Kamigawa rules quandaries

[Maraxus of Keld]

I have run across several rules in Champions of Kamigawa that positively stump me. I have sent an email to Wizards' Saturday School to ask the questions, but in the meantime I thought I'd see what you all think is the correct answer. I decided not to put this in the Ask the Legends board because a) I answer half those questions myself, and b) I don't expect my fellow admins will have any more of an official answer than I do just yet. So:

1) Can Time of Need fetch a flip creature, such as Budoka Gardener?

2) Speaking of Budoka Gardener, once I flip him to Dokai, Weaver of Life and create a token, does the Elemental's power/toughness remain fixed or change with my number of lands? For example, say I have 11 lands, tap Dokai to make an 11/11 token, then play another land. Does the token remain at 11/11 or jump up to 12/12?

3) If I have Tok-Tok, Lavaborn in play and somebody plays his flip side Akki Lavarunner, does Tok-Tok die, or remain in play until the Lavarunner is flipped?

4) If I splice Soulless Revival onto an Arcane spell and that spell is countered, do I lose Soulless Revival as well, or does it remain in my hand?


I would greatly appreciate everyone's opinion on these rulings.

[Maraxus of Keld]

This is what I'm inclined to believe, although I am by no means sure:

1) I think Time of Need can fetch flip creatures because while they're not in play they should count as both creatures. This is probably not the case while they're in play, though.

2) This one I have really no idea. If anything, I would think the token changes with my number of lands because there's no wording that says "power and toughness equal to the number of lands you control as the token comes into play." If you look at Promise of Power, it specifies that the P/T of the creature is fixed when it comes into play, but in this case it doesn't say.

3) I think that another Akki Lavarunner coming in shouldn't kill the legend because the Lavarunner itself is not legendary until it flips. I think that once the creature flips, they both will die, but until then they should remain in play.

4) I think the spliced spell remains in the caster's hand even if the Arcane spell is countered simply because you aren't actually playing the spliced spell. But like I said, I'm not really sure.

[Baron Sengir]

#1.) I'd assume that it can get a flip card, b/c the card is technically both creature types.

#2.) I believe his power and toughness would stay the same. Whatever your lands are when he comes out is what he stays at. If you put out another land and then another token, that token gets another counter to it, but the previous token stays the same.

#3.) If you are using one side, and your opponent is using the other side they won't die. But if your side flips to the legend side and your opponent has that legend side out as well they'll die. Or if you both play it on the legend side, they will both die obviously. Thats how I think that one would work.

#4.) Thats the toughest one you asked in my opinion, I can't realy say, but I'd guess that the Soulless Revival would not die, b/c it isn't being enchanted onto the arcane spell or anything, but I really don't know about that one.

[Volrath, the Fallen]

I agree with the Baron on all but #2. I think it would get too complicated if they did it that way.

[Maraxus of Keld]

And those jerks didn't answer any of my questions this week on Saturday school! Since this isn't the first time this has happened, and there were some really stupid questions (Is Skullclamp banned or restricted in Standard, for example), I'm beginning to wonder if they even check the email address they provide, or just ask and answer their own questions.

[Baron Sengir]

Maraxus said:

I'm beginning to wonder if they even check the email address they provide, or just ask and answer their own questions.

Well I sent a P.M. to the admins on the Wizards forums, but never got a response either, so...

[Maraxus of Keld]

With regard to these questions, the only one I'm still not sure about is #2. As for the others:

1) "Flip" creatures are considered to be the unflipped version while they're anywhere other than in play, so Time of Need can NOT fetch them.

3) The unflipped creature is not Legendary, so it does not activate the Legend rule until it flips.

4) Spliced spells stay in your hand even if the spell you spliced them onto is countered.

[Butcher Orgg(s)]

1) No.
2) It stays the same, I think. It's p/t is decided when it comes into play. It would say if it changed, I think.
3) No.
4) It stays in your hand.

[Disco Bandit]

i know #4 is true, it stays in your hand, but i don't know about the others.

[Maraxus of Keld]

So after all this time I finally found out the answer to #2. And they chose to make it the more complicated way.

Q: How does Dokai, Weaver of Life's Elementals token creatures work? Are they */*s where * is equal to your lands all the time or just the number when you made the token? --Pat T.

A: Each token will be X/X according to how many lands you controlled as it was being made. You could have an 11/11 token, play two lands, and then make another token. The second one would be 13/13 while the first is still 11/11.