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Mantra 11 Revisited
Well, I STILL get a lot of
questions that are directly answered by Mantra 11. So
let's go over it again, shall we?
(I understand it may not
help that (a) Mantra 11 is below a ginormous Mantra
10, and (b) the formatting on Mantra 10 is screwed up,
making it even bigger, but we do the best we can. I'll
send in another formatting of the Mantras to be posted
within the next day or two, which moves Mantra 10 to
the very bottom. Hopefully that will help.)
Here are Mantras 1 and 11
(Mantra 1 relates to Mantra 11, to be explained below
...)
1. I can't play any spells
or abilities while something is resolving or while
another spell or ability is being played. (18 April
02, modified 11 May 04)
11. To play an ability,
you must be able to fully pay the costs. You can't
play the ability if you can't pay the costs. You may
play the ability as many times as you can pay the
costs. (11 May 04)
Let's look at one example.
We have a Krark-Clan Ironworks and one random artifact
in play. We want to play Shrapnel Blast. Can we
sacrifice the artifact to both get 2 mana and get 5
damage?
Shrapnel Blast
{1}{R} Instant As an additional cost to play Shrapnel Blast, sacrifice an artifact. Shrapnel Blast deals 5 damage to target creature or player.
Krark-Clan Ironworks
{4} Artifact Sacrifice an artifact: Add {2} to your mana pool.
Let's say we want to play
the Shrapnel Blast first. We declare that we are
playing Shrapnel Blast, declare the target, and it
comes time to pay the costs. This is the time we
sacrifice the artifact (and pay 1R). We can't
sacrifice the artifact at this point to the Ironworks,
since we are in the middle of playing a spell (Mantra
1). By the time we get priority again, the artifact is
gone, so we can't sacrifice it to the Ironworks.
What if we do it the other
way, by playing the Ironworks ability? We declare that
we are playing the Ironworks ability. No targets or
anything else, so we go straight to the point where we
have to pay the cost of sacrificing an artifact. We
can't play the Shrapnel Blast right now, as we are in
the middle of playing an ability (of the Ironworks)
(Mantra 1). Once we finish playing the Ironworks'
ability and get priority again, the artifact isn't
there anymore to sacrifice.
(Wait a second fellow
rules gurus, I'm getting to it now ... in fact, I'll
take your comment now...)
Rules savvy reader: "Wait
a second. Krark-Clan Ironworks' ability is a mana
ability. This means we can play it while we are
playing the Shrapnel Blast, right?"
Um, yeah. This reminds me
I need to change Mantra 1 for an exception of mana
abilities. But this does not change the fact we can't
get two uses out of the same artifact. Let's go down
that road now ..
-You play Shrapnel Blast.
-Declare its target.
-Before you pay the costs,
you get a chance to play mana abilities. So you
sacrifice the random artifact to Krark-Clan Ironworks
to get 2 mana.
-Then you pay the costs.
But wait, the random artifact isn't around to
sacrifice any more. You'll have to sacrifice another
artifact to pay for Shrapnel Blast.
(Mantra 1 is amended to
read:
1. I can't play any spells
or abilities while something is resolving or while
another spell or ability is being played. [Exception:
Mana abilities can be played at a specific time during
the announcement of a spell, right before the costs of
that spell are paid.] (18 April 02, modified 11 May 04
and 6 July 04)
---
Let's take an actual
reader question along these lines:
Q: Is it would possible to
combine something like Bottle Gnomes with Krark-Clan
Ironworks or Ashnod's Altar. Would I be able to
sacrifice him with Ironworks or Altar and gain two
mana in addition to 3 life, or would I have to choose
one or the other?
-Josh
A: You would have to
choose one or the other. You can substitute Bottle
Gnomes for Shrapnel Blast in the example above (and
Ashnod's Altar for the Ironworks).
---
Moving on...
Q: Is equipping targeting?
A: When you play the equip
ability, it targets the creature. Once the equipment
is placed on the creature, it no longer targets the
creature.
---
Q: Can a creature with
protection from artifacts be equipped?
A: No. (Mantra 4)
---
Q: If an equipped creature
gains protection from artifacts does the equipment
fall off?
-dasamora
A: Yes. (Mantra 4)
---
Q: For the "target player"
of the Squirrel Farm card from Unglued, can you choose
a teammate in a multiplayer team game as the target
player, or only opponents?
-Jim
A: Who says I'm not
allowed to have fun with Unglued?
Squirrel Farm
{2}{G} Enchantment {1}{G}: Choose a card in your hand. Covering the artist's name, reveal the card to target player. If that player cannot name the artist, reveal the artist's name and put a Squirrel token into play. Treat this token as a 1/1 green creature.
As written, you can choose
a teammate. However, this is probably not what the
card intended. (Did I just question the intent of an
_Unglued_ card?? Anyway...) To make it fair, I suggest
one of the following two solutions.
Solution #1: You can only
choose opponents as targets.
Solution #2: You want to
go strictly by the wording on the card? Fine, I can
work with that. Watch me go...
Once a card has been shown
to a teammate of the person who controls Squirrel
Farm, all players on that team permanently know the
artist of the card (for the remainder of the game).
This means when it comes time for one of them to name
that artist of the card, it is impossible for them to
be able to not know the artist. (The person chosen may
not want to, but he _can_ name the artist. Therefore,
the clause of "If that player cannot name the artist"
is false, because he _can_ name the artist. He may
just choose not to.) Therefore, if a player on your
team has seen that specific card (or another card with
the same name and picture) before, you won't get a
token.
Disclaimer: This is
Unglued here, folks. If you want to say "to heck with
that ruling," feel free. I'm just saying the way I
think the card should work.
---
Q: I have a Blinkmoth
Nexus and I turn it into a 1/1 creature, equipping a
Grafted Wargear on it. When the Wargear falls off the
deanimated Nexus in the cleanup step, will I have to
sacrifice the Nexus?
-Hamster
A: Yes. Grafted Wargear
has been given errata in last month's Rules Team
Rulings to cover this specific situation:
Grafted Wargear
{3} Artifact -- Equipment Equipped creature gets +3/+2. Whenever Grafted Wargear becomes unattached from a permanent, sacrifice that permanent. Equip {0} ({0}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
---
Q: What is morph, first
strike, and haste?
-Kmahar
A: All keyword abilities
are defined in section 502 of the Comprehensive Rules.
You can obtain your copy of the Comprehensive Rules at
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/oracle.
(Click on "Comprehensive Rulebook.")
---
Q: If I have my Arcbound
Crusher out and I play Whispersilk Cloak can I still
gain counters when an artifact comes into play?
A: Yes. Crusher's ability
isn't targeted. (You can tell it isn't targeted by the
absence of the word "target" in the ability. See
Mantra 3.)
---
Q: If I have an artifact
creature in play and I play Whispersilk Cloak on it,
then one of my modular creatures dies, can I put its
counters on the creature with the Whispersilk Cloak?
-D12
A: No. Modular does have
the word "target" on it, so you can't choose the
Cloaked creature to put the counters on it.
---
Q: If I have an Academy
Rector token made by Dual Nature or with a Soul
Foundry, do I get to use the ability of the token
Rector?
-Scott
A: No. Even though the
Rector token goes to the graveyard, it is removed
immediately afterward. So when the triggered ability
resolves, the Rector token isn't in the graveyard to
remove. So you can't remove it to get an enchantment.
Academy Rector
{3}{W} Creature -- Cleric 1/2 When Academy Rector is put into a graveyard from play, you may remove Academy Rector from the game. If you do, search your library for an enchantment card and put that card into play. Then shuffle your library.
---
Tournament Report: FNM -
Diamond Bar, CA
So, in my first week back,
I decide to run the Ironworks deck ...
Ironworks Combo
David Felske - Canadian Grinders, Afternoon *Qualified*
Main Deck:
4 Great Furnace
4 Ancient Den 4 Seat of the Synod 4 Tree of Tales
4 Echoing Truth
4 Mana Leak 4 Krark-Clan Ironworks 4 Thoughtcast 3 Thirst for Knowledge 4 Fabricate 2 Goblin Charbelcher 4 Pentad Prism 3 Serum Visions 4 Chrome Mox 4 Myr Incubator 4 Talisman of Progress
Sideboard:
4 Annul
4 Defense Grid 3 Pyroclasm 4 Sacred Ground
Round 1 - Kyle L. - UW
Control
Game 1 - He gets an early
Damping Matrix down. I am able to bounce it for a
turn, but he counters the Ironworks, and redrops the
Matrix the next turn. He has a full grip, and I only
have 2 Echoing Truths left, so I scoop when he cycles
a Decree.
Sideboard: In: 4 Annul, 4
Defense Grid. Out: 4 Fabricate, 3 Serum Visions, 1 Myr
Incubator.
Game 2 - I have a chance
to stay in this game, but I choose to Leak a couple of
his early artifacts instead of using Annuls. He then
casts Akroma's Vengeance with me holding 2 Annuls and
him having 2 mana available. I try to bounce back, but
he has counters ans Stifles for my Mox and Talismans.
A cycled Decree earns the scoop.
Games: 0-2, Matches: 0-1
Round 2 - Sean S. - UW
Mill
Game 1 - I throw back a
hand of one land and no acceleration, and keep the 6
cards. I set up turn 5, and wait to go off the next
turn. Unfortunately, he has double Brain Freeze (for
33 cards total) and a Mesmeric Orb, leaving me 2
cards.
Sideboard: In: 4 Annul, 4
Defense Grid. Out: 4 Echoing Truth, 3 Serum Visions, 1
Fabricate.
Game 2 - He gets an early
CoP: Artifact out, and I choose not to Leak it. (Why,
I don't know. But anyway ...) I put an Incubator out,
and when he takes an uneventful turn, I pop the
Incubator. He has neither Stifle nor Echoing Truth, so
I take game 2.
Game 3 - I get to the same
position as game 2, with a Cop: Artifact out (I didn't
have the counter this time), and an Incubator on my
side. He casts a Concentrate, which is the last card
in his hand. I decide to pop the Incubator in
response, and go for the gusto. That leaves me with 10
cards. He draws 2 castable cards and a Brain Freeze.
Games: 1-4, Matches; 0-2
I might have had a chance
if I only popped the Incubator for about 15 tokens, as
the CoP: Artifact was going to give him another turn
anyway. It might have extended two turns, though, so
it is tenuous whether I would have won ro not
regardless. Chalk up the loss to a play mistake,
though, as I didn't give myself a chance.
Round 3 - Aaron B. - Big
Red
Game 1 - I keep a hand
with 2 Seats on the draw. Turn 2 Detonate, turn 3
Molten Rain shuts me out. I scoop a couple of turns
later, to a Firewalker.
Sideboard: In: 4 Sacred
Ground. Out: 3 Fabricate, 1 Myr Incubator.
Game 2 - He gets stuck at
3 mana. I get turn 2 Sacred Ground, and Echoing Truth
the Arc Slogger he Seething Songed out, and win at my
leisure.
Game 3 - I again get turn
2 Sacred Ground, and he draws up to 6 land and starts
activating his Stalking Stones. I get an Incubator
out, and make a severe play error, worrying too much
about Starstorm. Had I popped it when I had the
chance, I would have attacked for the win one turn
before he killed me, as he didn't have any Starstorms
in his deck.
Games: 2-6, Matches: 0-3.
Round 4 - Garet W. - SRB
(Stupid Red Burn)
Game 1 - I draw all 4
Thoughtcasts and a Thirst, and combo out on about turn
6 under no pressure.
Sideboard: Nothing.
Game 2 - He gets out a one
power attacker, and I have Incubator and Fabricate in
hand. I draw Ironworks, and am able to go off that
turn.
Games: 4-6, Matches: 1-3
I look over Garet's deck.
He was trying to build a deck along the Big Red
concept, but with a lot of weird card choices. I give
him a deck list to get cards, and promise to bring
some commons for his deck next week.
I was only one of 2
winless players in Round 4, and just manage to avoid
the bye in round 4. Round 5, though, is another story.
Since the other 0 pointer got the bye that round,
there are no players on 0 points. Since I am one of
many at 3, I get ...
Round 5 - BYE.
I would not recommend
playing this deck. A combination of bad matchups,
inconsistency, and a steep learning curve makes this
deck a bad choice.
See you Friday.
Bill Guerin
DCI Level 2 Judge
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