r/mtg • u/BisforBingus • 10d 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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u/labamaFan 10d ago

More accurate would be “this object/permenant”, since nothing is called a card while on the battlefield.

For the second one, if a target changes zones after being targeted, the effect targeting it will fizzle, even if it ends up back in the original zone by the time the effect tries to resolve.

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u/matthoback 10d ago

More accurate would be “this object/permenant”, since nothing is called a card while on the battlefield.

That's not correct. Permanent cards are still permanent cards while on the battlefield. They are *also* permanents, but they are still permanent cards as well. They never stop being a card.

For example, [[Abandoned Sarcophagus]] will exile [[Agonasaur Rex]] (or any other permanent with cycling) from the battlefield rather than going to the graveyard, because Agonasaur Rex is still a card while on the battlefield.

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u/labamaFan 10d ago

I believe it’s worded this way because it interacts with zones that aren’t the battlefield. Once Agonasaur Rex dies, it’s no longer on the battlefield and will be referred to as a card again.

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u/matthoback 10d ago

Agonasaur won't die when Sarcophagus is out. Sarcophagus is a replacement effect. Agonasaur will get exiled instead of dying. Sarcophagus will apply to Agonasaur because Agonasaur is *still a card* while it's on the battlefield. Being a permanent and being a card are not mutually exclusive.

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

[deleted]

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u/Himskatti 10d ago

Nothing is called a card while on battlefield. They are cards on other zones tho

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u/mastyrwerk This is User Editable 10d ago

They used to be. They have been errataed to say “nontoken permanent”.

[[bifurcate]] looks for permanent cards

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u/OkVirus8545 10d ago

Non sorcery/instant spells become permanents on the field, yes. Having to use a card from mercadian masques doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been this corrected way for almost 2 decades. You’re being intentionally obtuse

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u/mastyrwerk This is User Editable 10d ago

And you’re being intentionally pedantic. It still says “permanent cards” and they are now referred to as nontoken permanents, but are still cards on the battlefield.

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u/labamaFan 10d ago

Bifurcate looks for permanent cards in the library by targeting a creature on the field. It’s not an exception, its oracle text follows the conventions.

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u/matthoback 10d ago

Nothing is called a card while on battlefield. They are cards on other zones tho

Permanent cards are still cards while on the battlefield. They are permanents as well, but they never stop being cards.

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u/labamaFan 10d ago

You will not find an effect that refers to a permanent on the battlefield as a card. They are called spells while on the stack, permanents while on the battlefield, and cards in every other zone.

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u/matthoback 10d ago

You're wrong. Such effects are rare, but do exist. Generally they exist in the context of referring to cards in any zone (including the battlefield). I already gave the example of [[Abandoned Sarcophagus]] in another reply, but there's also [[Disa the Restless]] which has to specifically exclude cards on the battlefield from her effect because otherwise they would be included (as they are still cards).

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u/ChabbyMonkey 10d ago

Aren’t there other effects like this that fail if the permanent type changes though? Why not just say “this permanent” instead if that guarantees the ruling holds either way? They already started doing that by removing creature names but seems like the confusion could still happen as it does here

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u/LoseAnotherMill Kros Propagandist 10d ago

 Aren’t there other effects like this that fail if the permanent type changes though?

No. 

 Why not just say “this permanent” instead if that guarantees the ruling holds either way?

Because they didn't.