Pyramids

[Octopusman]

I need help understanding the Pyramids oracle text.

Choose one — Destroy target Aura attached to a land; or the next time target land would be destroyed this turn, remove all damage marked on it instead.

Specifically: "next time target land would be destroyed this turn, remove all damage marked on it instead."
Wasteland doesn't damage a land. I just don't understand referring to damage when talking about destroying a land.

Help?

[HammafistRoob]

That is weird. The only thing I can think of is manlands or lands that are somehow creatures as well.

[Tammit67]

I need help understanding the Pyramids oracle text.

Choose one — Destroy target Aura attached to a land; or the next time target land would be destroyed this turn, remove all damage marked on it instead.

Specifically: "next time target land would be destroyed this turn, remove all damage marked on it instead."
Wasteland doesn't damage a land. I just don't understand referring to damage when talking about destroying a land.

Help?

If it simply regenerated the land, the land would be tapped and effectively destroyed for the turn. This is simply a way to save the land (animated or not) without tapping it.

Or at least that is my best guess

[SpikeyMikey]

It's a replacement effect. The way replacement effects work is the next time X would happen, Y happens instead. If you cannot fulfill the entire action, do as much as possible. If it simply said "the next time that land would be destroyed, it isn't", it would not save a manland from lethal damage. SBE's would check and attempt to put it into the graveyard. Pyramids would replace that with not being destroyed, then SBE's would check again, see a crwature with lethal damage and put it into the graveyard. Removing the damage makes it function as intended in those cases.

[H]

Everyone here is right, I found the link, since i recalled having read this years ago:


Pyramids
As printed, Pyramids prevented a land from being destroyed. It currently regenerates that land, but it shouldn't, because the printed wording wouldn't cause that land to become tapped. There was a proposal on one of the boards for "The next time target land would be destroyed this turn, instead it isn't." That doesn't work because if that land is also a creature, and the reason it would be destroyed is because it's been dealt lethal damage, "instead it isn't" doesn't clear the damage off the land and it'll immediately be destroyed again as a state-based effect. But the following should work.

Also, as printed, Pyramids had a single ability. It was broken up in Oracle to two separate abilities just for ease of use. You choose which ability you're using at the time you play one of them. If it were modal, you'd choose which mode you're using at the time you play the ability. The difference is negligible. But modal activated abilities do exist, so we might as well stay as true to the printed card as possible.

New Oracle text:
{2}: Choose one — Destroy target Aura attached to a land; or the next time target land would be destroyed this turn, remove all damage from it instead.

From here (http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/23c&page=2).

[Octopusman]

Everyone here is right, I found the link, since i recalled having read this years ago:



From here (http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/23c&page=2).

Pardon me for still being confused, but wasteland doesn't do damage to a land when it destroys it. Neither does stone rain, ice storm, etc.
I still don't see how the oracle text would prevent a tropical island from being wastelanded. :frown:

[cdr]

Pardon me for still being confused, but wasteland doesn't do damage to a land when it destroys it. Neither does stone rain, ice storm, etc.
I still don't see how the oracle text would prevent a tropical island from being wastelanded. :frown:

The same way regeneration prevents a creature from being Murdered.

701.12a. If the effect of a resolving spell or ability regenerates a permanent, it creates a replacement effect that protects the permanent the next time it would be destroyed this turn. In this case, "Regenerate [permanent]" means "The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and tap it. If it's an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat."

Pyramids has exactly the same text as regeneration, minus the tapped/combat-removed drawbacks.

[Octopusman]

The same way regeneration prevents a creature from being Murdered.

701.12a. If the effect of a resolving spell or ability regenerates a permanent, it creates a replacement effect that protects the permanent the next time it would be destroyed this turn. In this case, "Regenerate [permanent]" means "The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and tap it. If it's an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat."

Pyramids has exactly the same text as regeneration, minus the tapped/combat-removed drawbacks.

Thank you very much!

[Octopusman]

I guess here's a bunch of people misunderstanding how Pyramids works in regards to Dark Depths vs Wasteland: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?21709-Dark-Depths-vs-Wasteland

?

[cdr]

Just to be 100% clear, Pyramids will prevent a land from being destroyed no matter what's destroying it. Wasteland, damage, Stone Rain, anything.

If the part of an event before the "instead" occurs, a replacement effect will replace that part of the event - doesn't matter what it's replacing it with.

Wasteland's event becomes "Remove all damage maked on target nonbasic land."