Hot answers tagged magic-the-gathering
22
I think you've misunderstood the ruling:
If Koth's first ability animates a Mountain that came under your control that turn, it will have "summoning sickness" and be unable to attack. It will also be unable to be tapped to activate an ability with the {T} symbol in its cost, such as the Mountain's mana ability or the ability granted to it by Koth's ...
22
One color:
Most decks with a single color are not competetive in tournaments (due to the fact you're settling for the top ten cohesive cards in a color instead of two sets of the top five in two colors. The difference in power level between the top 1-5 and the top 6-10 can be massive and game deciding. The other colors also make up for each others ...
21
It depends on the card in question. If it can't be determined use 0.
208.2a The card may have a characteristic-defining ability that sets its power and/or toughness according to some stated condition. (See
rule 604.3.) Such an ability is worded "[This creature's] [power or
toughness] is equal to . . ." or "[This creature's] power and
toughness are ...
18
Yes, you can. Relevant rule:
302.6. A creature’s activated ability with the tap symbol or the untap symbol in its activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control continuously since his or her most recent turn began. A creature can’t attack unless it has been under its controller’s control continuously since ...
17
Basically, you're trying to find an optimal balance between "I need mana to play my spells in a timely fashion" and "I want to draw active cards all the time (which usually means spells)."
For me, it boils down to a question of which lands drops do you need to make "on time".
Because players start with an opening hand of several cards but subsequently draw ...
17
The calculation you are looking for is called a Hypergeometric Distribution. This calculated your chances of drawing a particular number of "successes" from a population, without replacement.
Population Size: 60 cards
Successes in Population: 4 Birds of Paradise
Sample Size: 7 cards
Successes in Sample: exactly 1
Results: 33%
The online calculator will ...
17
I already posted a link to Maro's article, but here's his summary:
By definition, some bad cards have to exist. (The most important reason.)
Some cards are “bad” because they aren’t meant for you.
Some cards are “bad” because they’re designed for a less advanced player.
Some cards are “bad” because the right deck for them doesn’t exist yet.
“Bad” cards ...
16
When an object names itself, it always refers to itself, regardless of what its name actually is. For example, Cemetery Puca wouldn't work if that wasn't the case.
201.4. Text that refers to the object it’s on by name means just that particular object and not any other objects with that name, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects.
...
16
You can "fail to find" a card, but only while explicitly searching someone's library or hand. In the case of Inquisition of Kozilek, you are not "searching" the zone, so you must choose a card if a valid choice is available.
Per the comp rules, "fail to find" is specific to searching a hidden zone:
701.15b If a player is searching a hidden zone for ...
15
There are a variety of general answer for indestructible permanents:
Exile effects, which are your real bread-and-butter for all kinds of removal.
Toughness-reducing effects against creatures.
Sacrifice effects.
"Tuck" (move to library) effects.
Bouncing permanents (temporary).
Stealing permanents: the indestructible thing isn't a problem if you control ...
15
I'm assuming you mean the "big three" Legendary Eldrazi -- Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, and Kozilek, Butcher of Truth. If you want any Eldrazi, like a Pathrazer of Ulamog, you can always use reanimation spells. These three, however, have the persnickety clause:
When {card name} is put into a graveyard from anywhere, its owner ...
15
Preface: I've been drafting this for a few days now. I focused on the cards that were banned, because those were the most broken. I'm sure there were dozens of other combos not included here, and this is by no means giving the fullest extent of how the cards could be used to maximize their broken-ness.
The first step is to take a look at what cards were ...
15
No.
The reminder text reads "You may cast one or both halves of this card from your hand." The scepter allows you to cast a copy of the card from Exile. That it's not a card may or may not be relevant, but the addition of "from your hand" will surely be present in the rules, so this is a pretty clear "no".
UPDATE: The rules have been released, and the ...
14
There's no direct advantage to playing a weaker deck. There is, however, an advantage to managing perceptions.
In some sense, free-for-all is about always being outgunned: taken together, your opponents have more resources — more cards, more mana, more life, more time (turns) — than you do. Luckily, those resources aren't always directed against ...
14
The odds of drawing a particular card in a 60-card deck are obviously 1/60. If there are four such cards, the odds are 4/60. The odds of NOT drawing one of those cards in the first draw is 1 - 4/60 = 56/60.
To calculate the odds of the entire first hand, we can do it backwards:
The odds of not having any of the four cards in the first card is 56/60 (as I ...
14
Few points that should add up to an answer.
A Counter is not the same thing as a Static Ability that raises Power/Toughness. Abilities that add counters will use the actual word Counter in them.
Once a counter is placed, killing the creature that placed it does not do anything. So if you have an Adaptive Snapjaw that evolved and is now 7/3 due to a ...
14
You would count the cards of the graveyards of the opponents of whoever controls the Consuming Aberration. "You" in Static Abilities, such as the one setting Consuming Aberration's power and toughness, refer to the controller of that card. Act of Treason gives you control of the creature, so the Static Abilities are yours. Per the Magic Comp rules (emphasis ...
13
Yes, Player B still takes damage from the Goblin Fireslinger. Rule 112 covers this adequately. Rule 112.3a tells us that Activating an ability puts it on the stack, until it resolves, is countered (Stifle), or it otherwise leaves the stack (Time Stop). Rule 112.7a tells us that the activated ability exists independent of the source, and does not quality this ...
13
I think it's instructive to go through both of your reasonings, since you're both partially right in a way but came to the wrong conclusion.
the free spells get put on the stack before the original card resolves
Your friend is actually right here. BUT — don't forget the rules of casting spells. In order to put a spell on the stack (even if free) he ...
13
No. Scavenge is an ability, not a spell
The official MTG rules for the ability do not appear to be up on wizards site, but from the cards reminder text, you can clearly see that the ability is an activated ability (the colon ':'), that functions only while the card is in your graveyard, with specific activation instructions that only allow activation ...
13
I think the best way to answer your question is to give a brief outline of the rules regarding the game steps, and timing of playing spells and abilities
Game Phases and Steps
In a nutshell, here are the phases and steps in a turn of a game of Magic.
Beginning (3 steps: Untap, Upkeep, Draw)
Precombat Main
Combat (5 steps: Beginning of Combat, Declare ...
13
You must choose zero for X, but you can't choose zero for X, so you can't cast the spell. Epic Experiment doesn't force you to cast anything ("may cast"), so it will be moved to the graveyard by the later part of Epic Experiment's effect.
107.3b If a player is casting a spell that has an {X} in its mana cost, the value of X isn’t defined by the text of ...
13
It works just as you hope.
Previous "flicker" effects returned the target to play "under its owner's control". Cloudshift returns it to play "under your control".
Act of Treason gave you control of the creature, making it a valid target for Cloudshift. Cloudshift returns it into play under your control, and with no memory of its previous life as either ...
13
You don't need to buy new ones just to stay legal. You can use any card that has been reprinted in a recent set in Standard. All the basic lands are printed in just about every set.
For Instance, it's perfectly legal for you to use your Urza's Saga Rancors or Onslaught Pacifisms.
Secondly, some people like collecting different land arts, so they ...
12
You are correct. The equipment stays attached to the stolen creature, but you still control it and may re-equip it to a different creature that you control.
Here are the rules for equipment (emphasis added):
301.5. Some artifacts have the subtype “Equipment.” An Equipment can be attached to a creature. It can’t legally be attached to an object
that ...
12
You are correct, that Master of Arms ability is basically useless now, and functions differently now than it used to under pre-6th Edition rules.
If there was errata for Master of Arms', it would show up in the Oracle wording. The Gatherer page for that card lists the Oracle text, along with errata changes and dates. The Oracle is the official wording on ...
12
You can choose to give the Undying creature a second counter.
The order of events is as follows, omitting irrelevant/obvious steps:
You announce that you want to use the creature's ability and put it on the stack.
You pay all costs; in this case, sacrifice an Undying creature.
Sacrificing the creature triggers its Undying ability, which is put on the ...
12
No. Except for effects that specifically instruct a player to cast a spell, spells/abilities may not normally be played during the resolution of a spell or ability. Since Sorin's ability is both destroying, and returning Gideon, there is no point at which you would have priority to activate the Nihilism Spellbomb to remove the Planeswalker.
You may want to ...
12
Yes. The only requirements for Flashback are that the card is in your Graveyard, you are able to pay the alternate Flashback cost, and you are capable of casting the Flashback spell at that particular time (you have priority, if the Flashback spell is a Sorcery then it is you turn's first or second Main Phase and the stack is empty, etc.).
Keep in mind that ...
12
The short answer, assuming that your Precursor Golem still has (exactly) his two buddies with him: 28. The sequence goes something like this:
Rite of Replication (kicked) targets Precursor Golem. Note that the text of Rite now effectively reads 'Put five tokens that are copies of target creature onto the battlefield', and the copies of Rite of ...
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