Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Judge's Corner
April 9, 2002

Q: I play Recoup, targeting my Capsize in my graveyard. The Recoup resolves. Now I play my Capsize, paying its Buyback cost. Do I get my Capsize back, or is it removed from the game?

-Nathan

A: The Capsize is removed from the game. The flashbacked Capsize has two self-replacements, from the Buyback and Flashback abilities. The wording for Buyback and Flashback are below:

502.16a: … The phrase "Buyback [cost]" means "You may pay an additional [cost] as you play this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand instead of into your graveyard as the spell resolves."

502.22a: … The phrase "Flashback [cost]" means "You may play this card from your graveyard by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. If you do, remove this card from the game instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack."

Both are self-replacements, so we can choose which one to apply first.

Scenario A: Apply Flashback first, then Buyback: We apply flashback's replacement first, and schedule Capsize to go to the removed from game zone. Then we apply buyback, but since Capsize isn't going to your graveyard, buyback does nothing to the Capsize. End result: Capsize is removed from the game.

Scenario B: Apply Buyback first, then Flashback: We apply buyback's replacement first, and schedule Capsize to return to our hand (since it is currently going to the graveyard). Then we apply flashback, and schedule Capsize to be put in the removed from game zone instead of putting Capsize in our hand. End result: Capsize is removed from the game.

So either way, Capsize is removed from the game.

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Q: A quick question triggered by a remark of one of the Peatross brothers:

I know about the rotating out of the blocks in Type 2, but what about the rotating out of blocks/expansions in extended?

-Peter

A: There was one rotation of the Extended environment about 2+ years ago. At that time they took out The Dark, Fallen Empires, Revised (except for the dual lands), and 4th edition (including Chronicles). When that rotation was announced, they said they would be rotating the Extended environment at a much slower pace. I don't know if they are going to rotate the environment any time soon, or if they've changed their mind on this like on so many other things and aren't going to rotate it any more. 

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Q: If I have out Goblin War Drums, which states " Each creature you control can't be blocked except by more than one creature." and I also have out Familiar Ground which says " Each creature you control can't be blocked by more than one creature." Does this mean my creatures are all unblockable, or do they go on the stack, and the one put out last will count? 

-Nick 

A: Your opponents end up not being able to declare any creatures as blockers, as they can't block a creature with both more than one and only one creature at the same time. When two or more effects govern how you can attack or block, you have to follow both of them as well as you can. (This type of thing originally happened with Juggernaut and Invisibility back in the day.)

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Q: Say I have a Vodalian Zombie in play, and my opponent has a Savage Gorilla in play. Could my opponent still use the Gorilla's ability and target my Zombie? I wasn't sure, since Savage Gorilla is green, but its ability isn't.

-MP52687

A: Vodalian Zombie has protection from green, which means that it can't be the target of spells or abilities from green sources (among other things). Since Savage Gorilla is green, it can't target the Vodalian Zombie.

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Q: If I kill a creature with an Avatar of Woe, it can't be regenerated, so can a Reya Dawnbringer Bring it back?

A: Sure. Reya's ability has nothing to do with regeneration.

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Q: The card Radiant Archangel is a legend but when it comes into play it counts as an angel, so can I have two in play at the same time?

A: Let's look at the Oracle wording of Radiant, Archangel…

Radiant, Archangel
{3}{W}{W}
Creature -- Angel Legend
3/3
Flying
Attacking doesn't cause Radiant, Archangel to tap.
Radiant gets +1/+1 for each other creature with flying in play.

So Radiant has two creature types - Angel and Legend. Since Radiant has the creature type Legend, she is subject to the rules for legends, which means (among other things) that you can only have one Radiant out at a time. (Barring, of course, having another effect that changes her creature type.)

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Q: If my opponent uses Birds of Paradise's ability, can I ping it in response to it producing the mana, and have the mana not be produced? Example: My opponent "Bob" uses the ability of the Birds of Paradise, and then I ping it in response to it making the mana. Can it still make the chosen mana color?

-NessMaster3000

A: The Birds of Paradise's ability will still resolve, giving Bob (from Accounting) whatever color mana he wants. This is because the Birds of Paradise's ability is a mana ability, and thus doesn't use the stack.

411.1. To play a mana ability, the player announces that he or she is playing it and pays the activation cost. It resolves immediately afterward and doesn't go on the stack. (See rule 408.2e.)

Now, to get to another situation: Bob has an Elvish Piper out, and activates it. You ping it in response.

Bob will still be able to put a creature out when the Elvish Piper's ability resolves. This is because once an ability has been activated, it exists independently of the permanent (or spell) that generated it.

-Bill Guerin
PojoMgaicJudge@hotmail.com
DCI Level 2 Judge