Very Puzzling

[EricBess]

Okay, for all you puzzle-lovers out there, here's one for you. Player A and player B are playing an OBC match (actually happened last weekend at the Houston qualifier, BTW) of mono-black control vs. mono-black Balthor the Defiled.

Player A, during his turn, activates Balthor the Defiled's ability, bringing all creatures back from the graveyards.

Now, after that resolves, A has 4 creatures in play, 2 random and 2 Faceless Butchers (call them A1 and A2). Player B also has 2 random creatures and 2 Faceless Butchers (call them B1 and B2). Now, all 4 Butchers had been in the graveyard, so they all entered play at the same time.

Player A, being the active player, Put's A1's CIP ability on the stack, targeting B1 and A2's CIP ability on the stack, targeting B2.

You get to be player B. It is now your turn to put triggered abilities on the stack. The question becomes, how do you do it? What do you target with your Butchers?

 

[Jigglypuff]

Let me make sure I understand the question correctly. Player A's Butchers are targeting my Butchers, correct? If so, I would be tempted to remove my own creatures from the game and let them come back when Player A's Butchers remove mine from the game. This way, I have a chance to get my Butchers back instead of letting them go away for good.

(- Steve -)

 

[Istanbul]

B1 targets B2, and B2 targets B3, one of my own creatures.

B2 comes into play, removing B3 from the game.
B1 comes into play, removing B2 from the game, which brings back B3.
A2 tries to remove B2 from the game, but can't.
A1 removes B1 from the game, which returns B2 to play.
B2 removes A1 from the game, which returns B1 to play.
B1 removes A2 from the game.

End result? My opponent now has his two random creatures. I have my two random creatures AND both Butchers.

 

[EricBess]

Very nice try Istanbul, but the solution is even better than that.

I don't know of a way to get rid of all of the oppenent's creatures, but there is a way to get rid of at least one of them and both of your opponent's Butchers.

I hope that's not too much of a hint...

 

[Istanbul]

I dunno. Depending on the random creature, my solution might actually be *better*.

 

[Jigglypuff]

Okay, how's this:

B2 targets B1
B1 targets A1
B2 resolves and takes B1 from the game
B1 resolves and takes A1 from the game
A2 resolves and takes B2 from the game
B1 comes back into play and takes A2 from the game
B2 comes back into play and takes A3 from the game
A1 attempts to take B1 from the game, but cannot

Player A ends up with just one random creature and I have both Butchers and both of my random creatures.

(- Steve -)

 

[EricBess]

Very good Jigglypuff. Make sure you put B1 on the stack first, though, so that B2 resolves first. You resolved it in the right order, though.

End results are that you remove both of your opponent's Butchers from the game, along with one random creature. One of those Butchers is gone for good.

In the meantime, you get to keep all four of your creatures.

Istanbul, your solution might be better under 2 scenarios. First, if both of your opponent's creatures are detremental (Sleeper Agents and your other two creatures are walls, for example). Second, if one of your creatures has a really good CIP ability that you want to activate an additional time.

However, assuming vanilla creatures, Jigglypuff's solution is the best one that I was able to come up with.