Using flashback, I cast Increasing Ambition from my graveyard (" If Increasing Ambition was cast from a graveyard, instead search your library for two cards and put those cards into your hand. "). Then I copy that spell (e. g. with Reverberate). Do I get to search for two cards for the copy too?

My Sage of Hours (" Remove all +1/+1 counters from Sage of Hours: For each five counters removed this way, take an extra turn after this one.") is equipped with Illusionist's Bracers. I remove five +1/+1 counters to activate the Sage's ability and get an extra turn. Do I get another extra turn for the copied ability?

CR 706.2 tells us that “the copy acquires the copiable values of the original object's characteristics and, for an object on the stack, choices made when casting or activating it (mode, targets, the value of X, whether it was kicked, how it will affect multiple targets, and so on)”. I'm not sure whether using alternative costs to be able to cast the card from a different zone is a “choice” complying to that rule, and whether the zone it was cast from is also included in that choice and hence copied. The copy itself was never cast but put on the stack by an effect.

Same for Sage of Hours, removing all counters was just the activation costs and hardly a choice, and I'm not sure whether the information on how many counters have been removed is known to the copy. No counters have been removed for the copy itself.

Is there a way to easily decide what's copied when it comes to effects that relate to costs or zones? That would be very helpful!

Mario Haßler

Edit/PS: I have found another example for these questions: I cast Ribbons of Night or River's Grasp and spend both black and blue mana, then copy that spell (e. g. with Mirari). Does the copy acquire that it has been cast with black and blue mana, or are the conditions never met because the copy hasn't been cast at all?

Edited Mario Haßler (May 9, 2014 03:37:57 AM)

This question is still undecided. Waiting for more information from WotC.

Daniel Kitachewsky
L4, Paris, France
Rules NetRep

A copy of Increasing Ambition will search for only one card.
A copy of Ribbons of Night will not draw a card.
A copy of Sage of Hours' ability will give no extra turns.

For the first two, the copy is not cast, so it's not “cast from graveyard” and nothing was spent to cast it. Hence no extra effect.
For the last, “removed this way” is equivalent to “removed to activate this ability.” The ability wasn't activated, so no counters were removed this way.

Daniel Kitachewsky
L4, Paris, France
Rules NetRep