On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 04:17:28 GMT, Jimmy Wong <j.w RemoveThis @telus.net> wrote:
>The wording on the card is a mess and the Gatherer wording doesn't seem to
>keep it's original intent.
The rules for face-down creatures, for a very long time, were there only
for IMask. When Morph came along they got upgraded...
>Illusionary Mask >2 >Artifact
>X: You may put a creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your
>hand into play face down as a 0/1 creature. Put X mask counters on that
>creature. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery. The
>creature's controller may turn the creature face up any time he or she
>could play an instant by removing all mask counters from it. This effect
>ends if the creature is turned face up.
>
>1. When someone pays a certain X amount of mana to put a creature into play
>face down, how does his opponent know that he is putting a creature that
>has mana cost X or less?
He does not. However, the card MUST be revealed when the game ends, when it
leaves play, or when it gets turned face-up... so at that time, any imposture
will become obvious. Drawback: this requires the opponent to keep track of what
Xs have been used for which IMask creatures. (Bonus: the rules say this
information MUST be available; the IMask player _cannot_ try a three-card-
monte shuffle to try to confuse anyone about which one is which [504.4].)
(Note that the 'deals or is dealt damage' condition has vanished entirely
from the functionality.)
>2. How about if that creature has a Morph ability? What would be the
>restriction on the value of X to put it into play? Once in play could the
>player pay it's morph cost and turn it face up?
Morph only applies when playing the creature spell. IMask only applies when
using the IMask ability to put it directly into play. So neither one changes
what you need to pay to use the other one.
Once the creature is in play face-down from IMask, it can be turned face-up
in the way IMask specifies; 502.26a says that if that particular creature has
Morph (or would if face-up anyway), you may ALSO use the "reveal it and pay
its morph cost and turn it face-up" method. Ones without Morph only have the
IMask-given method.
>3. What happens if later in the game, we find out that the player didn't
>pay a high enough value of X?
Then you call a judge, and it's quite likely that suspicion of cheating will
fall upon that player.
>4. I believe even if IM is destroyed, the player can still turn the
>creature face up later. Correct?
Correct. The method of turning it face-up is given as part of the resolving
ability; it's not a separate ability on IMask.
>These are all the questions I can think of now. If there are any other
>interesting bits of information about IM that I should know feel free to
>elaborate. As well since the original card's wording is much different, if
>somone knows the history of the rulings of this card, it would help to
>understand why IM is worded as it is now.
It used to be MUCH more complicated; picture, if you will, the situation where
face-down-from-IMask creatures _still have all their abilities_, and creature
type, and name, etc. ... but you can't look at it to see what they are, you
can only find out when you do something and the face-down creature's controller
tells you "You can't do that. No, I don't have to tell you why." or "No, that
creature has 4 toughness, not 2. No, I don't have to tell you why.", etc etc.
Silliness like that is probably part of why Morph took so long to come in as
a general ability...
Dave
--
\/David DeLaney posting from dbd RemoveThis @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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