2 replies to this topic

[SeveredDog]

Situation:

1.       Player has an Asha in play.

2.       Planky Town Trader (Favor of the Old Gods) has the full 5 bestow.

Interrupt: When Planky Town Trader leaves play, put a non-[Martell] character with printed cost X or lower into play from your hand. X is the number of gold on Planky Town Trader. Until the end of the phase, that character cannot leave play. 

3.       Use Planky Town trader as claim

4.       Trigger interrupt and put Esgred (Tyrion’s Chains) into play with the text:

If you control Asha Greyjoy, sacrifice Esgred and have your Asha Greyjoy gain 1 power.

5.       Planky Town Trader means Esgred can’t be sacrificed.

 What happens next?

A.      Esgred stays permanently and Asha gains 1 power.

B.      Esgred stays to the end of the phase, is sacrificed and then Asha gains a power.

C.      Endless loop of Asha gaining power.

 My read is A but want to confirm.

[ystros]

I think the intention would be "B. Esgred stays to the end of the phase, is sacrificed and then Asha gains a power." But the wording is tricky and it may be "Endless loop of Asha gaining power" instead.

 

The "If you control Asha Greyjoy" portion of Esgred's text is a constant ability. From the RRG:

 

Some constant abilities continuously seek a specific condition (denoted by words such as "during," "if," or "while"). The effects of such abilities are active any time the specified condition is met.

 

So I believe that once Planky Town Trader's "cannot leave play" effect wears off at the end of the phase, Esgred should be sacrificed.

 

That leaves the power. The intent seems clear to me that once Esgred is sacrificed, Asha should gain the power. But it's worded as "sacrifice Esgred and have your Asha Greyjoy gain 1 power." and not as "sacrifice Esgred. Then, have your Asha Greyjoy gain 1 power." If the word "Then" was used, the sacrifice would need to fully resolve before the power would be gained. But it uses the word "and" instead.

 

Often with the word "and" you apply as much as you can of the effect. So you can't apply the "sacrifice" aspect until the "cannot" expires at the end of the phase, but there's nothing preventing the power from being gained. If this interpretation is correct, it would result in a winning infinite loop:

 

1. Resolve Esgred's constant ability

2. Check if Asha is in play (she is)

2. Attempt to sacrifice Esgred (cannot due to Planky Town)

3. Asha gains 1 power.

4. Resolve Esgred's constant ability since she's still in play

5. Check if Asha is in play (she is)

6. Continue until 15 power has been reached.

 

I'm probably missing something extremely obvious, but given the current wording it looks to me more like an endless loop of Asha gaining power.

[mplain]

Best Answer

https://community.fa...comment-3498800
 

Question: What happens if I put Esgred (Tyrion's Chain, 111) into play using Planky Town Trader's (Favor of the Old Gods, 75) ability, while I also control a copy of Asha Greyjoy?
 
Answer: Because of Planky Town Trader’s effect, Esgred cannot leave play and therefore is not sacrificed to her own constant ability—both Esgred and Asha remain in play. Asha will not gain any power; she only gains power from Esgred’s ability if Esgred is actually sacrificed (this will be clarified in an upcoming FAQ update). When Planky Town Trader’s “until the end of the phase” effect expires, if you still control both Esgred and Asha, Esgred’s constant ability will immediately cause her to be sacrificed and Asha to gain 1 power.