if my life is negative and i have Death's Shadow in play does it get more power/toughness or is it only a 13/13
Asked by SwiftDeath 14 years ago
i have a deck idea but i want to figure out this question before i continue.
it is negative.
A negative + negative is a bigger negative. Only positive if it is multiply or divide. -X + -X = -X
November 20, 2010 1:47 a.m.
SwiftDeath says... #3
so the answer is it becomes bigger because in this case X=1 and the effect becomes X times your life total.
correct me if im wrong and show me the proper equation to prove it.
November 20, 2010 1:51 a.m.
107.1b Most of the time, the Magic game uses only positive numbers and zero. You cant choose a negative number, deal negative damage, gain negative life, and so on. However, its possible for a game value, such as a creatures power, to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison needs to use a negative value, it does so. If a calculation that would determine the result of an effect yields a negative number, zero is used instead, unless that effect sets a players life total to a specific value, doubles a players life total, sets a creatures power or toughness to a specific value, or otherwise modifies a creatures power or toughness.
This falls under the last of those 4 categories, so Shadow would be getting -(-4)/-(-4), which is equivalent mathematically to +4/+4
November 20, 2010 1:51 a.m.
SwiftDeath says... #5
i hate being good at math thank you for clearing that up.
November 20, 2010 1:53 a.m.
my bad I was wrong looked up DCI official rules:
3/1/2010 If your life total is less than 0 and an effect (such as the one from an opponent's Abyssal Persecutor) is keeping you from losing the game, Death's Shadow's ability will actually increase its power and toughness. For example, if your life total is -2, Death's Shadow gets +2/+2.
November 20, 2010 1:54 a.m.
SwiftDeath says... #7
btw i messed up in my equation i know its supposed to be X=life total so 13 + -(-x).
November 20, 2010 1:56 a.m.
That is the official ruling on the card. Wow I need to go back to school lol sorry about that!
November 20, 2010 1:57 a.m.
Ah, the power of maths =P. Yes, 13 - -X is the same thing as 13 + X
SwiftDeath says... #1
in other words if my life is at -4 does it become a 17/17 because of a double negitive.
November 20, 2010 1:39 a.m.