What happens when a creature token of Guile goes to the graveyard?
Asked by Oliveyourbase 8 years ago
Say I create a creature token of Guile, or Purity, what happens if said token is sent to the graveyard?
Does it insert itself as a new copy into the deck or simply die without taking into account the last ability of the aforementioned creatures?
Furthermore, if I Clone either elemental incarnation and the clone dies, does it enter the graveyard as the copy wherein it will be shuffled into the library, or as it's own independent entity where it will remain in the graveyard?
Rhadamanthus says... #2
@GoldGhost012: This isn't an Emrakul-esque "shuffle everything" trigger, it's just "shuffle this thing".
If a token copy of Guile dies the trigger will go onto the stack and the token will cease to exist before the trigger starts to resolve. However, you shuffle the library anyway. The official rule covering this happens to use Guile as an example of how to apply it:
701.16c If an effect would cause a player to shuffle one or more specific objects into a library, that library is shuffled even if none of those objects are in the zone they're expected to be in or an effect causes all of those objects to be moved to another zone or remain in their current zone.
Example: Guile says, in part, "When Guile is put into a graveyard from anywhere, shuffle it into its owner's library." It's put into a graveyard and its ability triggers, then a player exiles it from that graveyard in response. When the ability resolves, the library is shuffled.
GoldGhost012's explanation of what happens to a Clone copy is correct.
October 8, 2015 12:11 a.m.
Oliveyourbase says... #4
Thank you very much for clarifying these graveyard interactions for me!
GoldGhost012 says... Accepted answer #1
So, from Gatherer:
10/1/2007 Although this ability triggers when the Incarnation is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, it doesn't specifically trigger on leaving the battlefield, so it doesn't behave like other leaves-the-battlefield abilities. The ability will trigger from the graveyard.
Basically, the shuffle ability will trigger when it hits the graveyard.
When killed, tokens do hit the graveyard before state-based actions cause them to cease to exist. So tokens will trigger the shuffle ability before ceasing to exist. You'll shuffle your graveyard into your library, but the token will be long gone by the time the ability resolves.
However, note that when Clone enters the graveyard, it enters as Clone, not Guile or Purity. Copy effects only last as long as the copier is on the battlefield. So it will no longer be copying those cards, and thus not have the shuffle trigger. You won't be able to shuffle your graveyard into your library.
October 7, 2015 11:58 p.m.