Replacement Effects

What is a replacement effect?

It's an effect that completely or partially replaces one event

with a different event.

Replacement effects are continuous (not one-shot)

effects. They apply continuously as events

happen.

*

*An effect of a resolving spell or ability can also be a

replacement effect. This is called a self-replacement

effect.

How do I recognize a replacement effect?

● Effects that use the word “instead,” including regeneration effects

● Effects that use the word “skip”● Effects that say “[This permanent] enters the

battlefield with...” or “As [this permanent] enters the battlefield...” or “[This permanent] enters the battlefield as...” or “[This permanent] enters the battlefield...” or “[Objects] enter the battlefield...”

● Prevention effects function identically to replacement effects.

Examples

“instead”

regeneration

regeneration

“skip”

“[This permanent] enters the battlefield with...”

“As [this permanent] enters the battlefield...”

“[This permanent] enters the battlefield as...”

“[This permanent] enters the battlefield...”

“[Objects] enter the battlefield...”

Prevention effects

Do the following cards have replacement effects?

Yes.

Yes.

No.

Yes. Yes.

No.

No.

Self-replacement effectsSome replacement effects are not continuous effects. Rather, they are an effect of a resolving spell or ability that replace part or all of that spell or ability’s own effect(s). Such effects are called self-replacement effects.

When applying replacement effects to an event, self-replacement effects are applied before other replacement effects.

Do the following cards have self-replacement effects?

No. Yes.Guideline: If it can replace external events, it's not a self-replacement effect.

Guideline: A self-replacement effect is part of a resolving spell of ability and replaces part or all of that spell or ability's own effects.

No.

Interaction of Multiple Replacement and/or Prevention effects

Who chooses?

The affected player, or the controller of the affected object; if the object has no controller, then owner the affected object.

Order of replacement effects

2) Control changes

3) Copy effects

4) Everything else

1) Self-replacement effects

Continue applying effects, starting from the top of the list, until there are no more left to apply.

Note that the application of one replacement effect may cause another to no longer apply, or to newly apply.

Alice controls Ghosts of the Innocent.

Alice also controls Furnace of Rath.

What happens? Who is the “affected player”?

Then Alice casts Lava Axe, targeting Ned.

The affected player is Ned. Therefore he, not Alice, chooses in which order to apply the replacement effects.

Two replacement effects can be applied to the damage which Lava Axe deals.

If he applies Ghosts of the Innocent's effect first, Lava Axe's damage is halved to 2. Then Furnace of Rath's effect applies, and Lava Axe's damage is doubled to 4.

If he applies Furnace of Rath's replacement effect first, Lava Axe's damage is doubled to 10. Then Ghosts of the Innocent's effect halves it to 5.

Alice controls Phytohydra.

Ned activates Kill-Suit Cultist.

What happens to Phytohydra? Who decides?

Then Ned casts Inferno.

The affected object is Phytohydra. Therefore Alice, its controller, chooses in which order to apply the replacement effects.

Two replacement effects can be applied to the damage which Inferno deals.

If she applies Phytohydra's replacement effect first, she puts six +1/+1 counters on Phytohydra. Then there is no longer an event for Kill-Suit Cultist's effect to replace.

If she applies Kill-Suit Cultist's replacement effect first, Phytohydra is destroyed. Then there is no longer an event for Phytohydra's effect to replace.

Is Phytohydra's effect a self-replacement effect? Why or why not?

It is not a self-replacement effect. It does not replace its own effect.

Alice controls Crumbling Sanctuary.

Ned controls Divine Presence.

What happens to Alice? Who decides?

Ned casts Inferno.

The affected player is Alice. Therefore Alice chooses in which order to apply the replacement effects.

Two replacement effects can be applied to the damage which Inferno deals.

If she applies Crumbling Sanctuary's replacement effect first, she exiles 6 cards from her library. Then there is no longer an event for Divine Presence's effect to replace.

If she applies Divine Presence's replacement effect first, “Inferno deals 6 damage” is replaced with “Inferno deals 3 damage.” Then Crumbling Sanctuary's effect applies, and she exiles 3 cards from her library.

Ned controls Pyromancer's Swath.

Ned controls Divine Presence.

What happens to Alice? Who decides?

Ned casts Inferno.

The affected player is Alice. Therefore Alice chooses in which order to apply the replacement effects.

Two replacement effects can be applied to the damage which Inferno deals.

If she applies Pyromancer's Swath's replacement effect first, “Inferno deals 6 damage” is replaced by “Inferno deals 8 damage.” Then Divine Presence's effect applies and replaces that with “Inferno deals 3 damage.”

If she applies Divine Presence's replacement effect first, “Inferno deals 6 damage” is replaced with “Inferno deals 3 damage.” Then Pyromancer's Swath's effect applies, and replaces that with “Inferno deals 5 damage.”

Doesn't Divine Presences effect mean that no source can ever be dealt more than 3 damage? Why doesn't Divine Presence change the “5 damage” to “3 damage”?

If she applies Divine Presence's replacement effect first, “Inferno deals 6 damage” is replaced with “Inferno deals 3 damage.” Then Pyromancer's Swath's effect applies, and replaces that with “Inferno deals 5 damage.”

Each replacement effect can only be applied ONCE to a particular event.

Alice controls a Serra Angel enchanted with

Mammoth Umbra.

Ned casts Debt of Loyalty on it.

What happens to Serra Angel? Who chooses?

Then Ned casts Murder on it.

If she applies Debt of Loyalty's effect first, then Serra Angel is regenerated and Ned gains control of it.

Alice controls Serra Angel, so she chooses the order of the replacement effects.

If she applies Mammoth Umbra's effect first, then she destroys Mammoth Umbra and Serra Angel isn't destroyed.

Mammoth Umbra's effect no longer applies

Debt of Loyalty's effect no longer applies.

Alice controls Rhox Faithmender.

In Alice's upkeep, she activates Words of Worship.

What happens in Alice's draw step?

Even though Rhox Faithmender's replacement effect didn't apply to the original event, it can (and must) be applied to the modified event.

Only one replacement affect applies to Alice's Draw: Words of Worship replaces it with “You gain 5 life.”

Alice gains 10 life.

Alice controls Doubling Season.

She is at 4 life and casts Gather the Townsfolk.

How many creature tokens does Alice get?

Then Doubling Season's affect is applied.

Gather the Townfolk has a self-replacement effect, which must be applied first.

Alice gets 10 creature tokens; she cannot get only 5.

Alice controls Leyline of the Void.

She casts Specter's Wail targeting Ned.

What zone does Loxodon Smiter end up in? Who chooses?

Ned discards Loxodon Smiter.

If he applies Leyline of the Void's effect first, then Loxodon Smiter is exiled.

Loxodon Smiter has no controller, but Ned is its owner, so he chooses the order of the replacement effects.

If he applies Loxodon Smiter's effect first, then Loxodon Smiter is put onto the battlefield.

Loxodon Smiter's effect no longer applies

Leyline of the Void's effect no longer applies.

Alice controls Serra Angel, enchanted by Infinite Reflection.

She has Dearly Departed in her graveyard.

Can Champion of the Parish enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter?

She casts Champion of the Parish.

v

However, Infinite Reflection's effect is a copy effect, so it must be applied first.

Two replacement effects could apply to Champion of the Parish entering the battlefield.

Then Dearly Departed's effect no longer applies.

Champion of the Parish cannot enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter.

Alice controls Essence of the Wild.

She casts Goblin Rally. Ned responds with Gather Specimens.

What happens?

Ned gets four 1/1 Goblin tokens.

Gather Specimens' replacement effect must be applied first because it's a control-changing replacement effect.Then Essence of the Wild's replacement effect can no longer be applied.

Ned controls Pulmonic Sliver.

Alice targets it with Annihilating Fire.

What happens to Pulmonic Sliver? Who decides?

If he applies Annihilating Fire's effect first, then Pulmonic Sliver is exiled.

Ned controls Pulmonic Sliver, so he chooses the order of the replacement effects.

If he applies Pulmonic Sliver's effect first, then he may put on top of his library.

Pulmonic Sliver's effect no longer applies

If he does, then Annihilating Fire's effect no longer applies.

Damage redirection effects

Ned controls Palisade Giant.

Alice casts Incinerate targeting Ned.

Where does Incinerate's damage go? Who decides?

Ned casts Sivvi's Valor targeting Palisade Giant.

After Palisade Giant's effect is applied, Sivvi's Valor effect is now relevant and must be applied.

Only Palisade Giant's replacement effect applies to Incinerate's damage. There aren't any choices to make.

Suppose Alice had targeted Palisade Giant instead of Ned?

Incinerate deals 3 damage to Ned.

Then the two replacement effects would apply in the reverse order, and Incinerate would deal 3 damage to Palisade Giant.

Ned controls Empyrial Archangel.

Alice casts Incinerate targeting Ned.

How much damage does Incinerate deal, and where? Who decides?

v

Ned also controls Sphere of Law.

The affected player is Ned. Therefore Ned chooses in which order to apply the effects.

Two replacement or prevention effects can be applied to the damage which Incinerate deals to Ned.

If Ned applies Sphere of Law's effect first, then Incinerate deals 1 damage to him. Then Empyrial Archangel's effect applies, and Incinerate instead deals 1 damage to it.

If he applies Empyrial Archangel's replacement effect first, then Incinerate deals 3 damage to it. Sphere of Law's effect no longer applies.

Alice controls Vraska the Unseen, with 5

loyalty counters.

She also controls Empyrial Archangel.

Can Ned use Inferno to kill Vraska? Who decides?

Ned casts Inferno.

Planeswalker Redirection Rule

306.7. If noncombat damage would be dealt to a player by a source controlled by an opponent, that opponent may have that source deal that damage to a planeswalker the first player controls instead. This is a redirection effect (see rule 614.9) and is subject to the normal rules for ordering replacement effects (see rule 616). The opponent chooses whether to redirect the damage as the redirection effect is applied.

The affected player is Alice. Therefore Alice chooses in which order to apply the replacement effects.

Two redirection effects can be applied to the damage which Inferno deals to Alice.

If she applies the planeswalker redirection rule first, Ned decides whether to redirect Inferno's damage from Alice to Vraska. If he does, then Empyrial Archangel's effect no longer applies. (If he doesn't, Empyrial Archangel's effect still applies.)

If she applies Empyrial Archangel's replacement effect first, Inferno's damage is redirected from Alice to Empyrial Archangel. Then the planeswalker redirection rule no longer applies.

306.7