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I would greatly appreciate some clarification on how triggered/activated abilities, especially those that involve a cost, can be copied. Thank you for your help with this. (lemmy.ml)

submitted 8 months ago by bec@lemmy.ml to c/mtg@mtgzone.com

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Could you please clarify for me? If I activate an ability that has a cost and then copy it, do I need to pay the cost again for the copy to resolve?

For example, the ability of [[Isareth, the Awakener]]. If I decide to attack and pay X mana to reanimate a creature, do I also have to pay again if I copy the ability? And if so, am I able to pay a different amount, considering that the source of the copying states, "You can choose new targets for the copy"?

A second question is for a card like [[Drana, Liberator of Malakir]]. If she deals direct damage and her ability triggers, would the +1/+1 counter be placed on each attacking creature, including herself, twice, were I to copy it?

I'm not sure if it's necessary to mention, but I am new to this, I am using [[The Peregrine Dynamo]] to copy those abilities.

Thank you for your help in clarifying this!

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[–] TheLameSauce@lemmy.world 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Triggered and activated abilities can be divided into two parts: condition, and effect. For activated abilities, the condition is a specific cost being paid and is separated from the effect by a colon, while triggered abilities just happen whenever a specified criteria is met. When copying one of these abilities, you only ever copy the effect, not the condition.

So if you copy an ability that says "whenever x happens, do y" you get y effect twice without having to meet the x condition a second time. If you copy an ability that says "do x: get y effect" you get y effect without having to do x a second time.

Hope that makes sense!

[–] bec@lemmy.ml 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

This definitely helps clarify things, thank you!

If I'm understanding correctly, then, when copying a "boast" ability, it allows me to receive the effect of the boast twice while only having to pay the cost once ("pay x, do y"). Correct?

[–] TheLameSauce@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That's correct.

Boast is interesting because it's an activated ability (cost:effect) that can only be activated when a condition is met, like a triggered ability.

As long as the first activation happened while the condition was met (the creature attacked this turn) the effect from the ability can be copied before it finishes resolving.

[–] bec@lemmy.ml 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Thank you, I appreciate the help! Happy Gathering