Illusionary mask and fading counters

[Kangaxx]

Ok, so I see stuff on MTGS and people are saying this but I have my doubts. According to them Illusionary Mask and stuff like Calciderm makes it so it never leaves play due to lack of vanishing counters. I'm skeptical though, but can an entire website be wrong?

EDIT: Vanishing, not fading =p disregard the title.

[luma]

If you cast a Calciderm face-down through Illusionary Mask, it will not have the Vanishing ability when it enters the battlefield (it's face-down, remember?), so it will not get any time counters. Vanishing makes you to sacrifice the permanent when the last time counter is removed. Because there are no counters, no counters will be removed and you get to keep the creature.

702.60a. Vanishing is a keyword that represents three abilities. "Vanishing N" means "This permanent enters the battlefield with N time counters on it," "At the beginning of your upkeep, if this permanent has a time counter on it, remove a time counter from it," and "When the last time counter is removed from this permanent, sacrifice it."

Do note though, that Fading works differently. Fading makes you sacrifice the creature if you can't remove a counter. If you substitute Calciderm with Blastoderm, you will have to sacrifice it at the beginning of the first upkeep it's face-up.

702.29a. Fading is a keyword that represents two abilities. "Fading N" means "This permanent enters the battlefield with N fade counters on it" and "At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade counter from this permanent. If you can't, sacrifice the permanent."

[Kangaxx]

If you cast a Calciderm face-down through Illusionary Mask, it will not have the Vanishing ability when it enters the battlefield (it's face-down, remember?), so it will not get any time counters. Vanishing makes you to sacrifice the permanent when the last time counter is removed. Because there are no counters, no counters will be removed and you get to keep the creature.



Do note though, that Fading works differently. Fading makes you sacrifice the creature if you can't remove a counter. If you substitute Calciderm with Blastoderm, you will have to sacrifice it at the beginning of the first upkeep it's face-up.

I realize all this. The main confusion I've been having though is due to the fact that morph from Mask can now be countered. But considering the fact that morph puts stuff into play then I'm wrong. Thanks for this. =)

[Malchar]

Normal morph can also be countered, so it seems like everything makes more sense now.