Hello, and welcome once again to my annual review of rules questions. This time, we examine Saviors of Kamigawa, the third and final set in Champions block. And just like every other set, it has brought its own set of rules questions. First off, my little spiel: some of these notes are various rules questions that I've come across since the release of Saviors and some of these notes are just general card notes. Once again, I refer you to the Saviors' official FAQ, Gatherer, the Comp Rules and my previous articles on Champions and Betrayers.
General Mechanic Notes
Channel
The easiest way I have to describe this mechanic is "cycling without drawing a card". You can discard it from your hand to get the channel effect. You can use it any time you have priority.
Epic
The "no more spells" doesn't kick in until the original spell resolves, so you can respond to your Epic spells by playing additional spells before it resolves. Once it resolves, you can't play any more spells. There's no way to end this effect. The copy that is made every upkeep can be countered just like any other spell.
Sweep
You don't choose which lands to return or how many until the spell resolves. So if your opponent wants to respond to it, they need to do so before they know how much you'll sweep for. If the spell is countered, you do not return any lands.
Card Specific Notes
Ayumi, the Last Visitor
This creature is unblockable if the defending player controls any legendary lands.
Blood Clock
If a player has less than 2 life, then they cannot choose to pay 2 life but return a permanent.
Choice of Damnations
When this spell resolves, the targeted player chooses a number. Then you get to decide what happens: either they lose X life or they sac all but X permanents. So if they choose 6, you can either have them lose 6 life or have them sac all but 6 permanents.
Curtain of Light
A creature does not become unblocked until after blockers are declared, so you cannot play this until then. It's not too smart of an idea to use this on a creature with trample, since all the trample will be assigned to the defending player anyway.
Descendant of Masumaro
If your opponent is untargetable (like they have an Ivory Mask in play), then the Descendant's ability cannot even go on the stack
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
Note the errata that makes the flip side of this card a triggered ability. For it to trigger, it cannot be the fourth spell played that turn. It will count spells that were played before it that turn.
Evermind
You can never play this spell. Never. No, not even then. Not even with an Isochron Scepter (although you can imprint it onto one).
Footsteps of the Goryo
Contrary to popular opinion, it does not give the creature haste. The best use for it is with a creature with a coming into play or leave play ability or a creature with an ability you can use while it has summoning sickness.
Glitterfang
Glitterfang will only return to your hand if it is in play at the end of turn. If he dies, then he will not return.
Hidetsugu's Second Rite
Mana burn occurs at the end of phases, so you cannot "mana burn" yourself in response to this spell in order to get your life total off of 10.
Kaho, Minamo Historian
You can only play one of the removed cards once with Kaho, because as soon as you play it, it leaves the removed from game zone and goes on the stack and Kaho will lose track of it. Cards removed by one Kaho are not playable by another Kaho, so if you have a Kaho that dies and you play a second, the second will not be able to play cards removed by the first.
Kuon, Ogre Ascendant
Kuon will count creatures that died before it came into play, so you could Wrath away 3+ creatures then play Kuon and he will flip at the end of turn.
Measure of Wickedness
The player who controls the Measure at the end of turn will be the one that loses the life. If you put the trigger on the stack and in response, cause its other triggered ability to trigger, the Measure will remain in play since you cannot sac something you do not control.
Molting Skin
You can use this ability to set up a regeneration shield even if there is nothing threatening to destroy this creature. This is why as long as there's a creature in play, it's impossible to destroy the Skin.
Neverending Torment
You have to remove X cards from their library if you can. So if X is equal to 6, you have to find six cards (unless they don't have 6 cards in their library).
Oboro Envoy
Note that there is errata on this card so his ability only lasts until the end of turn.
O-Naginata
You can use temporary power increasers (like Giant Growth) to make a creature's power 3 and then equip the Naginata. The Naginata will include the bonus it gives when it looks at the creature's power. So you could Giant Growth a Birds of Paradise and then equip it with the Naginata and the Naginata will remain equipped at the end of turn since the Birds will be a 3/1 creature.
Pithing Needle
The naming of the card does not use the stack and cannot be responded to. You do not name a card until the Needle comes into play. If the Needle leaves play, its effect ends and the name card can use its activated abilities again. It affects cards in all zones, so it can prevent players from cycling cards or use other similar abilities.
Promise of Bunrei
If multiple creatures die with the Promise in play, it will trigger for each of them, but for each trigger beyond the first that resolves, it won't do anything since you cannot sac the Promise anymore (since it is no longer in play).
Reki, the History of Kamigawa
It only triggers off of legendary spells. It will not trigger if you play a land or put a legendary permanent into play.
Sakashima the Impostor
It becomes an exact copy of the creature except for the name. Anywhere on the copied card where it mentions the card's name will be replaced by Sakashima's name. Sakashima will only get the bounce the ability if it copies a creature. If it doesn't copy anything, then it will not be able to bounce itself. Also, note that Sakashima is not bounced until the end of turn, not immediately.
Sekki, Seasons' Guide
It will make tokens equal to the damage it receives, even if that damage is more than the number of counters on it. For example, if it has 8 counters on it and it is dealt 10 damage, then it will make 10 tokens. Sekki also works similar to the Phantoms from Judgment in the fact that he will remain in play and his damage prevention ability will still work if you have a permanent toughness booster affecting it.
Twincast
The copy made by Twincast is put on the stack, not played, so it will not trigger anything that triggers when a spell is played. It will copy text that was spliced onto an arcane card. There is no infinite loop with two Twincasts alone on the stack because at some point, you will have to choose the Twincast that's resolving as the target for the copy.
Undying Flames
Targets are chosen on announcement: the cards are revealed when it resolves. Therefore, you have to choose a target before you know how much damage the Flames will be dealing.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions or comments on the article, please make them in the forum.
Nathan Long
DCI Level 2 Judge
n_long at hotmail dot com
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