Recurring Nightmare Question?

[char89]

can you still use recurring nightmares ability even though its in your graveyard ?

[Pinder]

Um....no.

[Jaynel]

It can't be removed from the game or in your hand either. You need it in play in order to activate it.

[Pinder]

Spurred by a need for thoroughness and a streak of boredom, I present the relevant rule:



217.5b A spell or ability affects and checks only the in-play zone unless it specifically mentions a player or another zone. Permanents exist only in the in-play zone.


So unless it specifically mentions returning from your graveyard to your hand, it will only work when it's in play.

[Outlaw (SLO)]

1 question.
Can u retrun to play with Recurring Nightmare the same creature that u sacrificed?

[Pinder]

1 question.
Can u retrun to play with Recurring Nightmare the same creature that u sacrificed?

Also no, but for a much more interesting reason. It has to do with the steps you follow when playing a spell or ability. Picking targets comes before paying costs, so at the point where you have to choose targets for the ability, the creature you choose to sacrifice it isn't in the graveyard yet (and no, the creature you choose to sacrifice isn't targeted by this ability).

The relevant rule is rule 409.1. It's really long (but still worth reading), so I'll just post the relevant parts:




409.1. Playing a spell or activated ability follows the steps listed below, in order. If, at any point during the playing of a spell or ability, a player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the spell was played illegally; the game returns to the moment before that spell or ability was played (see rule 422, “Handling Illegal Actions”). Announcements and payments can’t be altered after they’ve been made.

...

409.1c If the spell or ability requires any targets, the player first announces how many targets he or she will choose (if the spell or ability has a variable number of targets), then announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each of those targets. A spell or ability can’t be played unless the required number of legal targets are chosen for it. The same target can’t be chosen multiple times for any one instance of the word “target” on the spell or ability. If the spell or ability uses the word “target” in multiple places, the same object, player, or zone can be chosen once for each instance of the word “target” (as long as it fits the targeting criteria).
Example: If an ability reads “Tap two target creatures,” then the same target can’t be chosen twice; the ability requires two different legal targets. An ability that reads “Destroy target artifact and target land,” however, can target the same artifact land twice because it uses the word “target” in multiple places.

...

409.1f The player determines the total cost of the spell or ability. Usually this is just the mana cost (for spells) or activation cost (for abilities). Some cards list additional or alternative costs in their text. Some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay, or may provide other alternative costs. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana cost, activation cost, or alternative cost (as determined in rule 409.1b), plus all additional costs and cost increases, and minus all cost reductions. If the mana component of the total cost is reduced to nothing by cost reduction effects, it is considered to be {0}. It can’t be reduced to less than {0}. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes “locked in.” If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect.

...

409.1h The player pays the total cost in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. Unpayable costs can’t be paid.
Example: You play Death Bomb, which costs {3}{B} and has an additional cost of sacrificing a creature. You sacrifice Thunderscape Familiar, whose effect makes your black spells cost {1} less to play. Because a spell’s total cost is “locked in” before payments are actually made, you pay {2}{B}, not {3}{B}, even though you’re sacrificing the Familiar.


The last example there is actually pretty relevant, as well. Hope this helps.

[Outlaw (SLO)]

Alright, thanks.

[HdH_Cthulhu]

1 question.
Can u retrun to play with Recurring Nightmare the same creature that u sacrificed?

You could do that with Reroute!

You choose your target, a random creature in your graveyard, thene you pay the cost and sacrifice Sundering Titan, ability goes on the stack Sundering Titan to the graveyard and then you Reroute the abililty to Sundering Titan to blow up a lot of lands...

Does that work?

[quicksilver]

You could do that with Reroute!

You choose your target, a random creature in your graveyard, thene you pay the cost and sacrifice Sundering Titan, ability goes on the stack Sundering Titan to the graveyard and then you Reroute the abililty to Sundering Titan to blow up a lot of lands...

Does that work?

Yes that would work.