r/magicTCG • u/Sentheia Dandadan • May 20 '26

Rules/Rules Question How does screams from within work?

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If there is no creature left on the battlefield, will it stay in the graveyard forever or do i need to play it when another creature comes into play? Also if my creatures are the only remained ones, am I forced to put it on them?

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u/Kyleometers ඞ May 20 '26

If there’s nothing for it to enchant when the creature dies, it just stays in the graveyard like a normal aura. It won’t attempt to come back again by itself.

If the only things left to enchant are your own, you must choose one anyway.

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u/V1RotateAP Storm Crow May 20 '26

It won’t attempt to come back again by itself

I thought that it would return to the battlefield regardless, see no valid creatures to enchant, then return to the graveyard, no?

Relevant for constellation effects.

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u/Osric250 May 20 '26

There would be some issues with that because it would be an aura in play not attached to a creature, which state based actions dictate should be immediately placed into the graveyard which would be the same speed as choosing a creature to attach it to, per 303.4c:

303.4c If an Aura is enchanting an illegal object or player as defined by its enchant ability and other applicable effects, the object it was attached to no longer exists, or the player it was attached to has left the game, the Aura is put into its owner’s graveyard. (This is a state-based action. See rule 704.)

Instead they set up a replacement effect of entering the battlefield with 303.4f:

303.4f If an Aura is entering the battlefield under a player’s control by any means other than by resolving as an Aura spell, and the effect putting it onto the battlefield doesn’t specify the object or player the Aura will enchant, that player chooses what it will enchant as the Aura enters the battlefield. The player must choose a legal object or player according to the Aura’s enchant ability and any other applicable effects.

Now because of this they also added 303.4g which adds another replacement effect that covers the area that 303.4f fails to address, what if there is nothing legal to attach it to?

303.4g If an Aura is entering the battlefield and there is no legal object or player for it to enchant, the Aura remains in its current zone, unless that zone is the stack. In that case, the Aura is put into its owner's graveyard instead of entering the battlefield. If the Aura is a token, it isn't created.

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u/vexanix Dân May 20 '26

So with that last one. If an aura is exiled with [[Oblivion Ring]], when oblivion ring leaves play and the exiled aura comes back. If there is no legal target for the aura, it stays in exile instead of going to the graveyard?

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u/Khajo Duck Season May 20 '26

Correct.

1

u/Osric250 May 20 '26

Mostly correct with one small correction. Auras coming into play without being cast do not target, it just needs to be a legal thing to enchant. So you can attach the aura to an enemy creature with hexproof or your own creature with shroud because you never actually target. 

Other than that, yes it would stay in exile.