Having a bit of a rules dispute with another judge. Heres the scenario:

Pillar of Flame is cast on a 2/2 creature. The player activates regenerate in response. Now we both agree the creature will be regenerated and remain on the battlefield, the issue we have is whether the pillar's effect could also apply.

Judge A's stance: There is only one replacement effect trying to replace the destruction of the creature and that is the regeneration. Regeneration replaces destruction, so the pillar's effect will never apply.

Judge B's stance: Both the pillar's effect and the regeneration are attempting to replace the destruction, since destruction sends the creature to the gaveyard. However no matter what order they are applied in the creature will regenerate and remain on the battlefield.

So the question is which is the correct replacement effects to apply to the 2/2 in this scenrio?

Judge B is almost right.

Replacement effects look for an event to try and replace it. What exactly is an event depends on the replacement effect.

Here the creature is about to be detroyed. Regeneration is trying to replace destruction. Pillar of Flame is trying to replace “the creature is put into its owner's graveyard”, which is a part of destruction.

Both replacement effects are thus eligible, since both events are about to happen. After you apply one replacement effect, you determine whether the other one is still applicable, and apply it if it does.

If the creature's controller chooses to apply Pillar of Flame's replacement effect first, it replaces the “creature is put into the graveyard” part of destruction, but the event as a whole is still a destruction, so regeneration is still applicable. After that, you apply regeneration and creature stays on the battlefield.


If, on the other hand, the creature's controller chooses to apply regeneration first, then destruction as a whole is replaced, and “put the creature into the graveyard” is no longer about to happen. Pillar of Flame's effect does not apply anymore, and the creature stays on the battlefield.

Daniel Kitachewsky
L3, Paris, France
Rules NetRep