Ask the Judge, 2/27/2008
Rules Tip of the Day: Go to a large Magic event, even if you aren't invited to play in the main event. There are always side events and plenty of opportunities to play Magic. At a minimum, it is fun watching the best in the game play.
Q: If Chameleon Colossus has two +1/+1 counters on it and the Colossus' ability is activated, will it become a 12/12 or a 14/14?
A: It will become a 12/12. When Chameleon Colossus' ability resolves it looks at its current power and uses that value to give itself +X/+X. In this example, when the ability resolves, the Colossus is a 6/6 creature, so it will get +6/+6 and become a 12/12. The effect from the counters is only applied once, not twice. Technically speaking, when you figure out the power and toughness of the Colossus, you start with its printed characteristics, add +6/+6 from its ability, and then factor in the two counters.
Q: If you evoke Shriekmaw and respond by playing Graceful Reprieve, will the Shriekmaw come back into play, or will it stay in the graveyard, due to the evoke ability?
A: It will be sacrificed and then returned to play. The evoke ability causes the creature that was played via its evoke cost to be sacrificed, but it does not prevent other effects from returning it to play.
Q: I have a flipped Kitsune Mystic (Autumn-Tail, Kitsune Sage) in play and I've attached a Nettlevine Blight onto one of my opponent's creatures. If at the end of his turn, I move Nettlevine Blight onto another of his creatures in response to it being sacrificed what happens?
A: Nettlevine Blight gives a triggered ability to the enchanted permanent. When on the stack, this refers to the permanent that the Blight was attached to when the ability triggered, not necessarily to whatever the Blight is attached to while the ability is on the stack or resolving. This means that your opponent will have to sacrifice the creature that the Blight was attached to when the ability triggered. He will then be able to either move the Blight to another permanent he controls or leave it where it is.
Q: If I use Threaten on a creature, can I champion that creature? Will the championed creature still go back to its owner's control at the end of the turn, even though it is removed from the game?
A: No, it will remain removed from the game. It will not return to play under its owner's control until the champion creature leaves play and the champion leaves-play trigger resolves.
Q: I have a Windbrisk Heights in play along with a Preeminent Captain and a Militia's Pride. When Preeminent Captain attacks, I will put a creature into play attacking and create an attacking token. Will this scenario satisfy the conditions of the Windbrisk Heights, or do they all need to be declared as attackers?
A: To attack with a creature means to declare a creature as attacking. Creatures that are put into play attacking do not count as attacking with a creature. So while you will have four different attacking creatures, you only attacked with two creatures. Because of this, you will not be able to play the card that was removed from the game by Windbrisk Heights.
Q: If you were to activate Garruk Wildspeaker's Overrun ablility, and someone were to respond by damaging Garruk with a Shock, and the damage would reduce the amount of loyalty on Garruk to less than four, will the Overrun ability still resolve?
A: Yes. Removing the source of an ability does not counter the ability or prevent it from resolving. Look at it this way: it is no different from using the last four counters to pay for this ability. In both instances, Garruk Wildspeaker has left play when the ability resolves.
Q: Player A plays Breakthrough, choosing to dredge four Golgari Grave-Trolls instead of drawing. Two Narcomoebas are put into the graveyard when this happens. Player B chooses to respond to the Narcomoeba triggers by sacrificing Tormod's Crypt. Is this legal, or does player B not receive priority to remove the Narcomoebas?
A: That is perfectly legal; player B will receive priority. The Narcomoeba ability is a triggered ability that uses the stack. These triggered abilities will not go on the stack until after Breakthrough has completely resolved. At that time, both players will receive priority before these triggers resolve and player B can use the abiltiy of his Tormod's Crypt.
Q: I have an Arcbound Ravager, a bunch of artifacts, and a Blinkmoth Nexus on the table. My opponent, on the other hand, has a Pernicious Deed. He activates the Deed for 4, and I sacrifice all the artifacts in play to the Ravager. After the Deed resolves, can I stack the modular ability, turn the Blinkmoth Nexus into a creature and place the counters on it?
A: No. When a modular permanent goes to the graveyard, its ability will trigger. This triggered ability will go on the stack the next time that a player would receive priority. Since the modular ability targets, you need to choose a target artifact creature at this time. However, the Blinkmoth Nexus will not be a creature when this happens, in this example.





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