (since you already control 3 angels). Angelic Curator's power would be 4/4 when it enters so you would not get a draw.
For scenario 2: Yes, you are correct. Since no angels are on the battlefield as they are entering, none of the creatures would get counters. Also, in order for Giada, Font of Hope's replacement effect to modify an event, it must exist on the battlefield before the event takes place.
For scenario 3: Giada, Font of Hopes ability is not a valid target for Stifle. Stifle can only target activated and triggered abilities. It cannot target replacement effects.
April 26, 2022 9:53 p.m. Edited.