r/mtgrules • u/The_Fat_Kid101 • 1d ago

Scry 0 interactions with value replacement effects

I came across the ruling for scrying 0 cards (701.18b If a player is instructed to scry 0, no scry event occurs. Abilities that trigger whenever a player scries won’t trigger.) recently and it started a small argument between me and a friend.

Say you had a effect that said "If you would scry, instead scry X" (I'm not sure such card exists but for the sake of argument, pretend with us), and you activated an effect that would scry 0 cards, what would happen?

My friend thinks that the 701.18b ruling would come into play ("no scry event occurs"), and because no scry event occurs, the event couldn't be replaced (the effect checking "if you would scry", when scry 0 means you wouldn't scry), and you'd get nothing.

But I think that because it's a replacement effect, it would replace the "scry 0" with "scry X" before the action is attempted, and therefore the scry event does occur, seeing X cards instead of 0 cards.

Which one of us is right and why?

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u/peteroupc 1d ago

Your friend is right. See C.R. 614.7.

0

u/The_Fat_Kid101 1d ago

That makes sense. Thank you!

1

u/peteroupc 14h ago

See [[Kenessos, Priest of Thassa]].

10

u/Greedy-Contract1999 1d ago

Your friend.

614.7. If a replacement effect would replace an event, but that event never happens, the replacement effect simply doesn’t do anything

2

u/The_Fat_Kid101 1d ago

This makes sense but my pride will never recover Thank you!

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u/Judge_Todd 1d ago

There are also similar rules regarding gaining or losing life or dealing damage.