Meloku and Cage of Hands

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Hi, I was watching a game the other day between a MUC decka and a W/U control
deck. The MUC player had an activated Stalking stones, which had been
enchanted by Cage of Hands. He played Meloku, and then used the ability to
return the Stones to his hand and create a 1/1 flying token.
When the W/U player attempted to return the Cage of Hands to his hand, the MUC
player said he could not because returning the Stones to his hand was part of
the cost and the card went back to this hand (and thus the Cage of Hands went
to its owner's graveyard) before the W/U player could respond.

Was this played correctly? The logic seems sound, but I just never thought
that the Cage of Hands could be gotten rid of in this manner.

thank you,
K

--
In vino veritas

 

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

Kevin <ktneely@no.spam.astroturfgarden.com> wrote:
>Hi, I was watching a game the other day between a MUC decka and a W/U control
>deck. The MUC player had an activated Stalking stones, which had been
>enchanted by Cage of Hands. He played Meloku, and then used the ability to
>return the Stones to his hand and create a 1/1 flying token.
>When the W/U player attempted to return the Cage of Hands to his hand, the MUC
>player said he could not because returning the Stones to his hand was part of
>the cost and the card went back to this hand (and thus the Cage of Hands went
>to its owner's graveyard) before the W/U player could respond.

Meloku the Clouded Mirror 4U Legendary Creature - Moonfolk Wizard
2/4 Flying 1,Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Put a 1/1 blue
Illusion creature token with flying into play.

This is correct, and is in fact the case for all the Moonfolk; their activated
ability's _cost_ includes returning one or more lands you control to owner's
hand, and if you have priority, you may do this (and consequently get
enchantments on the land sent to the graveyard by state-based effects) before
opponent can do anything at all.

Opponent can certainly respond to the Meloku ability, but by the time they
can, the land is already gone (so they can't target or affect it) and any
enchantments that were on the land are also already gone.

Also see Recurring Nightmare, for an older version of this same dilemma for
opponent; in that enchantment's case, returning IT to hand is part of the
activation cost of its ability, so on your turn you can get it into play and
back out of play again, using its ability, before opponent's allowed to
interfere at all.

>Was this played correctly? The logic seems sound, but I just never thought
>that the Cage of Hands could be gotten rid of in this manner.

Oh, sure. It's not very -common- - but if you can get rid of whatever the
Cage of Hands is on at a time opponent doesn't have priority, opponent will
lose it. Another class of ways to do this involves sacrificing the Stones to a
mana ability's cost (Ashnod's Altar, Krark-Clan Ironworks, etc.).

Dave
--
\/David DeLaney posting from dbd@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.

 

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

Kevin wrote:

>
> Hi, I was watching a game the other day between a MUC decka and a W/U
> control
> deck. The MUC player had an activated Stalking stones, which had been
> enchanted by Cage of Hands. He played Meloku, and then used the ability
> to return the Stones to his hand and create a 1/1 flying token.
> When the W/U player attempted to return the Cage of Hands to his hand, the
> MUC player said he could not because returning the Stones to his hand was
> part of the cost and the card went back to this hand (and thus the Cage of
> Hands went to its owner's graveyard) before the W/U player could respond.
>
> Was this played correctly?

Well, probably. See below.

> The logic seems sound, but I just never
> thought that the Cage of Hands could be gotten rid of in this manner.

It works. It's unusual, because there aren't many spells or abilities
that bounce your permanents as a cost, but Meloku's ability is one that
does. The W/U player cannot save the Cage of Hands in response to the
MUC player using Meloku. The bounce is a cost, and he doesn't get to
do anything before it's paid and the Cage is put in the graveyard. If
that's what he tried to do, it doesn't work.

BUT...the W/U player *can* retrieve the Cage of Hands when Meloku is
still on the stack; he can clearly see that his opponent will shortly
have the ability to bounce the Stones. It depends on what he wants.
His Cage is now safe, but MUC player can now leave the Stones in play
and bounce something more convenient. If he leaves the Cage in play,
the MUC player will want to bounce the Stones, which means he'll need
to pay the animate cost again when he plays it once more.
>
> thank you,
> K
>

--
Christopher Mattern

"Which one you figure tracked us?"
"The ugly one, sir."
"...Could you be more specific?"