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Rules Q&A » Post: Duplicant's P/T

Duplicant's P/T

Jan. 2, 2018 12:05:42 AM

Olivier Wattel
Judge (Uncertified), Scorekeeper

BeNeLux

Duplicant's P/T

Duplicant's card specific notes mention (amongst other) the following entries:
If the imprinted card has a * in it's power or thoughness, the value of * is 0.

Abilities that define a creature's power and toughness apply while that card is in exile, but abilities that add or subtract from it don't. For example, the ability of Battle Squadron applies to determine Duplicant's power and toughness, but the ability of Werebear doesn't. Duplicant's power and toughness are constantly updated if the exiled card's power and/or toughness change.

These two notes directly contradict each other. Which one is correct?

Edit: the first note is an older one that was removed from gatherer but not from the judge core app. I'll contact the developing team.

Edited Olivier Wattel (Jan. 2, 2018 01:17:30 AM)

Jan. 4, 2018 01:24:54 PM

Nathan Long
Forum Moderator
Judge (Level 2 (Judge Foundry))

USA - Southwest

Duplicant's P/T

Hi,

Thanks for your question. This comes down to “Is that ability a characteristic-defining ability?”:

604.3a A static ability is a characteristic-defining ability if it meets the following criteria: (1) It defines an object’s colors, subtypes, power, or toughness; (2) it is printed on the card it affects, it was granted to the token it affects by the effect that created the token, or it was acquired by the object it affects as the result of a copy effect or text-changing effect; (3) it does not directly affect the characteristics of any other objects; (4) it is not an ability that an object grants to itself; and (5) it does not set the values of such characteristics only if certain conditions are met.

If it fulfills all of that criteria, then it's a CDA and applies in every zone (including exile), and Duplicant would get that power and toughness. For instance, Tarmogoyf is a common example of a card with a power and toughness-setting CDA, so if there are four card types among cards in graveyard, then the exiled Tarmogoyf is a 4/5, and Duplicant is a 4/5 (and its power and toughness update as cards leave or enter the graveyard). Werebear does not have a CDA (it's not defining the power and toughness of Werebear, it's modifying it), so Werebear is a 1/1 in exile, no matter how cards are in its owner's graveyard, and Duplicant would be a 1/1.

Thanks,
Nathan Long
Magic Rules NetRep