Voltaic Key + Vedalken Shackles

[whienot]

Say I activate Vedalken Shackles, stack the ability, untap with the key,then activate the shackles again. Do I get to steal (and keep) 2 dudes?

[cdr]

Vedalken Shackles 3
Artifact
You may choose not to untap Vedalken Shackles during your untap step.
2, T: Gain control of target creature with power less than or equal to the number of Islands you control as long as Vedalken Shackles remains tapped.


418. Continuous Effects

418.3d. Some effects from activated or triggered abilities have durations worded "as long as . . . ." If the "as long as" duration ends before the moment the effect would first be applied, the effect does nothing. It doesn't start and immediately stop again, and it doesn't last forever.

Example: Endoskeleton is an artifact with an activated ability that reads "{2}, {T}: Target creature gets +0/+3 as long as Endoskeleton remains tapped." If you play this ability and then Endoskeleton becomes untapped before the ability resolves, it does nothing, because its duration-remaining tapped-was over before the effect began.

[Tosh]

It is not very clear, based on the quoted rules, whether you can take 2 creatures if you use it again in response to the first ability. The example in the quote would be better if the Endoskeleton was tapped again, in response still, since upon the resolution of the first ability the artifact would be tapped.

Basically is does the "as long as" recognize that, before the ability resolved, the artifact became untapped and then tapped again.

[cdr]

The example is exactly the same as the situation in the question. Untapping the Shackles before the ability resolves will make the ability do nothing when it does resolve.

Activating it again has no bearing on the first activation's duration.

[whienot]

Got it. Thanks.