Legal use of Hallow?
Asked by TowerOfBad 13 years ago
So, I was playing in a multiplayer game. I cast Pyroclasm while there were twenty creatures on the board. Another player cast Hallow, assuming he'd gain 40 life.
A third player said that he'd only gain 2 life, because the number "40" isn't on the card, only the number "2" is on the card. He also said that Wizards wouldn't make a card that could do that for only one casting cost.
Who in this scenario is using the card correctly?
MagnorCriol says... Accepted answer #2
The player would gain 40 life. The Pyroclasm would've dealt a total of 40 damage because it deals that 2 damage to each creature. It doesn't deal just two damage. In fact it pretty much explicitly lays it out...I'm honestly unclear on how it could be interpreted as only two damage if there's any more than one creature on the field.
If you'd cast Forked Bolt instead, or if Hallow only prevented damage that would be dealt "to target creature", then it'd be 2 life.
The third player is wrong on several fronts...not the least of which is his "wizards wouldn't print a card that powerful" assertion. There's faaaar more broken cards. =p
December 22, 2010 4:20 a.m.
he would only gain 2 life
Hallow says "Prevent all damage target spell would deal this turn. You gain life equal to the damage prevented this way."
Pyroclasm is only dealing 2 damage, albeit to 20 creatures.
December 22, 2010 4:21 a.m.
TowerOfBad says... #4
So I take it there is just no quotable proof I can bring the person?
December 22, 2010 4:32 a.m.
lol never mind i think the older players above my first post has this.
and yeah, MagnorCriol is right about there being "faaaar more broken cards"
coughcoughSkullclamp coughcough
December 22, 2010 4:39 a.m.
infectorus says... #6
This is quotable proof, or you can just punch him the face. I used to have friends in my playing circle like that also, who could not accept it... just have them read through the entire magic rule book, it says pretty explicitly that hallow prevents all damage that would be caused by a SPELL. Pyroclasm is a SPELL, and it would deal 40 DAMAGE total to all creatures, therefore, you would gain 40 life. A great example of something like this is crypt rats with spirit loop. Crypt rats reads "Pay 1 black, deal one damage to every creature and player" spirit loop reads "Whenever this creature deals damage, you gain that much life" If crypt rats deals 1 damage to every creature and player on the board, and the total damage counted up equals 40, you gain 40 life. :)
Sorry for the long explanation. Just punch him in the face :)
December 22, 2010 4:43 a.m.
Skullclamp isn't broken. Memory Jar is broken. Skullclamp is just a little too good for, say, standard, or extended.
40 life, boom. Exsanguinate + Cabal Coffers + Swamp s = more life than that. Feel lucky nobody had an arbitrarily large amount of 1/1 green Snake creature tokens on the board.
hamburgers says... #1
The friend who said Hallow will gain him 40 life. Hallow says you gain equal to what it would prevent, not equal to the number per target in its text box :P
December 22, 2010 4:18 a.m.