I am wondering whether the special phrasing of Volrath's Shapeshifter's ability makes it work differently compared to e. g. Body Double.

Let's say Myojin of Seeing Winds is the only card in my graveyard, and I cast (A) Body Double or (B) Volrath's Shapeshifter. The creature will enter the battlefield as a copy of the Myojin.

The infamous CR 614.12 talks about “taking into account replacement effects that have already modified how it enters the battlefield (see rule 616.1)”, and CR 616.1 lists, among others, copy effects. So it's clear that in (A) the copy effect of the Body Double is applied first, then the game checks for other applicable replacement effects and finds the Myojin's, and so Body Double comes with the divinity counter. But what about (B), Volrath's Shapeshifter, his ability is not a copy effect, right? How do we put together the applicable replacement effects, and do they result in him having a divinity counter or not?

Bonus question: Would the answer to the last question have been different a year ago, before the changes to CR 614.12?

Thank you.

Mario Hassler

Originally posted by Gatherer:

As printed, Volrath's Shapeshifter had a copy ability. However, when the rules regarding the interaction of continuous effects changed, this ability no longer worked. Since this ability checked its controller's graveyard, Volrath's Shapeshifter needed to apply control-change effects (layer 2) before copy effects (layer 1), which is the opposite of how the game works. So this ability became a text-changing effect (layer 3), which is indeed applied after control-change effects.

(I think that answers your question, but I'll avoid speculation until Nate or Callum comes along to save us.)

d:^D