Here's a puzzle for ya!

[Llanfer]

Ok, I know that quite a few of you at STAGS play Magic The Gathering if not at the club then maybe casually at home - this puzzle is for you. The problem with Mtg is that so few actually know how to play it:( - the reason for this is that the Basic Rules (god bless them:rolleyes: ) is grossly oversimplified compared to the actualrules (Mtg Comprehensive Rules - see WotC website for download). This leads to some spectacular gaffes or arguments (I know because I've had 'em;) and really it comes about because Magic players when they learn the basics don't go on to read the full rules. Here's a example: I have a Crag Puca (a 2/4 RU Hybrid creature with an activated ability of R/U: Switch Power and Toughness until end of turn of Crag Puca) and during my precombat Main Phase I switch its power and toughness (so it's 4/2 now). Then during my Combat Phase (declare attackers step) I attack with it. My opponent decides not to block (declare blockers step) but has an untapped Quicksand (Land - Sacrifice this to give target non-flying creature -1/-2 until end of turn) and activates it targetting the Crag Puca. The puzzle is this: What happens next and why? Clue: 99% of Magic players would get this wrong!! If any of you get this right you'll win a million (Zimbabwean) dollars:D .

[Leto]

It becomes a 2/1 instead of 4/2 as its own ability just switches its power and toughness so quicksand changes these to 1/2 then its ability switches it to 2/1?

Wish I could get back into Magic but Sundays just aren't good for me :(

[Llanfer]

Well, almost but not quite Leto. You're right that it is 2/1 but why? The answer is to be found in the comprehensive Mtg rules. Rule 418.5 deals with Continuous Effects. A continuous effect is any effect which lasts a specified length of time or as long as the permanent is out or 'attached' to something (eg equipment cards) - in this case until end of turn - and these are handled differently to normal one shot effects . To put it as simply as I can Continuous Effects follow a strict priority order starting with 1/ Layering; 2/ Dependency; 3/Characteristic Setting Values and 4/Timestamp order. So instead of using timestamp order (namely the order in which these spells are cast) you must start with 'Layering'. Continuous Effects are divided into 6 layers of priority order - I won't go through all the layers here (read the rules if you want to know more) however the layer which is relevant here deals with Power/Toughness effects (layer 6). To further complicate matters (hope your following this:( ) Layer 6 is divided into 5 sub-layers (a to e). Switching of Power and Toughness is always handled in the very last sublayer (6e) whilst all effects which trigger or resolve are handled in layer 6b. Therefore what happens is this: the Quicksand gives the Crag Puca -1/-2 first (layer 6b) then you switch power and toughness (layer 6e) last. It does not matter with continuous effects when these effects were played during the turn. OK? This rule is possibly the most difficult for noobs to understand so I can well see why WotC doesn't want to burden new players with it - however if any of you play in a tourney you'll need to know this stuff.

[Jadawi]

ACtually it becomes a 0/3 :D

[Llanfer]

OK, because the Mtg comprehensive rules can seem like your reading a legal document:( here are the full layers explained as simply as I can (for continuous effects of course - Rule 418.5):-
Layer 1: - Copy - Copy effects go here. Examples: Clone, Dimir Doppelganger.
Layer 2: - Control - Things that change an objects controller go here. (eg: Control Magic, Vedalken Shackles).
Layer 3: - Text - Things that alter an object's text. (eg: Mind Bend, Artificial Evolution)
Layer 4: - Type - Things that alter an object's type, subtype or supertype. (Eg: Opalescence, Mycosynth Lattice (1st Ability), Crimson Kobold, Kavu Runner, Mutavault's activated ability)
Layer 5: - Anything that's not earlier in the list but doesn't alter power or toughness, such as changing the colour of a permanent or granting/taking away of abilities (Eg: Humility, Snakeform; Shifting Sky)
Layer 6: - The Power/ Toughness layer - This has 5 sublayers (a - e):-
a) P/T CSAs - Characteristic Setting Ability or Values - eg: Maro, Nightmare.
b)P/T Changes from resolving spells, triggered abilities or activated abilities and changes from Static continuous Abilities that set the P/T to a specific number (eg: Humility's 0/1 effect; Giant Growth; Basking Rootwalla, Infest etc)
c) P/T changes from counters - usually -1/-1 or +1/+1 counters. Enough said!
d) P/T changes from static abilities that adjust the p/t by increasing or decreasing by a certain amount (not setting them to a specific number as in b) eg: Glorious Anthem, Crusade, Bad Moon, Loxodon Warhammer etc.
e) P/T Switching: Apply switching of p/t here - Always last Jadawi.

If 2 or more effects are 'tied' in the same layer then we use dependency if applicable (A is dependant on B if B effects A significantly when placed later in the timestamp order - eg Blood Moon and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - Urborg is dependent on Blood Moon because if placed after it is unaffected but if placed before will have its abilities erased by Blood Moon's) so Blood Moon should always be placed after Urborg Tomb of Yawgmoth making it a mountain and erasing its abilities. If dependency is not applicable then it is Characteristic Setting Abilities (See 6a) and finally Timestamp order (which 99% of the time is used to determine priority).

I hope the above makes what is probably the most complex rule in Magic (or probably any card game) a little clearer.:)