State Based ActionsBy Bryan Prillaman

State Based Actions

• State Based Actions are game actions that happen automatically whenever certain conditions are met.

• They don’t use the Stack.

• Thank you. Please be kind on my survey.

State Based Actions

• They are actions…you take…when the game is in a specific state.

• Surveys are here up front.

State Based Actions

• State Based Actions are the games Garbage Man.

• They handle all the icky details that make thegame go.

• Nobody Controls/Owns them.

• They do not use the stack – You don’t get to respond to them.

• Not the Same as a State Based Trigger

• All State Based Actions that have to be performed happen SIMULTANEOUSLY.• This will become important when we talk about some

examples

When are they checked

• You check SBAs right before a player would get priorty.

• NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF CASTING OR RESOLVING A SPELL.

• NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF CASTING OR RESOLVING A SPELL

• NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF CASTING OR RESOLVING A SPELL

When are they checked

• And if you did one or more state based actions…you do it all over again.

SBAs and Priority

• Check them State-based Actions.

• Maybe check them again

• Put any triggers waiting to go on the stack on the stack

• Check State-based Actions again and triggers

• Why??

• Player gets priority.

• Player does something

• Player passes Priority

• Cycle begins again.

Player Death

If a player has 0 or less life, he or sheloses the game.

• If you can somehow gain life before the spell finishes resolving, you are fine.

If a player attempted to draw a card from a library with no cards in it since the last time state-based actions were checked, he or she loses the game.

• Not the same as having an empty library

If a player has ten or more poison counters, he or she loses the game. Ignore this rule in Two-Headed Giant games; see rule 704.5u instead.

HAT TRICK!!!

Player Death

In a Two-Headed Giant game, if a team has 0 or less life, that team loses the game.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, if a team has fifteen or more poison counters, that team loses the game.

In a Commander game, a player that's been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same commander over the course of the game loses the game.

• General damage is really quiet specific.

Abe Controls a Sacred Ground. He animates Mutavaultand attacks. Ned casts Lightning Bolt targeting the Mutavault. Does Sacred Ground trigger?

Creature Death

If a creature has toughness greater than 0, and the total damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed. Regeneration can replace this event.

• Lightning Bolts don’t kill creatures, State Based Actions do.

Creature Death

If a creature has toughness 0 or less, it's put into its owner's graveyard. Regeneration can't replace this event.

• Duel of the Planeswalkers lies!!

• This does not count as “destruction”

If a creature has toughness greater than 0, and it's been dealt damage by a source with deathtouchsince the last time state-based actions were checked, that creature is destroyed. Regeneration can replace this event.

• Deathtouchiness wears off.

Planewalkers

If a planeswalker has loyalty 0, it's put into its owner's graveyard.

• This isn’t a destruction event either.

If a player controls two or more planeswalkers that share a planeswalker type, that player chooses one of them, and the rest are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called the "planeswalker uniqueness rule.“

• This is a “recent” change.

• Ooops, 3 Jaces.

Legendary Creatures

If a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, that player chooses one of them, and the rest are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called the "legend rule.“

World Enchantments: AKA those things

that make you feel smarter than others

If two or more permanents have the supertypeworld, all except the one that has had the world supertype for the shortest amount of time are put into their owners' graveyards. In the event of a tie for the shortest amount of time, all are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called the "world rule.“

• Sorta like Planechase.

• Never comes up outside EDH. No, not even then.

• Warp World – smuggity smug smug

Things that go *POOF*

• If a token is phased out, or is in a zone other than the battlefield,it ceases to exist.

• What about flicker effects?

• If a copy of a spell is in a zone other than the stack, it ceases to exist. If a copy of a card is in any zone other than the stack or the battlefield, it ceases to exist.

• Can anyone give me an example of this?

Drop it like its hot

If an Aura is attached to an illegal object or player, or is not attached to an object or player, that Aura is put into its owner's graveyard.

If an Equipment or Fortification is attached to an illegal permanent, it becomes unattached from that permanent. It remains on the battlefield.

Counters

If a permanent has both a +1/+1 counter and a -1/-1 counter on it, N +1/+1 and N -1/-1 counters are removed from it, where N is the smaller of the number of +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters on it.

Counters – An oddity

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Counters (continued)

704.5s. If a permanent with an ability that says it can't have more than N counters of a certain kind on it has more than N counters of that kind on it, all but N of those counters are removed from it.

Hey baby, I might live with my parents,but I got a State Based Action all to myself. Lemme tell you about my Cosplay.

Multiplayer Variants

In an Archenemy game, if a non-ongoing scheme card is face up in the command zone, and it isn't the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that scheme card is turned face down and put on the bottom of its owner's scheme deck.

In a Planechase game, if a phenomenon card is face up in the command zone, and it isn't the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, the planar controller planeswalks.

Scenarios

Ned controls a Bear Cub equipped with Sylvok Lifestaff. Alex casts Turn to Slag targeting the hapless cub. Does Ned gain life?

Alex attacks with Bear Cub and BlazethornScarecrow. Ned blocks with Paragon and Chasm Skulker respectively.

How many squid tokens does Ned get?

+1

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Any Questions?