Treacherous Pit-Dweller help.
Asked by Dulluhann 12 years ago
Would Unhallowed Pact over ride Treacherous Pit-Dweller's "taget opponent gains control'' effect? I'm thinking yes, but I'd like to be sure.
It doesn't matter. Treacherous Pit-Dweller's first effect is an ETB effect. Once he returns to the battlefield (either from the Unhallowed Pact or Undying) his ability will be put onto the stack (because in either case, he was returned from the graveyard), and your opponent will gain control of it. All the differs is if he will get the +1/+1 counter because of how you stacked the undying and Unhallowed Pact. I would suggest you let him have the +1/+1 counter because if he dies again (already under your opponent's control without the +1/+1 counter) then your opponent will just gain control of him again with a +1/+1 counter this time (unless you had a Flayer of the Hatebound on the field because then, your opponent could be taking damage every time he comes back).
April 29, 2012 2:27 p.m.
Thanks, guys. I really appreciate the help. Now, however, I must figure out a new strategy for Treacherous Pit-Dweller, but I don't like cheating, so I wanted to be sure. I appreciate it!!
April 29, 2012 4:05 p.m.
In a highly sacrificial deck, I believe you could cast something like altar's reap in response to it re-entering thus killing it for good and drawing two. If you have enough sac outlets it might be playable.
April 30, 2012 8:58 a.m.
Shavingfoams says... #5
Sac outlets or combo with Sundial of the Infinite.
April 30, 2012 12:26 p.m.
I'm trying to understand part of this ruling. If I decide to stack Undying and then Pact, this means that Treacherous Pit-Dweller returns to the battlefield and then my opponent gains control of it, With that stack order it would not receive the +1/1 counter, if I'm understanding you right. But my question is this. Since it has no +1/1 counter and my opponent now controls it, does that not make me the opponent now? So for instance I play a kill spell, wouldn't that mean that Treacherous Pit-Dweller dies and then returns to the battlefield because of undying, gains the +1/1 counter and would then come under my control because I am the opponent of its controller?
November 27, 2012 5:12 p.m.
Goblinaire says... #7
Sacrificing is the most fun imho, I run a R/B rakdos with four blood crypts and dragonskull summit, which usually allows for first turn vexing devil, second turn treacherous pit dweller and when they finally deal with him you can fling for 5 extra damage when his control change is placed on the stack. Pisses off alot of people though in my experience.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
This is what happens:
When Treacherous Pit-Dweller
dies, both Unhallowed Pact
and TPD's undying ability will trigger. You get to choose what order they go onto the stack.
If you choose to stack undying, then Unhallowed Pact, TPD will return to the field under your control. Then, since it entered the field from the yard, its conditional ETB ability will trigger and you'll have to give control of TPD to target opponent if/when it resolves. Then the undying ability will try to resolve (as the last item on the stack), but it will do nothing since TPD is no longer in the yard.
If you choose to stack Unhallowed Pact, then undying, the same thing will happen except TPD will have a +1/+1 counter on it. Unhallowed Pact will not give you back control of TPD because TPD is not in the yard.
From the Oracle rulings on Unhallowed Pact:
5/1/2012: The card will return to the battlefield under your control only if it's still in the graveyard when Unhallowed Pact's ability resolves. If it's not (perhaps because an ability like undying has already returned it to the battlefield), nothing happens.
April 29, 2012 1:04 p.m.