Discussion Forum

Champion preventing sacrifice?

Ok, I just built an mono red elemental deck. I'm facing a pretty complicated problem with 2 of my cards that I dont understand the ruling for. As you may know Ball Lightning must be sacrificed at the beginning of your end step. What happens if I swing with it, then champion it with something like Nova Chaser? As you know, after Nova Chaser would leave play, the sacrificed Ball Lightning would come back into play. Would It even come back into play or would it stay in the graveyard, and would it come back into play untapped? If it can come back into play untapped, this would allow me to use haste and attack again. This would come in handy for scenarios like this:

On Field:
6 land
Brighthearth Banneret

Main Phase casts:
Ball Lightning

Combat Phase:
Ball Lightning swings

Second Main Phase:
Bring out Nova Chaser to Champion Ball Lightning. Ball Lightning is sacrificed until Nova Chaser is removed, then is put back into play.


Next turn:
Main Phase or Beginning Combat Phase:
Opposing player casts an instant killing Nova Chaser.

Would Ball Lightning come back into play untapped, ready to use its haste?
Posted 16 March 2012 at 04:21

Permalink

5 replies

To sacrifice something, it must be on the battlefield. If a creature is not on the battlefield (like maybe it's been exiled), then it can't be sacrificed.

If you Champion Ball Lightning with Nova Chaser, then when Nova Chaser is removed from the battlefield Ball Lightning will return, and it's on *that* turn that you would need to sacrifice Ball Lightning.

And unless something says otherwise, permanents always enter the battlefield untapped.
0
Posted 16 March 2012 at 09:09

Permalink

what he said +

The reason it comes back untapped is because when a permanent leaves the battlefield for any reason and then comes back it's no longer the permanent it was, it's concidered a totally new permanent. This means it's reset. It doesn't remember anything from its state before it left the battlefield.

So it's not tapped, it won't have counters on it that it may have aquired in its previous existance and it doesn't remember damage dealt to it before it left the field.
0
Posted 16 March 2012 at 11:08

Permalink

Sweet, thanks. That's great, I've had this problem a few times. So, this basically would be a good backup way for me to get some free damage.

Now here is another question about this. As you know, it states on Ball Lightning, "At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Ball Lightning. What is someone destroys the card that championed it during there turn? Would my Ball Lightning come back then have to be sacrificed at the beginning of the opposing players end step, or would it be sacrificed on my turn at my end step? It does not specify what end step.

Thanks,
~Zelex
0
Posted 16 March 2012 at 15:03

Permalink

From the Gatherer:
[quote]The creature is sacrificed at the end of every turn in which it is on the battlefield. There is no choice about what turn to sacrifice it. [/quote]
0
Posted 17 March 2012 at 04:16

Permalink

If a Ball Lightning enters the battlefield during an opponents turn for any reason, then it's "Sacrifice at the begining of the end step" ability would trigger during your opponent's end step, and Ball lightning would be sacrificed. Provided you did have some turn ending shenanigans in response, such as Time Stop.
0
Posted 24 March 2012 at 16:55

Permalink