Ask The Judge, 07/24/2003
Q: Is it possible to activate a Hermit Druid with a Planar Void in play, revealing (among other cards) Ray of Revelation, and stack the effects so that the Ray is used to from the graveyard to kill the Planar Void and save the other revealed cards?
Also, does this work with Oath of Druids?
A: No, and no. Removing the source doesn't remove the effect. Planar Void triggers on each card that goes into the graveyard. The triggers go on the stack the next time a player gets priority, which is after the Hermit Druid finishes resolving; you can't play the Ray until you get priority. Once they've triggered, they'll resolve until the triggers themselves are countered.
Q: One of my friends recently found a way to get around Lethal Vapors'"skip your next turn" ability. He figured that Final Fortune would allow you to add a turn and then skip it without losing. Will this work, or will the Final Fortune's ability trigger at the end of the next turn you take?
A: I'm not sure how your friend thinks this plan works. Final Fortune's ability will only trigger on the turn that the Final Fortune itself generated. If you use Lethal Vapors to skip that turn, you don't lose... But you still don't get an extra turn. In the end, you're gaining nothing.
Q: Here is a question about these two cards: Nature's Revolt and Pendrell Mists. I have both cards in play, and it is now my opponent's turn. I state that before my opponent can use the land's abilities (like tapping for mana), he has to pay for the upkeep cost brought on by the Pendrell Mists. Am I right?
A: That's not the case. That used to be the way it was in the olden days, but not since 6th Edition rules came in. Pendrell Mists triggers at the beginning of upkeep, and then players get priority. He can respond before then.
Q: I have a Mischievous Quanar in play face down. My opponent plays a Hymn of Rebirth on a creature in my graveyard. I pay the morph cost of the Quanar to copy his spell. If the creature is the only one in any graveyard, is my opponent's spell then countered?
A: The Quanar's copy will resolve first, putting the creature into play under your control. The original will try to resolve, and finding that its target is now illegal, be countered.
Q: My opponent declared that he was using the damage redirection ability of his Warrior en-Kor. Then used an About Face on it and attacked me. I told him that he could not do that because no damage had been dealt, but he said that he could set up a redirection even without damage. Who's right?
A: He can activate the damage redirection ability of Warrior en-Kor as many times as he likes. I assume he was targeting something like Angelic Protector with the en-Kor's ability. Even if damage isn't dealt/redirected, the Protector has been targeted, so her ability will trigger X times. He can then play About Face and attack with it. This is old technology. We have a rare instance of the friend being right.
Q: Let's say that player A has 40 cards and Player B Casts Stroke of Genius on player A for 41. Does Player A lose the game immediately cause he can not draw that many, or does he lose the game when it becomes his turn and he hits his draw phase? Also if player A loses when he is forced to draw more cards than he has in the library, can he cast instants that he draws before he is decked?
A: A player who was required to draw more cards than were in his or her library loses the game when State-Based Effects are checked (rule 402.5g). This is the case only for card drawing, but not other effects that put cards into your hand/mill cards (like Fact or Fiction or Brain Freeze). In the latter case, you'd lose during your next draw step.
Q: My friend said that you can Disenchant Illusions of Grandeur as it comes into play, causing the player who cast it to lose the life and not gain any. If that is possible, then how does Disenchant work with other enchantments that have effects as they come into play?
A: When Illusions of Grandeur comes into play, its"gain life" triggered ability goes on the stack. You can respond by Disenchanting it. The leaves-play ability will trigger and resolve before the life gain resolves. If this takes the player to zero or below, he loses. If not, the life gain will still happen.
Q: I have a Silver Knight in play and a Wing Shards in hand, with mana open. My opponent attacks with a Rorix and a Goblin Warchief. Is there any way I can play the Shards to kill the Rorix after first strike damage has resolved, but before regular damage has even gone on the stack? Does anyone get priority then?
A: After First Strike damage resolves, players get priority. Assuming you blocked and destroyed the Warchief, you can now play Wing Shards. The opponent will have to sacrifice the Rorix because it's his only remaining attacking creature. Note that even if the Warchief were regenerated (say it was a Krosan Warchief instead), he'd have to sacrifice the Rorix because the regenerated Warchief is no longer an attacking creature - it's been removed from combat (ruled 308.2g and 419.6b).
















