Replacing Blood Scrivener's second draw with Dredge?
Asked by ChiefWannaHacka 12 years ago
Blood Scrivener 1B
- Creature - Zombie Wizard
If you would draw a card while you have no cards in hand, instead draw 2 cards and lose 1 life
2/1
I'm wondering after his ability goes on the stack and resolves. I draw my first card, but then may I replace the second draw with a dredge ability from say Dark Blast?
MagnorCriol says... #3
It's worth noting that his ability doesn't go on the stack and resolve. It's a replacement effect, not a triggered ability, which means that it must happens if the conditions are met.
It's not relevant to this particular question, but that's significant enough to warrant making sure it's understood, since that affects priority passing and who gets to cast spells (and when).
April 23, 2013 2:15 a.m.
ChiefWannaHacka says... #4
So replacement effects don't use the stack? As in no one could respond to me dredging Darkblast by Deathrite Shaman ing it?
April 23, 2013 8:16 a.m.
MagnorCriol says... #5
Correct. Replacement effects are continuous effects that just happen, they don't use the stack. They can't respond to your dredge any more than they can respond to you drawing a card normally. Their best bet is to Deathrite Shaman the Darkblast during the priority pass in the upkeep step - but they just have to guess about what you wanted and hope they can foil you, they don't get to stop your dredge.
It's related to the way most Clone -type creatures enter the battlefield. The opponent can decide to counter the Clone or let it through, but because it's a replacement effect that changes how the creature enters the battlefield rather than something that triggers when it enters, they can't wait until you decide what you're copying and try and kill it - once you're able to decide what you're copying, you're resolving the spell and they can't answer it. Dredging is the same way, because it's also a replacement effect; once they give you the choice of drawing or dredging, you're already in your draw phase and they don't get to answer it.
April 23, 2013 2:41 p.m.
ChiefWannaHacka says... #6
Wow, thanks MagnorCriol I had no idea about the inner workings of replacement effects. I appreciate you taking the time to educate me!
Devonin says... Accepted answer #1
Yes. You could replace either, neither or both draws with Dredging.
A given source of a replacement effect can only apply to an event once, but multiple replacement effects can apply to the same thing.
So you replace "draw" with "Draw 2 and Lose 1 life" and then for each instance of those 2 draws, you can replace "Draw" with "Dredge"
April 22, 2013 5:38 p.m.