Jess Dunks

Some Goblins just aren't Noble enough to keep around.

I don’t think the rules cover very well whether that’s the “same ability” or a new ability, though I might be missing something. Wouldn’t be the first time.

I agree that's how it works with Necrotic Ooze. Though text-changing is slightly different, I still think 602.5 should be applied here (Acknowledging that Volrath's Shapeshifter is very weird). #WotCstaff

You choose the half you're casting before putting it on the stack; only that half is evaluated to see if it can be cast. Therefore, the half of the split card you are casting needs to exactly two colors, and the other half is disregarded. You can cast Fuss or Bother but not Fire or Ice. #WotCstaff

I believe that B and C are fairly straightforward, as those are different objects and it should have those abilities. I don't think this is similar to the Necrotic Ooze case, but I might be misunderstanding what you're asking?
#WotCstaff

We'll be adding more explicit support for triggered abilities when you sacrifice something to clearly look back in time for cards like Mayhem Devil (and perhaps, more relevantly, Daemogoth Woe-Eater) in a near-future rules update. #WotCStaff

Following up after some discussion; Yes, you should draw a card if you airbend Aang. #WotCStaff

Brimaz and like 20 other cards all raise their fists in solidarity.

The way costs and effects are sometimes talked about, it's easy to think that they never overlap, but that isn't true. Costs appear inside of effects all the time. Any time you see "[Do something.] If you do, [do something else]," that first action is a cost, per 118.12, inside of the effect of ...

Mayhem Devil is an odd duck, but I think design would want it to be one, yes. Not sure rules technically support that, though, so it’s also worth a closer look (I’d also already made that note to myself). #WotCstaff

For sure, I do see your point. As a concept, I’m not a huge fan of a single trigger condition that’s sometimes an LTB trigger and sometimes not, depending on whether the object you chose to airbend was a permanent on the battlefield or not. I’ll have to dig into design intent here. #WotCstaff

Off the top of my head I’m not sure why that call was made back in OG Innistrad; Soul Seizer would get weird, but I don’t think it truly breaks anything in the rules. I’d assume it was a design call to prevent players from potentially abusing “whenever this creature transforms” abilities. #WotCstaff

That isn’t my expectation, no. Are you suggesting it should be considered a “leaves-the-battlefield” trigger? #WotCstaff

Sorry to say, this might mean you're old.

That said, I do think I could craft a system that doesn’t have most of those unintuitive cases, but it’s a system largely *built* on dependencies, so good luck learning that system, and rip to anyone trying to program it for Arena/MTGO. (In case it’s not clear, I won’t be doing that)

I really think that biggest problem with layers is that it works well *invisibly* in those 99% of cases, so when a really bad example pops up, people think “why is this system so confusing” because they’re trying to understand it through the lens of an unintuitive example. #WotCstaff

Yeah, I’m quite sure we’ve talked about this while it was being recorded.

Also, I don't think it's six of us. There are dozens of us. Dozens!

I enjoy talking about and explaining Magic rules more than most humans, but I cringe every time I explain something knowing someone will have to use "The Magic Rules Architect said so!" as justification for it working that way. #WotCstaff

Not sure whether or not it was considered with the recent change to Zinnia and Ashling (I was out of office for about three months), but Henzie, along with a few other cards, is being looked into for a potential similar update in the future. #WotCstaff

This was, in fact, the very same interaction. I fear I went full podcast mode on somebody.

Coworker: This interaction doesn't make sense, can you explain it?

Me: Yes, but you will need context. *Writes probably too much about layers and why they exist, with pictures and examples*

Coworker: Okay, but what if it didn't work that way?

Me: Honestly, I ask myself this question all the time.

I *think* that makes sense, though that's more "tentative directional agreement" than "ruling," as rules don't cover this. This is probably worth our time to flesh out in the future, though, especially because of similar questions with Koh and cards in exile. Thanks for bringing it up! #WotCstaff

Some specific rules and effects allow the game to look forward to what the characteristics of the spell will be on the stack (eg Adventure spells), but those are limited in scope, and there's no such rule that allows this for blitz.
#WotCstaff

601.2 includes this sentence: "A player must be legally allowed to cast the spell to begin this process (see rule 601.3)."

601.3, in part, "A player can begin to cast a spell only if a rule or effect allows that player to cast it..."

There's no such rule or effect applying in this case.
#WotCstaff

Sabin’s ability isn’t necessarily tied to the blitz ability printed on the card, but it does require the relevant blitz ability to exist in the graveyard. Henzie doesn’t grant blitz to cards in the graveyard (only to spells on the stack) so, unfortunately, you can’t cast it this way. #WotCstaff

This is accurate for this whole group of cards with this ability (Armor of Thorns, etc.) The ruling does appear to be missing from Necromancy in Gatherer, and your post led me to finding a bug that may be preventing rulings from being displayed in some cases, so thanks! #WotCstaff

Yeah, I think that's unfortunately a reasonable assumption people are making, but you're that it wasn't at all what I intended with that tweet, and I don't think there should be a prescribed order in this case. #WotCstaff

Interesting. Can you link the old post by any chance? Sometimes I disagree with my past self.

Yes, those costs can be paid separately, and they would cause that ability to trigger. #WotCstaff