#copying spells

[magicjudge]

Do you have a favorite niche rules interaction, or something that surprises people the most that it actually works?

I'm quite fond of how Tawnos, the Toymaker works with mutated creature spells (a lot of them are birds or beasts, btw.)

When Tawnos copies such a spell, the copy is created on the stack with the same choices made for it, e.g. it's still being cast for its mutate cost and it's still targeting the same target.

The copy will resolve first and mutate the target as normal. If the token is put over the creature, then the resulting stack is both an artifact and a token. If it's put under, then those characteristics don't matter.

The original spell will resolve and also mutate the target. This means that both the copy and the original's "whenever this creature mutates" triggers will trigger at that point, leading to a total of three triggers from the spell and its copy.

[magicjudge]

Welcome back! I would like to ask for a rules clarification please. Let's say I have ivy, gleeful spellthief and another non-human creature on the battlefield. I cast another creature for it's mutate cost, which triggers ivy's ability, copying the mutating creature, targeting her. My question is, is the ivy created copy considered a token for the purposes of token doublers like adrix and nev?

When Ivy copies a permanent spell, e.g. mutate spell or an aura, she copies that spell on the stack. The copy of the spell will resolve before the original and then enter the battlefield.

It will enter the battlefield as a token, but that token isn't being created in the same way that tokens normally are and so effects like Adrix and Nev that look for tokens to be created won't apply to it.

The copy of the spell enters the battlefield as a token out of necessity. Objects on the stack can exist without a card representing them since this is how all activated and triggered abilities work, but once an object enters the battlefield, it has to have a physical representation either as a card or as a token. Since there's no card, then a copy of a permanent spell must therefore be a token even if it's not created like most other tokens.

[magicjudge]

If I control Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief and Venerated Rotpriest, cast an aura targeting the Rotpriest, and choose to copy the aura with Ivy, how many times will Rotpriest's triggered ability trigger?

Venerated Rot Priest will trigger twice: Once for the original casting of the aura and once when the copy is created targeting Ivy.

When you copy a spell or ability and that copy has different targets or you can change the targets of the copy, then the new targets are determined before the copy targets anything. This means it only ever targets the new target and isn't created targeting the original target.

[magicjudge]

Quick question in relation to Tawnos The Toymaker. Since he can copy bird or beast creatures, would he make an additional copy for creature who have changeling type? (If the changeling is both a bird and a beast?)

Thanks!

No, he'll still just copy it once.

Tawnos's ability only cares that creature is a bird or a beast, not if it's both. He would need two separate abilities for what you want to happen.

[magicjudge]

How does Twinning Staff interact with Zada effects?

Twinning staff will give you just one extra copy of the spell. For example, if you control Zada and two creature tokens and cast Fists of the Anvil targeting Zada, then Zada’s trigger will end up making three copies of the spell, two targeting your tokens and one that you can target anything with.

[magicjudge]

New commander question. What order do things happen if I retrace Waves of Aggression with Sevinne on the battlefield?

When you cast Waves of Aggression from your graveyard while you control Sevinne, Sevinne’s ability will trigger. When the trigger resolves, you’ll copy Waves of Aggression. It has no targets, so it’s just an exact copy of the original.

When the copy of Waves of Aggression resolves, it will untap all creatures that attacked this turn (if any). If it’s not your main phase, then the rest of the spell won’t have any effect since the remainder of its text is predicated on the current phase being a main phase. If it is your main phase, then an additional combat phase is created after the current main phase, followed by an extra main phase.

All players will then receive priority between the copy resolving and the original spell resolving.

When the original spell resolves, it will do the same things that the copy did, but all of your creatures that attacked will still be untapped unless they became tapped for other reasons in the interim. Another combat phase followed by another main phase are created after the current main phase, meaning that as a whole the current turn will have three combat phases and four main phases.

It’s important to remember that Waves of Aggression won’t untap your creatures again between the first and second extra combat step, so I hope some of them have vigilance.

[magicjudge]

With regards to the emblem you get from Will Kennrith's -8 ability, which copies all instants and sorceries I cast, what would be the result if I then cast Doublecast? From my understanding I would get 4 total castings of my next instant or sorcery (let's say spark); that is I would get 2 from Doublecast and it's copy, one from the emblem copy, and the original cast, but my friends aren't sure.

You’ll copy your next instant or sorcery three times: Twice from the two Doublecasts and once from Will’s emblem. So yes, you’ll get four total iterations of the spell you cast.

[magicjudge]

If I topdeck a Miracle card with Kefnet, do both the miracle card and the Kefnet copy have the Miracle Cost trigger?

No. You’re misunderstanding how Miracle works.

When you draw a card with Miracle as your first card for the turn while you control God-Eternal Kefnet, you can reveal it for Miracle, Kefnet, or both. Assuming that you reveal it for both, you’ll then have two triggers trigger and go on the stack in the order of your choice. When the miracle trigger resolves, you can cast the card itself for the miracle cost if you wish. If you don’t, then the card stays in your hand. When Kefnet’s trigger resolves, you’ll copy the revealed card and be able to cast it for 2 less than its printed mana cost. You can’t pay the miracle cost for Kefnet’s trigger because the copy’s miracle ability didn’t trigger.