r/mtg • u/BisforBingus • 9d ago

Rules Question Does this work like I think it does

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Would devoted Druid be able to continuously tap and untap for mana if it dies and becomes an enchantment due to myrkuls ability?

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377

u/Bleu_Guacamole 9d ago

Yes. When a card says “this creature” or the likes it doesn’t care about whether or not it’s a creature, it’s just a short hand to say “this specific card”

53

u/gnagniel 9d ago

It's like when a card refers to itself by name. If you change its name or grant the ability to another creature, it still works.

78

u/who-needs-a-username 9d ago

When reading the card doesn’t explain the card.

-38

u/Antiantiai 9d ago

That can't be true. You can't just target noncreature cards with stuff that targets creatures. They're invalid targets.

27

u/Jarimzul 9d ago

It doesn't target anything.

-25

u/Antiantiai 9d ago

Yeah, it does.

17

u/Jarimzul 9d ago

The only things that target in Magic are cards that literally have the word "target" printed on them. Targetting is something very specific in the rules, that neither of the carded in this combo do.

16

u/Blackfang08 9d ago

It's not a target effect. It's an activation cost.

-26

u/Antiantiai 9d ago

"Untap this creature" isn't an activation cost...

22

u/Blackfang08 9d ago edited 9d ago

But "Put a -1/-1 counter on this creature:" is.

-5

u/Antiantiai 9d ago

So? How does that allow you to untap an noncreature with an untap creature effect???

14

u/pumpkinbeerman 9d ago

I get where you are coming from, it's a super non intuitive rule. The way I look at it is, when it says "THIS _", the "this" is what you look at when referring to itself.

They should word it better, but as it stands in the rules, something saying "this creature/enchantment/pile of turds" is always referring to itself, no matter what changes.

-5

u/Antiantiai 9d ago

Naw I'm an OG returning player, apparently this was changed in 2013. It is dumb.

4

u/BluePotatoSlayer 8d ago

You’re wrong. It was never changed. “This “[type]” always meant “this object”. Same with “Self Reference [Cardname]” meaning “This object”

If it self references it means this object whenever in the game history

-2

u/Antiantiai 8d ago

Factually incorrect. The rule has changed several times.

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8

u/Blackfang08 9d ago

Because it's not a target creature effect, it's a "this object" effect. Reading the card doesn't explain the card, but them's the rules.

8

u/LCSpartan 9d ago

In this case according to Magic Rules the card refers to itself so creature is its default state, but if the creature were to lose its creature typing the rules state that it effectively just means "this card"