Imperial Recruiter and Tarmogoyf

[Jaynel]

Can Tarmogoyf be tutored up by Imperial Recruiter? Here are his stats, if you're unfamiliar with the card:

Imperial Recruiter
2R
Creature - Human Advisor
When Imperial Recruiter comes into play, search your library for a creature card with power 2 or less, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
1/1

Ruling?

[Nihil Credo]

As per current ruling, Tarmogoyf's P/T is continously calculated even when he's out of play. So you'll be able to tutor him with Recruiter iff there are two or less card types in all graveyards.

[revenge_inc]

Is this ruling specific to Tarmogoyf or for all creatures with variable power? For example do the number of sorceries in all graveyards need to be 2 or less for me to Recruiter up a Magnivore (http://ww2.wizards.com/Gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=83448)? I was under the impression that just as spells with X in their mana cost were treated as 0 when not on the stack, creatures with p/t that were */* (variable) were considered to be 0 was well.

In any case a link to this current ruling would be great.

[Anusien]

Is this ruling specific to Tarmogoyf or for all creatures with variable power? For example do the number of sorceries in all graveyards need to be 2 or less for me to Recruiter up a Magnivore (http://ww2.wizards.com/Gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=83448)? I was under the impression that just as spells with X in their mana cost were treated as 0 when not on the stack, creatures with p/t that were */* (variable) were considered to be 0 was well.
X is different than *s. X is a variable that the owner of the spell/ability chooses when they play it. When the spell is not on the stack, X is zero. For all creatures with a characteristic-defining ability (most of them with *s), that ability applies in all zones. Tarmogoyf is now a */*+1 in all zones, and so is Magnivore.

N.B., *s will still be 0s in the graveyard with a Yixlid Jailor in play, but otherwise CDAs apply in every zone.


Characteristic-Defining Ability: A characteristic-defining ability is a kind of static ability that conveys information about an object's characteristics that would normally be found elsewhere on that object (such as in its mana cost, type line, or power/toughness box). Characteristic-defining abilities function in all zones. See rule 405.2.

405.2a. A static ability is a characteristic-defining ability if it meets the following criteria: 1) It defines an object's colors, subtypes, power, or toughness; 2) It is printed on the card it affects, it was granted to the token it affects by the effect that created the token, or it was acquired by the object it affects as the result of a copy effect; 3) It does not directly affect the characteristics of any other objects; 4) It is not an ability that an object grants to itself; and 5) It does not set the values of such characteristics only if certain conditions are met.

[HammafistRoob]

As per current ruling, Tarmogoyf's P/T is continously calculated even when he's out of play.

I'm pretty sure this ruling made Cephalid Breakfast a viable deck

[PhanTom_lt]

N.B., *s will still be 0s in the graveyard with a Yixlid Jailor in play, but otherwise CDAs apply in every zone.

But if the Breakfast player hardcasts Dread Return on his Ghoul (or, for sake of simplicity, the Ghoul is hardcast), and removes Goyf's, which are 0/0's while in the graveyard, the Ghoul is still big, right? Since Goyf's are in RFG then? Which would make Ghoul a Super 4x Goyf.

[revenge_inc]

But if the Breakfast player hardcasts Dread Return on his Ghoul (or, for sake of simplicity, the Ghoul is hardcast), and removes Goyf's, which are 0/0's while in the graveyard, the Ghoul is still big, right? Since Goyf's are in RFG then? Which would make Ghoul a Super 4x Goyf.

I don't know the current C-Breakfast rulings but it would seem to me that the Goyfs would be fully powered when in the graveyard because Characteristic-defining abilities function in all zones. Why do you think they would be 0/0's in the graveyard but not when RFGed?

[bigbear102]

He was talking about when there was a Yixlid Jailer in play, the Goyfs would be 0/1 in the yard (not 0/0). And yes, I do believe that once they are removed, they would then return to the p/t equal to card types in yards, so Ghoul would be huge.

[Anusien]

But if the Breakfast player hardcasts Dread Return on his Ghoul (or, for sake of simplicity, the Ghoul is hardcast), and removes Goyf's, which are 0/0's while in the graveyard, the Ghoul is still big, right? Since Goyf's are in RFG then? Which would make Ghoul a Super 4x Goyf.
Correct.