This scenario came up at a Regular modern tournament recently, and I was curious how it would go as I couldn't decide one way or the other.

One player has a Tainted Remedy deck, and casts any spell that causes their opponent to gain life. Their opponent responds by Skullcrack-ing the first player, so that neither player could gain life that turn. What happens when the life gain spell resolves? I reasoned that either:

(1) Before the life gain event occurs, the game checks for and applies replacement effects. This causes Skullcrack to no longer apply, and the Burn player loses life as the spell resolves.

Or (2) the action of gaining life is impossible, so that instruction is ignored and the life gain event is never created. Tainted Remedy has no event to apply to.



EDIT: 118.7 answers this particular case: “If an effect says that a player can’t gain life… a replacement effect that would replace a life gain event affecting that player won’t do anything.” So, (2). Is this always the case when attempting to replace impossible actions?

Edited Beau (April 27, 2016 12:07:14 PM)

Originally posted by Gatherer:

Effects that would replace gaining life with another effect won't apply because it's impossible for players to gain life.

Essentially, “Players can't gain life” modifies the rules, so the event that Tainted Remedy is trying to replace is impossible, and never happens (thus, can't be replaced).

d:^D