When does Krenko's tap ability check the value of X?
Asked by bdrichar 12 years ago
If I have Krenko, Mob Boss and Rings of Brighthearth on the field and use the rings' ability to copy krenko's tap ability, when do the separate abilities check the value for X, when they are put on the stack or when they resolve?
krenko taps as cost then his ability goes on the stack. in response, you pay 2. the cost is paid at at time or response. Then that card ability goes on the stack.
so the stack is as such.card ability resolution, then krenko resolution. x becomes 2 x after the first resolution, and then 4 x once krenko resolves. If you had 2 of the artifact out, then you would get 23 *X goblins.
September 29, 2012 5:10 a.m.
Rings of Brighthearth only creates copy of activated ability placing it on top of stack. Each instance of that ability now exists and resolves on its own separatelly. And with Krenko, Mob Boss when his "original" ability resolves... well... did you ever see goblin flood? :D
September 29, 2012 6:54 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #4
Whenever a spell or ability requires information about/from the game, that information is determined when the spell/ability resolves. Krenko, Mob Boss 's ability will give you X Goblin tokens, where X is the number of goblins you control as the ability begins to resolve.
September 29, 2012 9:22 a.m.
I am inclined to believe you guys, but can someone link or post the ruling on that? I tried to find it a little while ago and couldn't.
September 29, 2012 12:01 p.m.
706.10. To copy a spell or activated ability means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isnt cast and a copy of an activated ability isnt activated. A copy of a spell or ability copies both the characteristics of the spell or ability and all decisions made for it, including modes, targets, the value of X, and additional or alternative costs. (See rule 601, Casting Spells.) Choices that are normally made on resolution are not copied. If an effect of the copy refers to objects used to pay its costs, it uses the objects used to pay the costs of the original spell or ability. A copy of a spell is owned by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell or ability is controlled by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell is itself a spell, even though it has no spell card associated with it. A copy of an ability is itself an ability.
Even though this rule states copy "copies both the characteristics of ability and all decisions made for it (including the value of X)", in your situation X isn't copied because here X depends on situation on the battlefield when resolving and not when ability is put onto the stack.
September 29, 2012 1:44 p.m.
PS: 608.2g If an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of creatures on the battlefield), the answer is determined only once, when the effect is applied. If the effect requires information from a specific object, including the source of the ability itself or a target thats become illegal, the effect uses the current information of that object if its in the public zone it was expected to be in; if its no longer in that zone, or if the effect has moved it from a public zone to a hidden zone, the effect uses the objects last known information. See rule 112.7a. If an ability states that an object does something, its the object as it existsor as it most recently existedthat does it, not the ability.
pheonix_222 says... #1
I'm pretty sure it checks for X at resolution. That way if you had a way of instantly modifying X you could do so before resolution.
September 29, 2012 4:06 a.m.