Ensnaring Bridge/Goblin Piledriver

[Bourgeoise]

This may have been asked before, but I'm thinking of adding Ensnaring Bridge to a sideboard against aggro. I would like to know if a Goblin Piledriver can attack under if I still have a card in my hand, even if he gets bigger when he attacks due to other 1 power goblins joining in.

I understand that if a creature is able to attack under the bridge that it can be pumped after, but the Piledriver checks when it attacks so I was not completely sure.

Thanks!

[arsenalpow]

From the SCG judge rulings

Q: How do Goblin Piledriver and Ensnaring Bridge interact with each other? This weekend player A had seven cards in hand with an Ensnaring Bridge in play. Player B wanted to attack with five Goblins (power either 1 or 2) and a Piledriver. No one was sure if the Piledriver could attack or not. We tried to reason it out as, Declare Attack, Select attackers. The Piledriver gets the boost when the attackers are selected. He now has a power of 11. According to Ensnaring Bridge he can't attack because power 12 is greater than 7 seven cards?

A: The Piledriver's ability that increases its power is a triggered ability that uses the stack. When it is declared as an attacking creature it is just a 1/2. Ensnaring Bridge's effect only prevents a creature from being declared as an attacker. It doesn't matter that an attacking creature will end up gaining an increased power due to its own ability; it will be able to attack, as its power is only 1 when attackers are declared.

[Nihil Credo]

Yes to both. Piledriver is declared as an attacker (which Bridge allows since it's a 1-power creature), which causes its ability to trigger and go on the stack. When that ability resolves, it will check the number of attacking Goblins and give Piledriver the appropriate bonus.

[Nightmare]

The ability of Piledriver doesn't trigger until after it is declared as an attacker. The process looks like this:

You move to the Declare attackers step in the combat phase. Ensnaring Bridge allows only creatures with a power of one or less to be declared as attackers. Let's say your only two creatures are a pair of Piledrivers. You look at their power, and they have 1 power each, so are legal attackers. You assign them as attackers. Then their triggered ability is put on the stack, and barring Stifle effects, resolves. You now are attacking with a pair of 3/2s.

So yes, Piledriver can attack for more than 1 with an Ensnaring Bridge who's controller has a single card in hand.

Note: I've seen that exact scenario occur when the Bridge's controller had Mox Diamond in hand, and couldn't play it. He lost the game at the time, although the new errata on Mox Diamond prevents this scenario now.

Edit - WOW, Super Sarnath'd.

[Bourgeoise]

Ok, thanks guys. I kind of had the feeling that was the case, but wanted to be sure before it came up in a game.