Sheldon

Q: I've just been to the prerelease, and I asked the judge how Glarecaster's ability worked when combat damage is dealt to me. Now, he answered the next packet of damage dealt to me can be redirected - but I assumed that all combat damage is simultaneous, so does that mean all the combat damage can be redirected?

A: You're right; Glarecaster is that good. All the combat damage can be redirected. And there's no such thing any more as"damage packets."

Sheldon

Q: This came up at the prerelease I was running in Ottawa: If there are multiple sources of creature damage on the table, does activating Glarecaster's ability once redirect damage from all the creatures?

Alex Anderson

A: Alex,

It depends. If the damage is simultaneous, like combat damage, then yes. If they're multiple activations of separate abilities, like the ping of Goblin Sharpshooter, then no. In the latter case, the Glarecaster will only replace the first one to resolve.

Sheldon

Q: I have a question about an interaction between two cards that thankfully should rarely see play together in the same game - False Cure and Transcendence.

False Cure triggers whenever a player gains life, and makes them lose two life for each life they gain. Transcendence triggers whenever a player loses life, and makes them gain two life for each life they lose. It seems to me that the player with Transcendence and False Cure on them, if damaged (lets say by a Raging Goblin) and no other fast effects were present, would take one damage, which unprevented would turn into life loss. Then that damage would trigger Transcendence and they would gain two life. Upon gaining the two life, they would trigger False Cure's effect twice and lose two life twice. This in turn would trigger Transcendence and make them gain life etc, until they quickly gained life up to twenty and beyond and then lost as a state based effect of Transcendence. Is this correct?

A: Pretty much. Transcendence and False Cure both have triggered abilities, as opposed to replacement effects. Replacement effects can only replace a single event once (which is why Gratuitous Violence doesn't deal infinite damage). The chain reaction of triggers will work as you've described.

Note that Transcendence's game loss isn't a State-Based Effect - it's a State-Triggered Ability (rule 410.11).

Q: Sheldon,

Here is a bit of an odd question. A morph creature dies while in its vanilla 2/2 state. At the time of its death, I have out Shifting Sky set to green and Verdant Succession. Would you be able to use the Succession to search out the right half of a BFM?

A: No. Both halves of the BFM are considered to have the same name (and same mana cost, by the way).

Q: There is a rules question discussed in the Italian mailing list of MTG that leaves some doubts to many judges: If I play Word of Worship's ability twice during my upkeep and I have Nefarious Lich in play, what happens during my draw step? Thanks for your attention.

Ciao Stefano

A: Words of Worship will replace the next individual card draw with gaining five life. Note that each card drawn, even those that the game sees as simultaneous (such as with cards like Concentrate), is treated as an individual. Multiple activations of Words will only affect a single draw. When multiple replacement abilities attempt to modify a single event, the player controlling the event chooses which one will do so (rule 419.8). Nefarious Lich will then replace gaining five life with drawing five cards.

So for one, you draw five cards; nice deal!

Best,
Sheldon

Q: Let's say that I cast Epicenter with seven cards in my graveyard, and my opponent respond by removing one of my cards in my graveyard, with for example Coffin Purge. Epicenter no longer reads"All players sacrifice all lands instead," but says"target player sacrifices a land." Do I have to choose a target when I'm casting Epicenter if I do have Threshold, in case that my opponent does somehow"de-threshold" me? What if both players have True Believer in play; is it legal to cast Epicenter with Threshold?

A: Epicenter is a targeted spell, so you have to have a legal target to announce it, whether or not you currently have Threshold. Threshold abilities for Sorceries check on resolution; if you have Threshold at that time, you'll get the second effect. If you don't, it'll resolve against the original target. If your opponent has True Believer in play, then you'll have to target yourself if you want to play it (which still might be safe if you're well above Threshold).

Sheldon

Q: Damage counters on a creature that morphs stay with the creature. My question is this... If there is sufficient damage to kill a creature due to morphing is it killed?

For example, a 3/3 creature receives two points of damage. Then later in the turn it is morphed, forced to be placed face down, and becomes a 2/2 creature. Since it had two damage counters on it, is it now killed?

A: It sure is, due to the fact that it has lethal damage, a State-Based Effect, as described in rule 402.5c. Creatures receiving damage under normal circumstances don't get"damage counters," they just have damage.

Q: Let's say that I have two Aether Charges out, and I play a beast. Do I get to do eight damage to an opponent?

Thanks for your time,
Jason

A: Each Aether Charge will trigger when the Rhox comes into play, so you'll get to do four damage twice (which is, of course, eight damage total). Being four damage twice is important for the purposes of damage prevention or redirection. For example, your opponent would have to activate Circle of Protection: Red twice in order to prevent all the damage. Sheldon

Q: If I have a Cognivore in play and a Fire/Ice in my graveyard, will it get +1/+1 or +2/+2?

A: It'll get +1/+1. Split cards are considered only one card.