2

Does the ability "Exile all cards from target player's graveyard" counter "When ~ is put into a graveyard from anywhere, its owner shuffles his or her graveyard into his or her library"?

For example: if Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is put into the graveyard, will activating Tormod's Crypt counter its effect?

1 Answer 1

5

Kind of.

When Emrakul hits the graveyard, his ability

When Emrakul is put into a graveyard from anywhere, its owner shuffles his or her graveyard into his or her library.

goes onto the stack. Then priority will first go to the active player and then to the other. After receiving priority, Tormod's Crypt can be activated.

Exile all cards from target player's graveyard.

All cards go into the exile zone.

After that, Emrakul's trigger resolves, and its controller will shuffle his or her empty graveyard into his or her library.

7
  • 3
    Effectively, the ability is countered. In actuality, using precise MtG verbage, the ability still happens, but the graveyard has zero cards in it. Jan 31, 2016 at 17:11
  • 1
    Emrakul has to enter the graveyard, from anywhere, for his ability to work. If he is in the graveyard when Tormod's Crypt resolves on top of his ability in the stack, he is exiled. Jan 31, 2016 at 17:20
  • 3
    Note that Emrakuls ability is a triggered ability. So it goes onto the stack and can be responded to. If you take a card like Progenitus , it's different. The if-clause indicates a replacement effect, which will not go onto the stack. There is no possibility to prevent Progenitus from being reshuffled into the librabry
    – rtime
    Jan 31, 2016 at 17:23
  • 5
    In contrast, an ability like Anafenza's ("If a creature card would be put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.") would cause Emrakul to never enter the graveyard in the first place, so Emrakul's ability wouldn't trigger at all.
    – Cascabel
    Jan 31, 2016 at 17:24
  • 3
    Just remember that shuffling a graveyard into a library still causes the library to be shuffled even if the graveyard is empty.
    – Pablo
    Feb 1, 2016 at 11:09

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .