Ask The Judge, 08/28/2003
An Important Correction:
For the record, other high-level rules folks have spoken - and it turns out that after some debate, I am not correct on Zur's Weirding/Read the Runes. If you're permitted to draw the card, it's still a"Read the Runes" draw, and you'll therefore have to discard or sacrifice a permanent. StarCityGames apologizes for any inconvenience.
Q: I have Oversold Cemetery with about ten creatures in the graveyard, and my opponent has a Withered Wretch and one mana. Can he remove the card I was going to put in my hand in response to deny me gaining anything from Cemetery? I thought once I announced the ability, he didn't have priority to do such a thing, but all my friends say I'm wrong.
A: Your friends are right. At the beginning of your upkeep, the Cemetery triggers; when you put the ability on the stack, you have to target a creature card in your graveyard. In response to that, he can remove it with the Wretch.
Q: I have eight Mistforms on the table and turn them all into goblins in order to use a Peer Pressure to take over my opponent's seven goblins, will I still have control of them when my turn ends? I ask this because it says the effect does not end at the end of the turn, but at the end of the turn you no longer have more creatures of that type than the other player. Does control of the goblins revert back to my opponent, or do I still control his creatures?
A: Peer Pressure only cares if you control more creatures of that type when it resolves. After that, they're yours no matter what they turn into.
Q: I have a Coffin Queen in play that I've used to animate a Mist Dragon. If the Queen is Shocked, can I phase the Dragon out in response and have it survive? If so, could I phase the Dragon out just for this purpose, then be able to untap and use the Queen on something else?
A: If the Coffin Queen leaves play while the Dragon is Phased Out, it'll phase back in normally. If the Dragon Phases out and then the Coffin Queen untaps, the Queen's triggered ability can't remove the Dragon from the game (because it's not currently in play). It'll come back normally.
Q: I activate Coffin Queen to animate a creature, and my opponent Shocks it in response. Does this create a Faceless Butcher-like scenario where the creature will come into play with no strings attached?
A: Correct. The creature isn't in play yet when the Coffin Queen's leaves-play ability triggers.
Q: I play Grizzly Fate from my graveyard using its flashback cost, and my opponent Spelljacks it. Will my opponent be able to play it for free, or will the flashback's removed-from-game clause prevent this by removing it from the game first? If he can play it and does, does it forget that it was being flashed back and return to my graveyard on resolution?
A: It will be removed from the game and he can play it. It will then go to your graveyard because it's being played from RFG instead of the stack. Flashback will try to remove it from the game, but Spelljack will get there first. I'll quote Wizards of the Coast Rules Manager Paul Barclay:
"Spelljack's 'remove it from the game instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard,' is a self-replacement effect, because it changes what Spelljack's own effect is. Flashback says, 'if you do, remove this card from the game instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack,' which is a normal replacement effect. If you have both a self-replacement effect and a normal replacement effect that apply, always apply the self-replacement effect first (rule 419.6d). So, Spelljack's 'remove it from the game' will apply before flashback's 'remove it from the game.' For Spelljack vs. Flashback, this can all be ignored, because both effects send the spell to the same place."
Q: I had a Furnace of Rath in play and attacked my opponent. He blocked with his Exalted Angel, which was 5/6 because he had Mirari's Wake in play. When damage resolves, does he get five life or ten? I argued he only gets five because Exalted Angel dealt five damage and then Furnace of Rath triggers and doubles it.
A: Furnace of Rath has a replacement effect, not a triggered ability. You can tell by the use of the term"instead." The Angel deals ten damage (instead of five), so he gains ten life.
Q: Will a Ghastly Remains, when cast without any zombies in my hand, actually come into play for long enough for me to sacrifice it to a Nantuko Husk?
A: No. If you play Ghastly Remains without using its Amplify, it will come into play as a 0/0. Before you get priority to sacrifice it to the Husk, the game will check State-Based Effects, and the Remains will be put in the graveyard.
Q: My question involves Sparksmith and Grip of Chaos. Based on what I understand of Grip, if I 'Smith an opponents creature, I should be able to Chaos the damage dealt to me by the Sparksmith's ability. My question is, do all creatures, my opponent, and myself become targets of the randomized damage, or is it just my opponent and myself?
A: You'll still take the damage, because Sparksmith doesn't target you. The only target of Sparksmith is the other creature. You'll simply choose randomly among the other legal creatures (so a Silver Knight wouldn't be one of the choices).
Q: If I cast Word of Command on my opponent, and he has a Channel in his hand, can I make him Channel all of his life into it?
A: No, you can't make him Channel his life away. Channel sets up an ability that he can use until end of turn. Word of Command only lets you make choices regarding playing the spell, and the life-for-mana exchange isn't one of them.
Q: I have a Limited Resources in play and ten lands - one of them being a Terrain Generator. Can I activate the generator to put a land from my hand into play? Is the ability on Wood Elves countered? I think that"players cannot play lands" means they cannot play lands from their hand, but effects like the Generator dodge this.
A: You're correct. Limited Resources just prevents players from playing land; lands can come into play as the effect of a spell or ability.
















