10

In a couple of weeks cards with the madness mechanic, Eldrazi Processors, and Eldrazi Displacer are going to be in standard together. The text for Madness reads as follows:

“If a player would discard this card, that player discards it, but may exile it instead of putting it into his or her graveyard” and “When this card is exiled this way, its owner may cast it by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. If that player doesn’t, he or she puts this card into his or her graveyard.”

With a board of Eldrazi Displacer and some ETB Processor like Wasteland Strangler, can I respond to a card being exiled through madness by displacing my Wasteland Strangler and putting the exiled card into the graveyard, thus effectively countering madness and triggering my process ability?

If this is the case what is to stop my opponent casting the exiled card in response to this?

Improve this question
6
  • If I were to ask this question again I would ask "Can Eldrazi Processors counter madness effects?", I didn't do my research properly as I now see that there are quite a few ways to process at instant speed without the help of Eldrazi Displacer.
    – Duke of Sam
    Mar 29, 2016 at 12:33
  • 1
    You can always edit the question after the fact, as long as you don't change the core of what you're asking. In this case I've done it for you, but it's very much encouraged to do it yourself in the future. (Try not to edit too many times, though.)
    – David Z
    Mar 29, 2016 at 12:44
  • Thank you for that, I wasn't sure what would happen if I edited something as major as the title. The mod edits people apply are useful as well as they teach me about accepted formatting on this page. i.e. hyperlinking linking card references.
    – Duke of Sam
    Mar 29, 2016 at 12:54
  • 1
    It's a pity SE doesn't support mouse overs on hyperlinks.
    – Duke of Sam
    Mar 29, 2016 at 13:17
  • 3
    According to the SOI Mechanics Guide, madness will change in the new set so that discarding the card into exile is no longer optional.
    – murgatroid99 ♦
    Mar 29, 2016 at 15:14

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
9

Yes, you can remove a card discarded through Madness from exile before your opponent has a chance to cast it.

As per the the relevant rule you already quoted, Madness has two parts to it.

702.34a Madness is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the card with madness is in a player’s hand. The second is a triggered ability that functions when the first ability is applied. “Madness [cost]” means “If a player would discard this card, that player discards it, but exiles it instead of putting it into his or her graveyard” and “When this card is exiled this way, its owner may cast it by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. If that player doesn’t, he or she puts this card into his or her graveyard.”

The first part says that the card with Madness is put into exile rather than the graveyard if it was discarded.

The second ability triggers off the card getting discarded to exile by Madness. Only if and when that second ability resolves can that player cast that spell for its alternative Madness cost. You can respond to the second ability by removing that card from exile with your Displacer/Processor combo. Since that causes the card to change zones and become a new object, the triggered Madness ability will lose track of that object and your opponent cannot cast that spell when the ability resolves.

Improve this answer
5
  • 1
    Great answer thanks. Now to build an anti-madness ("You mad bro?") deck just in case grixis madness takes off.
    – Duke of Sam
    Mar 29, 2016 at 12:20
  • 3
    Note that the rules will change with SOI release: The discard into exile is now mandatory, and choosing not to cast the card will put it into your graveyard. This has no effect on the rest of the answer, you can still 'process' the card before it can be cast. Source: magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/…
    – Jorn
    Mar 29, 2016 at 17:51
  • That is interesting. From a flavor perspective it makes sense as madness shouldn't be optional. However mechanically it's slightly strange and was no doubt intended to reduce the synergy between madness and other mechanics in the set/JVP. Equally as enlightening is the section of that article entitled "No Flippy Floppy", I had been slightly concerned that we would be seeing 13 flip Avacyn kill combos.
    – Duke of Sam
    Mar 30, 2016 at 8:07
  • Can I just confirm that all cards cast through madness can effectively be cast at instant speed anyway so there is nothing stopping someone casting a card exiled through madness in response to the activation of a processor ability?
    – Duke of Sam
    Apr 4, 2016 at 8:46
  • Casting from madness can only be done as part of the resolution of the madness triggered ability. To process the card with madness, the process effect will have to be done in response to the trigger, so there is no opportunity to cast the card before it is processed. In addition, most instant speed "process" effects actually remove the card from exile as part of the cost, so that can't be responded to at all.
    – murgatroid99 ♦
    Apr 7, 2016 at 20:29

You must log in to answer this question.

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