How does stealing a Rusted Relic work if the thief doesn't have metalcraft?
Asked by satchitanda 14 years ago
Player A, lets call him Clint, has metalcraft and a rusted relic. Player B, lets call him Frank, has only one artifact and a trick up his sleeve: Act of Treason.
Frank, during his turn, casts Act of Treason on the Rusted Relic. Then the mechanics of the game come to a screeching halt as the slow realization that something (may have) gone terribly wrong... how does this resolve?
The comprehensive rules don't seem to cover this. I think what I'd like to really know is if metalcraft is a triggered, continuous, or what type of ability it is.
From http://wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2094 - it says:
"Some metalcraft abilities are static abilities. These abilities constantly check whether or not you control three or more artifacts to see if the bonus applies. With one exception (see the "Stoic Rebuttal" entry in the Card-Specific Notes section), these abilities function only on the battlefield."
So when does the check occur? When priority is passed? After the stack is resolved? Is it something that can be responded to? If it reverts to being an artifact, does it still get passed back to the original controller at the end of turn? Is there an opportunity to fling it?
I would really like to know the most granular detail of how it plays out.
Additionally, there is not an opportunity to Fling it. The instant that you assume control of it, state-based effects state that it is no longer a creature, and since Fling requires you to have control in order to sacrifice... no such luck.
October 21, 2010 12:47 a.m.
in this case (Rusted Relic ) metalcraft is a static ability, specifically a characteristic defining static ability. It is checked continuously, yes the wording around this is somewhat vague, but functionally continuously means its checked whenever state based effects are checked, which is before every time a player would receive priority.
in your specific instance, here is what happens:
Start of Frank's Main Phase
State check, rusted-relic-is-a-creature.
Frank receives priority.
Frank announces Act of Treason targeting the Rusted Relic , and pays costs, Act of Treason goes on the stack.
State check, Rusted Relic is a creature.
Frank receives priority, and passes priority.
State check, Rusted Relic is a creature.
Clint receives priority, has nothing to do, and passes priority.
State check, Rusted Relic is a creature.
Frank receives priority, passes priority.
Since both players passed priority in succession, Act of Treason begins to resolve.
Frank takes control of Rusted Relic , untaps it, and it gains haste.
Since state based checks occur before players receive priority, Rusted Relic loses its metalcraft ability.
Frank receives priority.
...
at this point, Frank has an untapped, hasted artifact, not a creature. He retains it until end of turn.
he can't fling it (its not a creature), but he could cast 1 more artifact (he had one, now has 2 counting the relic) and then Rusted Relic would be a creature again, so he could attack with it.
October 21, 2010 1:12 a.m.
Just to complicate things, lets say that one of Clint's 3 artifacts is something he can sacrifice like a Horizon Spellbomb :
Start of Frank's Main Phase
State check, rusted-relic-is-a-creature.
Frank receives priority.
Frank announces Act of Treason targeting the Rusted Relic , and pays costs, Act of Treason goes on the stack.
State check, Rusted Relic is a creature.
Frank receives priority, and passes priority.
State check, Rusted Relic is a creature.
Clint receives priority.
Clint announces hes going to activate Horizon Spellbomb 's ability and pays costs (saccing the Horizon Spellbomb ), the ability goes on the stack.
State check, Rusted Relic is no longer a creature.
Frank receives priority, and passes priority.
State check, Rusted Relic is no longer a creature.
Clint receives priority, passes priority.
Since both players passed priority in succession, Horizon Spellbomb 's ability resolves. Clint gets a land.
State check, Rusted Relic is no longer a creature.
Frank receives priority, and passes priority.
State check, Rusted Relic is no longer a creature.
Clint receives priority, passes priority.
Since both players passed priority in succession, Act of Treason begins to resolve.
Act of Treason checks targets, and since Rusted Relic isn't a creature, fizzles.
Frank receives priority.
...
October 21, 2010 1:14 a.m.
dr.-mcmeen beat me to it while it was typing all that crap. lol.
Dr. McMeen says... Accepted answer #1
For permanents on the battlefield (or Stoic Rebuttal in your hand) metalcraft is checked as a state-based condition. If you control three or more artifacts, you possess metalcraft, period, and everything with metalcraft abilities, etc. are activated. The only thing that you can respond to are events that cause you to acquire or lose metalcraft- if you have 3 artifacts on the field you can respond to Shatter being cast on your Silver Myr by tapping it and your Mox Opal for mana and casting Stoic Rebuttal for 2CMC- or let it go through, which will remove metalcraft from you once it resolves.
So in the above situation: Clint has metalcraft. Frank does not. When Frank casts Act of Treason , he puts it on the stack with the intention of gaining control of Rusted Relic . Once it's all resolved, Rusted Relic no longer exists in a state of metalcraft, turning it back into a non-creature. Frank suffers further misfortune in that the "gain control until EOT" effect still applies, regardless of the state of rustic-relic. After Frank loses the Relic and it exists on Clint's side of the board, it springs back to life- probably not too happy about its jaunt to the other side.
October 21, 2010 12:46 a.m.