Grafdigger's Cage and interactions

[(nameless one)]

(Sorry in advance cdr, but the Meandeck MUD thread is quite dead)

I have a couple scenarios concerning Grafdigger's Cage that need clarification. Here they are:

1) I have Kuldotha Forgemaster, Grafdigger's Cage and a Great Furnace on the field. If I activate Forgemaster sacrificing itself, Grafdigger's Cage and the Great Furnace; can I search a Wurmcoil Engine to be put onto the field?

2) I have the three above mentioned artifacts, Mox Opal and Spine of Ish Sah on the field. I activated Forgemaster sacrificing itself, the artifact land and Mox Opal to search for Phyrexian Metamorph. Can Phyrexian Metamorph enter the field copying Spine of Ish Sah while Grafdigger's Cage is on the field?

3) I have Grafdigger's Cage and Goblin Welder on the field and Sundering Titan in the graveyard. If I activate Goblin Welder and switch Grafdigger's Cage with Sundering Titan, would it resolve/work?

Thanks in advance!

[NukeMoose]

I am not a judge but I've stalked rules boards for years. If I'm wrong someone please correct me and I'll edit this post.

It's my understanding that static effects either apply (if they are on the field) or they do not, and there's no specific event in the game that checks this like SBA's or triggers.

If you reanimate Platinum Emperion, you put it on the battlefield, then "try" to lose 8 life, but because it's already out there you can't.

This is different than casting a Wheel of Fortune with Aeon Chronicler out and it won't die because SBA's are checked after the spell resolves fully.

So to answer your questions:

1) Yes, since you sacrificed the Cage as a cost, it will most definitely work. It would also work if Forgemaster said, "Tap: Sacrifice three artifacts. If you do, tinker."

2) No. Since the Cage is out, no creature [card] can enter the battlefield from the library. The Metamorph will only get to apply its replacement effect if it was legal for it to enter the battlefield to begin with.

3) (Not quite correct, not an exchange)

[Malakai]

1) The cage is not in play at the time this ability resolves, so it works.
2) The Metamorph won't come into play. Perhaps I can't read, but I'm unsure as to why this case is any different than any other.
3) Goblin Welder's ability will resolve. It will cause you to sacrifice the Grafdigger's Cage, but due to the "simultaneously" wording you will NOT return an artifact from the graveyard.

cdr/someone should check me on this last one.

[Malakai]

The one that I like is:

Gravedigger's Cage in play.
I cast Animate Dead on Iona. Animate Dead resolves, and triggers, but can't put Iona into play. Then Animate Dead falls off because it's now a "Enchant creature put onto the battlefield by Animate Dead."

[cdr]

(Sorry in advance cdr, but the Meandeck MUD thread is quite dead)

Rules questions are always appropriate here, just not strategy discussion - assuming you're referring to my recent reminders, which were targeted at other posters.

The above answers are mostly correct in spirit if not entirely in details.

1) When a permanent generating a continuous effect leaves the battlefield, the effect immediately ends. Unless the Cage leaving and what it was preventing are part of the same atomic action (in the same sentence), the Cage's effect is gone and it's not preventing anything.

2) The Metamorph is a creature card in the library, so it can't ETB or be cast. ETB-replacement effects (like copying) happen as part of the card ETBing - the Cage puts a stop to things before we get to that point.

3) Goblin Welder doesn't use "exchange" anymore, interestingly, which has its own rules. It says "Choose target artifact a player controls and target artifact card in that player's graveyard. If both targets are still legal as this ability resolves, that player simultaneously sacrifices the artifact and returns the artifact card to the battlefield."

Since both targets are legal at resolution, the Cage will simultaneously be sacrificed and the other artifact will not be returned - since the sacrifice and return are part of the same atomic action, the Cage's effect is still applying when the other artifact would be returned.

[(nameless one)]

Okay. Thanks cdr.

I guess I can't pull of the tricks I want to with Grafdigger's Cage.