Terror of the peaks question
Asked by bootyhunter 3 years ago
Sorry for the noob question, But when summoning a creature terror of the peaks deals damage equal to its power, how does it work for cards like fiend artisan who’s power changes once summoned? Would it be 1 or the new power it has from its ability?
DragonSliver9001 says... #2
September 8, 2020 2:12 p.m.
DragonSliver9001 says... #3
also, Fiend Artisan's power doesn't "change" when its summoned. it enters with its power already boosted from the start.
September 8, 2020 2:13 p.m.
If you play Fiend Artisan while Terror of the Peaks is out, it will deal 1 damage if you have no creature cards in your graveyard.
If you do have creatures in your grave though, Fiend Artisan would ETB with X +1/+1 counters, making its power X+1, making your damage X+1.
September 8, 2020 2:15 p.m.
DragonSliver9001 says... #5
Massacar: Fiend Artisan doesn't get counters.
September 8, 2020 2:16 p.m.
DragonSliver9001 apologies, I understand my wording was off as it isn't actually counters.
It just enters with +X/+X.
September 8, 2020 2:18 p.m.
Massacar has it, except that Artisan doesn't get counters, just a state-based pump.
Anything that has a state-based P/T, e.g. Artisan, Tarmogoyf, will enter with a P/T according to the battlefield. So, if someone exiled your GY in response to the Goyf or Artisan cast, they'd do 0 and 1 damage with Terror respectively.
Also, any creatures that enter "with" counters, e.g. kicked Academy Drake, will deal damage equal to their power including the counters.
If a creature gets +1/+1 counters "when" it enters the battlefield, e.g. Basri's Lieutenant, you can stack the triggers so that the +1/+1 counter resolves first, and then Terror's ability resolves and deals, in this example, 4 damage (if you put the counter on Lieutenant).
Last trick, the trigger goes on the stack and can be responded to. So, if your creature enters the battlefield and your opponent kills it while Terror's ability is resolving, it deals damage equal to the creature's power as it leaves the battlefield. In this example, you would get 3 damage from Lieutenant if your opponent responds to the ETB counter trigger; you'd get 4 damage if they respond to the Terror trigger.
Here's the relevant ruling: "The amount of damage Terror of the Peaks deals is the entering creature’s power as the triggered ability resolves. If that creature leaves the battlefield before the ability resolves, use its power as it last existed on the battlefield."
September 8, 2020 2:23 p.m. Edited.
Tylord2894 says... #9
abby315, your answer is, overall, correct, but there is a mistake that TriusMalarky also made. The determining of P/T is not part of state-based actions. A characteristic-defining ability (CDA), like that of Tarmogoyf, is always defined. There is no point in time where it is calculated as it is always defined. Secondly, P/T (de)buffs are applied in a sort of similar fashion. The traits of an object in the game are constantly being determined.
September 8, 2020 8:58 p.m.
Fiend Artisan is not a characteristic-defining ability like Tarmogoyf, though, do notice!
Fiend Artisan is a state-based static buff like was said previously. It applies only on the battlefield, whereas Tarmogoyf's power and toughness are consistent in all zones.
September 9, 2020 2:06 a.m.
Sorry, forgot to Tarmogoyf and Fiend Artisan but I can't edit my comments lol.
September 9, 2020 2:08 a.m.
Well, I guess the determining of it is indeed not part of state-based anything.. state-based actions have little to do with the point I was trying to make which is just that Fiend Artisan's base power and toughness is 1/1, but he gets a P/T buff as a static effect versus a CDA defining his literal base P/T or P/T in any other zone. State-based actions are just checks performed and are irrelevant to what I meant to say, but..
I actually reread your comment and see now what you said in the last two sentences as well. So you already made that point, lol. Yeah, static buffs are for all intents and purposes going to be the same as CDAs when checked during state-based actions. I was wrong in how I mentioned it first. Sorry, carry on! lol
September 9, 2020 3 a.m.
Tylord2894 Yeah, good call - I know that's how it works, but I constantly misuse "state-based," oops! Thanks for the reminder.
September 9, 2020 8:36 a.m.
In the future, please remember to hit the green "Mark as Answer" button to show your question has been resolved. Since this question has been answered for a number of days, I have gone ahead and marked an answer on your behalf, with the understanding that there were some subsequent corrections, but the overall answer was generally correct.
TriusMalarky says... #1
Power change is(I think) a sate-based thing, or maybe it's part of layers. It might depend on the card. Either way, both of those are constantly updated -- i.e., the power change will happen before the trigger is even on the stack.
September 8, 2020 2:06 p.m.