Scion of the Ur-Dragon activation upon Clone cast
Asked by JasonD 12 years ago
I was in an EDH game the other day, and one of my friends had his Commander Scion of the Ur-Dragon on the table. Another friend cast his Clone copying Scion. In response, the first player activated the ability on Scion, turning it into a Balefire Dragon until end of turn.
Now, the question we were faced with were: What happens to the Clone . How does it enter the battlefield? And what happens at the end of turn? (specifically, if it enters as a Scion)
Clone will enter the battlefield as a copy of Balefire Dragon . Because it's coming into play as the copied creature, Clone will not revert to being Scion of the Ur-Dragon at end of turn. If a creature has "gains this ability" when it copies another creature, those effects are copied if another creature copies that creature. Quite a mouthful.
706.2. When copying an object, the copy acquires the copiable values of the original objects characteristics and, for an object on the stack, choices made when casting or activating it (mode, targets, the value of X, whether it was kicked, how it will affect multiple targets, and so on). The copiable values are the values derived from the text printed on the object (that text being name, mana cost, card type, subtype, supertype, expansion symbol, rules text, power, toughness, and/or loyalty), as modified by other copy effects, by as . . . enters the battlefield and as . . . is turned face up abilities that set characteristics, and by abilities that caused the object to be face down. Other effects (including type-changing and text-changing effects), status, and counters are not copied.
706.3. The copys copiable values become the copied information, as modified by the copys status (see rule 110.6). Objects that copy the object will use the new copiable values.Example: Vesuvan Doppelganger reads, You may have Vesuvan Doppelganger enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield except it doesnt copy that creatures color and it gains At the beginning of your upkeep, you may have this creature become a copy of target creature except it doesnt copy that creatures color. If you do, this creature gains this ability. A Vesuvan Doppelganger enters the battlefield as a copy of Runeclaw Bear (a 2/2 green Bear creature with no abilities). Then a Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of the Doppelganger. The Clone is a 2/2 blue Bear named Runeclaw Bear that has the Doppelgangers upkeep-triggered ability.
hunter9000 says... #1
The Scion of the Ur-Dragon will be a copy of Balefire Dragon before Clone resolves, so you would be able to have it enter as a copy of Balefire Dragon if you wanted. Presumably he was trying to kill the Scion with the legendary rule, but the Scion stops being legendary when it becomes Balefire, so neither of them die.
See 706.3, it has an example that's almost identical to this situation.
August 3, 2012 1:56 p.m.