Multiple Activations of Avarice Totem

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Here it is:

Avarice Totem
{1}
Artifact
{5}: Exchange control of Avarice Totem and target nonland permanent.

Is it possible to set this off twice, and in such a way, end up
getting the Totem back?

For instance, let's say that Player A has an Avarice Totem and
a...uh... Scryb Sprites (random creature) in play. Player B has some
other random creature in play...uh...a War Mammoth.

Can Player A pay two activations of the Totem, the first targetting
his own Sprites, and, while the first is on the stack, the second
targetting Player B's War Mammoth? If so, will they resolve in such a
way so that first, the Mammoth and the Totem get exchanged, and then
the Sprites and the Totem get exhanged, resulting in Player A
controlling the Totem and the Mammoth and Player B controlling the
Sprites? (Apologies for the confusing wording.)

Thanks,

Rick Kunkel
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules (More info?)

Rick Kunkel <NOSPAM-kunkel@w-link.net> writes:
> Here it is:
>
> Avarice Totem
> {1}
> Artifact
> {5}: Exchange control of Avarice Totem and target nonland permanent.
>
> Is it possible to set this off twice, and in such a way, end up
> getting the Totem back?

Yes, if you do it right. Similar questions have been asked of
Phyrexian Infiltrator and other exchange-control cards in the past.

> For instance, let's say that Player A has an Avarice Totem and
> a...uh... Scryb Sprites (random creature) in play. Player B has some
> other random creature in play...uh...a War Mammoth.

I think the "traditional" generic example-creatures are Grizzly Bears
and Hill Giant. But whatever...

> Can Player A pay two activations of the Totem, the first targetting
> his own Sprites, and, while the first is on the stack, the second
> targetting Player B's War Mammoth? If so, will they resolve in such a
> way so that first, the Mammoth and the Totem get exchanged, and then
> the Sprites and the Totem get exhanged, resulting in Player A
> controlling the Totem and the Mammoth and Player B controlling the
> Sprites? (Apologies for the confusing wording.)

Yes, assuming that player B doesn't do anything (such as Shattering
the Totem, playing the Totem's ability while it is under his control,
etc...). This is perfectly legal and does what you expect.

That said, 10 mana and giving up one of your creatures just to get one
of theirs is not necessarily the best deal.

--
Peter C.
"Puns are the lowest form of humor.... Now slapstick, that's intelligent!"
-- tnt
 
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Rick Kunkel, worshipped by llamas the world over, wrote...
> Here it is:
>
> Avarice Totem
> {1}
> Artifact
> {5}: Exchange control of Avarice Totem and target nonland permanent.
>
> Is it possible to set this off twice, and in such a way, end up
> getting the Totem back?
>
> For instance, let's say that Player A has an Avarice Totem and
> a...uh... Scryb Sprites (random creature) in play. Player B has some
> other random creature in play...uh...a War Mammoth.
>
> Can Player A pay two activations of the Totem, the first targetting
> his own Sprites, and, while the first is on the stack, the second
> targetting Player B's War Mammoth? If so, will they resolve in such a
> way so that first, the Mammoth and the Totem get exchanged, and then
> the Sprites and the Totem get exhanged, resulting in Player A
> controlling the Totem and the Mammoth and Player B controlling the
> Sprites? (Apologies for the confusing wording.)

Similar questions have arisen with other exchange-control cards in the
past, and if memeory serves the answer is yes, the above sequence does
work. I can't see any reason why it wouldn't but I'm by no means one of
the high-end gurus.

However, I don't see why the opponent couldn't, during the brief period
when he controls the Totem, activate it and exchange it for a different
permanent of yours. This would in effect negate your first activation
of the Totem, since nothing visible would happen when the game tried to
exchange your Totem for your Sprites; you would still end up controlling
the Totem but your opponent might get a more desirable permanent out of
it.

What you can't do, of course, is activate the totem twice (or more),
targetting permanents your opponent controls both (or all N) times, and
expect to get more than one of your opponent's permanents out of it.
Only the last activation in the sequence would do anything visible; the
rest would have no effect on the game.
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules (More info?)

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004, Rick Kunkel wrote:

> Here it is:
>
> Avarice Totem
> {1}
> Artifact
> {5}: Exchange control of Avarice Totem and target nonland permanent.
>
> Is it possible to set this off twice, and in such a way, end up
> getting the Totem back?
>
> For instance, let's say that Player A has an Avarice Totem and
> a...uh... Scryb Sprites (random creature) in play. Player B has some
> other random creature in play...uh...a War Mammoth.
>
> Can Player A pay two activations of the Totem, the first targetting
> his own Sprites, and, while the first is on the stack, the second
> targetting Player B's War Mammoth? If so, will they resolve in such a
> way so that first, the Mammoth and the Totem get exchanged, and then
> the Sprites and the Totem get exhanged, resulting in Player A
> controlling the Totem and the Mammoth and Player B controlling the
> Sprites? (Apologies for the confusing wording.)

Yes, I'd think that should work.

--

David
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules (More info?)

Rick Kunkel <NOSPAM-kunkel@w-link.net> wrote:
>Here it is:
>
>Avarice Totem 1 Artifact
> 5: Exchange control of Avarice Totem and target nonland permanent.
>
>Is it possible to set this off twice, and in such a way, end up
>getting the Totem back?

Sure. Note that the exchange _can't take place_, by the rules, if both
permanents have the same controller - but you can target your own nonland
permanent, then in response use the Totem again to target opponent's
nonland permanent. You swap the Totem for their permanent, then you
swap your permanent for the Totem.

Note that if opponent has 5 available, though, they can mess up your plan
while they have the Totem, before the first use resolves.

>For instance, let's say that Player A has an Avarice Totem and
>a...uh... Scryb Sprites (random creature) in play. Player B has some
>other random creature in play...uh...a War Mammoth.
>
>Can Player A pay two activations of the Totem, the first targetting
>his own Sprites, and, while the first is on the stack, the second
>targetting Player B's War Mammoth?

Sure. It doesn't say "target nonland permanent -you don't control-".

> If so, will they resolve in such a
>way so that first, the Mammoth and the Totem get exchanged, and then
>the Sprites and the Totem get exhanged, resulting in Player A
>controlling the Totem and the Mammoth and Player B controlling the
>Sprites? (Apologies for the confusing wording.)

Yes.

What you -can't- do is use it on something you've stolen, in order to
keep the stolen thing permanently after the stealing effect wears off; the
rules got changed a while back so that you can't 'exchange control' unless
the things involved actually have different controllers.

Dave
--
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