Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 13:23:22 +0000 From: Paul Barclay Subject: [O] Urza's Legacy Notes (White, Blue, Black) These are the NetReps' comments on the Urza's Legacy set. See also Dan Gray's Urza's Legacy FAQ for other comments. The FAQ deals with most of the simple (normal) questions that will come up. This document is designed to cover the more weird and wonderful cases. All rulings were written by Dave DeLaney and Paul Barclay. Note that, as usual, some spoiler lists were very inaccurate when the set was released (MTGNews's list is notable). Most of these errors are now corrected, however. * Urza's Legacy is an expansion for the Urza's Saga standalone set. It was released on February 15th 1999, and contains 143 cards. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WHITE -------------------------------------------------------------------- Angelic Curator * Protection From Artifacts works exactly like all other forms of Protection. * It won't prevent damage from colourless cards that are not Artifacts (such as lands) Blessed Reversal * The creatures are counted on resolution of Blessed Reversal. Burst of Energy * No, it's not "tap or untap". Can untap an enchantment, only the second Magic card ever that could do so. Cessation * All the perpetual permanents have a triggered ability to bounce them, not a CRE. It interacts normally with Planar Void. Defender of Law * This card, and all similar ones, work in the same way as older cards such as Winding Canyons. * You can only play a card from your hand. You can't play it from your graveyard or anywhere else, unless another card specifically says so. Devout Harpist * Only "Enchant Creature" cards are considered to be creature enchantments. "Enchant Artifact" cards on an Artifact Creature are not. Erase * The enchantment does not go to, or near, the graveyard; it goes straight out of the game, the same way Swords to Plowshares does for creatures. Expendable Troops * If it's attacking or blocking itself when it does this, it doesn't later get to deal combat damage under 5E rules. Under 6E rules, you'll be able to do this after combat damage is loaded on the stack. [Hint: this is really good - Paul] Karmic Guide * Yes, its ability triggers even if you reanimate it. It's good in the Recurring Nightmare deck (the Protection from Black ability doesn't function whilst the Guide is in the graveyard). Hope and Glory * All the "two target" spells must have two distinct targets. This spell can target creatures that are already untapped. Doesn't care who controls the creatures. Opal Avenger * This card's ability won't "multiply trigger" - it just triggers once whenever its conditions are true. Peace and Quiet * You can't cast Peace and Quiet unless there are two or more Enchantments in play. They can have different controllers Planar Collapse * This is _not_ optional. This is an upkeep ability, and under 5E rules only counts on resolution. Under 6E rules, it'll count at the beginning of upkeep to see whether it triggers, and again on resolution to see if it does anything. Sustainer of the Realm * Sustainer of the Realm can only gain a maximum of +0/+2 each time it blocks, regardless of the number of creatures it manages to block. Tragic Poet * The enchantment does not ever have to have been in your hand in the first place. -------------------------------------------------------------------- BLUE -------------------------------------------------------------------- Anthroplasm * The value of X is the number of +1/+1 counters that you want to put on Anthroplasm. * It doesn't die when you play its ability - the old counters are removed and the new ones added in the same event. * If its ability is Interdicted, it simply keeps the old counters. Aura Flux * It does not give itself the Upkeep Cost, but it will give other Aura Fluxes the Upkeep Cost. Bouncing Beebles * This card's ability is an Evasion ability. It's basically "Artifactwalk". * Yes, it's got a stupid name. Cloud of Faeries * As with all these creatures, you don't choose the lands until it comes into play and you play its triggered ability. Delusion of Mediocrity * Illusions of Grandeur without the Cumulative Upkeep. Frantic Search * Choose the lands on announcement, untap them on resolution. Raven Familiar * Sage Owl? Impulse? Why not have both! Second Chance * This is a Phase Ability. You can only take one extra turn. * If you return it to your hand in response to playing its ability, you can take an extra turn every turn. Slow Motion * The creature's controller plays this Phase Cost, because it instructs her to do something. * This is an upkeep cost of the _enchantment_, not of the creature. The creature's abilities may be used before dealing with this upkeep cost. Snap * Choose lands on announcement. Untap them on resolution. Tinker * Sacrificing an artifact is part of the cost to play this spell. * The artifact card is chosen and put into play on the resolution of the spell. Walking Sponge * The creature only loses one of the abilities (you choose which) -------------------------------------------------------------------- BLACK -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bone Shredder * An Echo Nekrataal. Or an Echo Dark Banishing. Brink of Madness * This ability is a Phase Ability. * Not optional. Checks on resolution, for 5E; for 6E, will check at beginning of upkeep to see if it triggers, and again when it resolves. * Cannot cause you to discard your own hand - can't be retargetted to you even if we had something that could retarget an ability targetting a player. Engineered Plague * The creatures don't get -1/-1 until after the type is chosen (it's chosen as a triggered ability on coming into play, not when the spell is cast). Eviscerator * This is a loss of life, not damage. Giant Cockroach * The only "blank" creature in the set. Scary. Lurking Skirge * Since the only place you can find a "Creature" is in play, the creature must go to the graveyard from play. Lurking Skirge will not trigger on a discarded creature. * This only triggers when a creature *owned by* an opponent dies. No Mercy * "It" means "that creature". * Preventing all the damage, reducing it to zero, or redirecting it elsewhere will cause this not to trigger. Ostracize * This card does _not_ create "Ostrich" tokens unless you're playing with Unglued cards. Phyrexian Debaser Phyrexian Defiler Phyrexian Denouncer Phyrexian Plaguelord * All of these are independent of the _actual_ power/toughness of the creature. The -3/-3 has nothing to do with the creature being 3/3, as such. Phyrexian Plaguelord * Remember that a permanent leaves play as soon as it is sacrificed. It's obviously not possible to sacrifice the Plaguelord to its second ability and its first ability at the same time. Rank and File * This is a one-shot effect; it only affects green creatures that are in play when the triggered ability resolves. Permanents that become green creatures later that turn, and green creatures that come into play later that turn, are unaffected. Sick and Tired * Two creatures to target are needed to announce the spell. As with all the "two targets" spells, if only one target is there on resolution, it still gets affected normally. Subversion * In a multiplayer, this affects all your opponents, and makes you a very large target. * It causes loss of life, not damage. Tethered Skirge * This ability triggers when a spell is announced targeting Tethered Skirge, or when a spell is retargeted to Tethered Skirge. Treacherous Link * Treacherous Link has a weird combination with Pariah (if both are on the same creature, and you control the creature). They keep creating damage prevention steps in a continuous loop. The result of this loop is that the damage will remain where it started. * This is not a loop under 6th Edition rules (the damage prevention rules change). Paul Barclay. - ------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Churchill College, Cambridge, England CB30DS -- (Tel: 0958-980-180) - - Official MTG-L Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 08:51:50 +0000 From: Paul Barclay Subject: [O] Urza's Legacy Notes (Red, Green) Sorry about that - we've been having network problems at this end, and I didn't see that the second part of the UL notes had been rejected. Here it is again, in two parts. -------------------------------------------------------------------- RED -------------------------------------------------------------------- About Face * See Transmutation (from Legends) for rulings. Avalanche Riders * The card designed by Olle Rade. Ghitu Slinger * If it's the only creature in play, it will damage itself. Ghitu War Cry * Firebreathing for EVERYONE! Goblin Medics * Yes, this includes when it's tapped to pay a cost, or tapped as an attacker. Goblin Welder * This ability is an "exchange" ability, so if either target is illegal on resolution, nothing happens. * The artifacts change zones at exactly the same time - you can exchange two copies of the same Legendary Artifact with no penalty. * If a continuous replacement ability (such as the Serra Avatar's) affects an Exchange ability, the Exchange ability resolves normally (taking into account the CRE). In this case, a Transmogrified Avatar would be shuffled into the library, while an artifact card was retrieved from the graveyard. * The card from play is put into the graveyard in the same point as the other one left it. It's not put on top. * If the artifact moved from play was a Portcullis, and the other artifact an Artifact Creature, the Portcullis will trigger on the Artifact Creature coming into play. This is a result of the rules on Triggered Abilities. Impending Disaster * This is a Phase Ability. It is not optional. * Counts lands on resolution, for 5E (at the beginning of upkeep, and again on resolution, for 6E). Last-Ditch Effort * The creatures are sacrificed on resolution. This card overrides the rules on Choices - the value of X is chosen on resolution, not on announcement, as it is based on hidden information (the number of creatures sacrificed). * You don't choose X on announcement at all - it's not in the casting cost, not in another cost, and not determined by anything except how many creatures you sacrifice when the spell resolves. Thus, opponent doesn't know what X will be when it's time to respond. Lava Axe * From Portal. Molten Hydra * You can't remove less than all the +1/+1 counters. You can't remove any counters that are not +1/+1 counters (-1/+1 or +2/+2 counters for example). Parch * Parch is a modal spell Choose whether you're dealing 2 damage or 4 damage when you cast it. * If you want to, you can deal 2 damage to a blue creature using mode 1. * If Forked the, same mode is used. Pyromancy * See Stormbind for rulings. * You don't know which card you're discarding before you choose the targets, because costs are (effectively) paid after targets are chosen. Sonic Burst also follows this rule. This means that you can't be sure that you'll kill whatever creature you're targeting. * Remember that if a card has X in its casting cost, X is treated as 0. * The total casting cost is, as usual, the amount of mana printed top- right-corner; lands have total casting cost 0. Rivalry * It will only deal damage to you during your upkeep. * Counts on resolution of the phase ability, for 5E rules; counts at beginning of upkeep and again on resolution in 6E rules. * If the player is tied for most lands with another player, no damage is dealt. Viashino Bey * Viashino Bey has been mistemplated. Its ability is not a triggered ability, it's an additional constraint on declaring an attack. * This card's ability works in the same way as Magnetic Web's (in other words "it just does"). Viashino Cutthroat * See Viashino Sandstalker for related rulings. Viashino Heretic * The Heretic will deal damage even if the artifact is regenerated. It will not deal damage if its ability fizzles due to an illegal target. Viashino Sandscout * See Viashino Sandstalker for related rulings. -------------------------------------------------------------------- GREEN -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bloated Toad * A close relation to the Crunchy Frog. * It can be countered, unlike the Scragnoth. * You may Sleight or Hack or Thoughtlace or Ertai's Meddling this as it is being cast; the protection-from only works while the Toad is in play. Crop Rotation * Sacrificing a land is part of the cost to play Crop Rotation. * Crop Rotation can retrieve any land card, not just basic land. Defense of the Heart * The sacrifice and search are not optional. However, because it says "up to two", you may choose to search for no creatures. If there are no creature cards in your library, you simply shuffle and continue playing. * In a multiplayer game, this card's Phase Ability can be played only if any single opponent controls three or more creatures. It can't be played if the creatures are spread between more than one opponent. Deranged Hermit * "Neep Neep Neep Neep". * While The Hermit is in play, the Squirrel tokens will be 2/2 creatures. Gang of Elk * The Gang gets +2/+2 for each creature that is assigned to block it. Harmonic Convergence * All Enchantments go on top of their owners' libraries. * If any player needs to put more than one Enchantment on top of their library, that player chooses the order. Lone Wolf * This card's ability is a continuous replacement ability that alters the rules for assigning damage. The Wolf can either assign all its damage to the defending player, or it can split the damage among its blockers as normal. * Trample does not combine usefully with the Wolf's ability, except in some very weird multiplayer formats. Multani's Presence * This will trigger even if you counter your own spells. * Under 6th Edition rules, it will trigger no matter how the spell is countered. Simian Grunts * Monkey noises. Go figure. Yavimaya Granger * Only shuffle your library if you search for a land. Paul Barclay. - ------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Churchill College, Cambridge, England CB30DS -- (Tel: 0958-980-180) - - Official MTG-L Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc - ---------------- Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 08:52:25 +0000 From: Paul Barclay Subject: [O] Urza's Legacy Notes (Artifact, Land) -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARTIFACT -------------------------------------------------------------------- Angel's Trumpet * Deals damage to the player, not the creatures. Beast of Burden * This was the Prerelease card for the Urza's Legacy set. Crawlspace * This card doesn't affect attacks made by you, only attacks on you. Damping Engine * Damping Engine counts both cards and tokens. * Damping Engine doesn't affect Sorcery, Instant, Interrupt and Mana Source spells. It also doesn't prevent you from bringing permanents into play by other means. * You can only sacrifice a permanent if you have more permanents than any other player, and you haven't already sacrificed a permanent in this way this turn (you can sacrifice more than one permanent in response to each other, but once one of the abilities resolves, you ignore the entire ability for the rest of the turn). * You have to sacrifice a permanent specifically to ignore the ability (sacrificing a land to Zuran Orb won't do it). This is done as an Instant ability. * Players tied for most permanents with another player are not affected. * The three kinds of spells listed, as well as playing lands, are forbidden by the effect, even if you could play some creature "as an instant". Defense Grid * This extra mana cost can, as usual, be reduced by the appropriate cost reducers. * Does not affect abilities at all. Grim Monolith * It's a Mana Vault without the Ping. * The Monolith's "{4}:Untap Grim Monolith" ability can be played while the Monolith is tapped. * With Power Artifact, a source of unbounded mana. Iron Maiden * It's a Black Vise, but it affects all your opponents. * Counts the cards in an opponent's hand on resolution of the phase ability. Jhoira's Toolbox * The toolbox can Regenerate itself. Quicksilver Amulet * See Timmy, Power Gamer for related rulings (but remember that it won't let you put a BFM into play). * You're not casting a spell at all, so Counterspell, Remove Soul, etc., cannot be played. The creature does come into play normally, triggering when-this-comes-into-play abilities. Memory Jar * The set-aside cards are removed from the game. You _cannot_ play the set-aside cards as if they were in your hand - Memory Jar says nothing to that effect; they are simply Gone for the duration. * The draw-seven-cards is _not_ optional, and can cause a player to lose on the spot. Ring of Gix * An Echo Icy Manipulator. * Remember that Echo is an Upkeep cost - you can't use the Ring's ability during your upkeep until you've paid its Echo cost (you can play it during your opponent's previous turn however). Scrapheap * If a permanent is an artifact and an enchantment, Scrapheap only triggers once when it is put into your graveyard. Thran Lens * This ability removes all colours from cards and tokens in play. It will not prevent a later spell or ability granting colours to permanents later in the game. * It does NOT turn permanents into Artifacts - Artifact and Colourless are two completely different things. Thran Weaponry * In the best spirit of Portal, "This includes your opponent's creatures." * If the Weaponry is tapped for its effect, and untaps before the effect resolves and starts, the effect never starts at all. * It only gives a bonus to creatures that were in play when its ability resolved. Creatures coming into play later do not get this bonus. Wheel of Torture * It's a Rack, but it affects all your opponents. * Counts the cards in an opponent's hand on resolution of the phase ability. -------------------------------------------------------------------- LAND -------------------------------------------------------------------- Faerie Conclave Forbidding Watchtower Ghitu Encampment Spawning Pool Treetop Village * The colour words replace the normal mana symbols for a reason. No, I can't tell you what it is. * All five lands work in the same way. They're very similar to Mishra's Factories, except that none of them become Artifact creatures, and all of them gain a colour when animated. * Sleighting, Whimming, or Mind Bending the land appropriately will affect the color of mana made by the land's ability _and_ the color of creature the land becomes. Paul Barclay. - ------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Churchill College, Cambridge, England CB30DS -- (Tel: 0958-980-180) - - Official MTG-L Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc -