Fatal Frenzy & Momentary Blink & Pandemonium

Eerie Teferi <john.vanormelingen.RemoveThis@telenet.be> sent:
> Hi,

> I have a question about the interaction of these 3 cards:

You also mentioned Nova Chaser, so I put it here in full:

Fatal Frenzy {2}{R} Instant
/ Until end of turn, target creature you control gains trample and gets
+X/+0, where X is its power. Sacrifice it at end of turn.

Nova Chaser {3}{R} Creature - Elemental Warrior 10/2
/ Trample
/ Champion an Elemental

Momentary Blink {1}{W} Instant
/ Remove target creature you control from the game, then return it to
play under its owner's control.
/ Flashback {3}{U}

Pandemonium {3}{R} Enchantment
/ Whenever a creature comes into play, that creature's controller may
have it deal damage equal to its power to target creature or player
of his or her choice.

> Ruling: "The triggered ability
> does not check the creature's power until the ability resolves. If the
> creature is not in play when the ability resolves, it does damage equal to
> the power of the creature right before it left play. This means that if a
> creature comes into play which can destroy itself as a "comes into play"
> ability, the order of resolution of the triggered abilities does not
> matter."

> Situation:
> 1) I have a Pandemonium in play. I bring Nova Chaser into play, placing
> Pandemonium's effect on the stack.
> 2) I now play Fatal Frenzy, targeting my Nova Chaser - which raises its
> power from 10 to 20.
> 3) I now use Pandemonium's effect to deal 20 damage to let's say my
> opponent.

All fine so far, but don't forget about the champion trigger. I
usually manage to champion either a Mulldrifter or a Smokebraider
when I'm using Nova Chaser. In any case, the Pandemonium damage
happens even if you fail to champion something.

> 4) If I now play Momentary Blink, targeting my Nova Chaser, will its power
> still be 20 when it comes back into play, so that I can again deal 20 damage
> with Pandemonium to let's say another opponent (would be nice in multiplayer
> games, not... )?

No, this doesn't work. The creature that you get back when you
get the Nova Chaser card back isn't the same creature as left play.
It's a brand-new permanent, with no memory of other objects that the
card might have been in the past:

217.1c An object that moves from one zone to another is treated as a
new object. Effects connected with its previous location will no
longer affect it. There are four exceptions to this rule: (1) Effects
from spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities that change
the characteristics of an artifact, creature, enchantment, or
planeswalker spell on the stack will continue to apply to the
permanent that spell creates. (2) Abilities that trigger when an
object moves from one zone to another (for example, "When Rancor is
put into a graveyard from play") can find the object in the zone it
moved to when the ability triggered. (3) Prevention effects that
apply to damage from an artifact, creature, enchantment, or
planeswalker spell on the stack will continue to apply to damage from
the permanent that spell becomes. (4) Permanents that phase out or in
"remember" their earlier states. See rule 217.8c.

To make the rules work for you, you could try Clone and Heat Shimmer as
ways of getting extra creatures that are big enough An example would
be to play the Nove Chaser championing Smokebraider, then Heat Shimmer
the Nova Chaser and champion the Nova Chaser. Attack with the token,
then when it goes at the end of turn the original Nova Chaser comes
back. With all the comings and goings, that's a hefty bit of
Pandemonium damage right there. If you've got enough white in the
deck to be able to get round the backlash, a Furnace of Rath or two
might also help out. May be hefy on the mana requirement though.

--
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Group FAQ: http://www.daeghnao.com/magic/faq/ --
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Many thanks for your detailed input. )

Great food for thought to brood on about my gameplan... )

Cheers!

Eerie Teferi
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