What happens when a player with multiple Roil Elemental's in play looses only one.
Asked by Battlecry1986 12 years ago
The oracle text on Roil Elemental reads Landfall Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may gain control of target creature for as long as you control Roil Elemental.
I consider this to indicate that if multiple Roil Elementals are in play and one of them dies all creatures that were gained control of by that Roil Elemental are returned to the original owner.
A friend of mine contends that as long as you control at least one Roil Elemental that no creatures would be returned to original owner because the original ability doesnt specify this Roil Elemental.
Thanks everyone!
AradonTemplar says... #2
Each Roil Elemental refers only to itself, and separately keeps track of which creatures it has taken. Therefore, when one of your multiple Roil Elementals die, you return each creature that that specific Roil Elemental has taken. You will probably keep some creatures and lose others. This seems to be your understanding of it as well, if I interpreted your question correctly, so you are correct.
In general: whenever a creature refers to itself by name on its own card, that refers specifically to that card (even if the name is different) as if it said 'This permanent/card.' Roil Elemental says you have control of those creatures for as long as you control 'this specific Roil Elemental.'
July 26, 2012 4:21 p.m.
Your friend would only be correct if it said "a Roil Elemental ".
BrokenZygoma says... Accepted answer #1
You are right. When a card refers to Itself, It means "THIS GUY RIGHT HERE!!!". So with 4 Roil Elemental s out, every land you play gains you control to up to 4 different creatures and each one is linked to its respective Roil Elemental and nothing else. So when that particular roil elemental dies or leaves play for some reason, only creatures directly taken from that one will return to their owners control. That's why it's Important to keep track of which creatures you took with which Roil Elemental because that is a messy situation If you don't know what returns and what stays.
July 26, 2012 4:21 p.m.