Quiz

MTG: Level 3 Preliminary Rules Quiz

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This is the Rules portion of the Level 3 Preliminary Quiz. This test is timed but with open resources. You can access Oracle Text, as well as the CR, IPG, MTG, and JAR as needed. It has a time limit of 90 minutes and will automatically be submitted if this time is reached. This quiz has a six-month cooldown and will need at least an 80% to pass. This test contains 20 questions.

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  1. 1. Question

    You control Thought Reflection and Words of Wilding . During your upkeep, you activate the ability of Words of Wilding twice. Which of these is a possible result of your next card draw during your draw step? (Select all that apply!)

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    Rules

    The abilities of each enchantment create replacement effects that will apply to your next card draw (CR 611.2a, 614.1). Either one can apply, so you will choose the order that the effects apply (CR 616.1). If you choose Thought Reflection first, then both Words of Wilding effects will apply to the subsequent card draws, creating two 2/2 green Bear creature tokens (CR 616.1f). The effects from Words of Wilding are not optional, so both must apply in this case. If you choose Words of Wilding first, then Thought Reflection can no longer apply, so you will only create one 2/2 green Bear creature token and draw no cards (CR 616.1f).

  2. 2. Question

    Your opponent casts Slaughter Games targeting you. Your opponent knows from the previous game that your deck contains Research // Development and Commit // Memory . Which of the following are legal choices to name for Slaughter Games? (Choose any/all that apply)

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    Rules

    Split cards have two names. If an effect asks a player to name a card and that player wishes to name a split card, the player must choose one of the two names and cannot choose both (CR 201.4b, 709.4a). This applies to split cards with Aftermath as well (702.127a).

  3. 3. Question

    You control Spiteful Visions . As your turn begins, you and your opponent each have two cards in hand. During your upkeep, your opponent casts Notion Thief . During your main phase, you cast Strategic Planning which resolves normally. After all spells and abilities have resolved, how many cards does each player have in hand, and how much damage has been dealt to each player?

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    Rules

    Notion Thief will not apply to the first card you draw from the turn-based action during your draw step, so you will draw that card and take one damage from Spiteful Visions’ second ability (CR 504.1, 603.2). Notion Thief will apply to the card draw from Spiteful Visions’ first ability, so your opponent will draw that card instead and take one damage from Spiteful Visions’ second ability (CR 603.2, 614.1, 614.6). Strategic Planning puts a card into your hand, but this does not count as a card draw (CR 121.5). Notion Thief will not apply to it and Spiteful Visions will not trigger (CR 614.7). You have drawn one card and added one card to hand while casting one card, so you have three cards in hand and have taken one damage. Your opponent has drawn one card and cast one card, so they have two cards in hand and have taken one damage.

  4. 4. Question

    You control Lore Broker in a two-player game. During your opponent’s turn, you activate its ability and it resolves. Which of these best describes how this ability resolves?

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    Rules

    Your opponent is the active player (CR 102.1). Your opponent will draw their card before you (CR 121.2c). Next, your opponent will choose a card to discard, then you will choose a card to discard (CR 101.4). Then the chosen cards are discarded simultaneously (CR 608.2e, 608.2f).

  5. 5. Question

    You control Archetype of Courage and attack your opponent with Nessian Courser and Arboreal Grazer . During the first combat damage step, you cast Gather Courage targeting your Arboreal Grazer. How much damage is dealt to your opponent in the second combat damage step?

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    Rules

    Arboreal Grazer does not assign damage in the first combat damage step since it has 0 power when damage assignment happens (CR 510.1a). Nessian Courser assigns and deals three damage in the first combat damage step, since it has First Strike from the Archetype of Courage (CR 510.1, 510.2, 510.4, 702.7b). Since Arboreal Grazer had First Strike as the first combat damage step began, it will not assign damage in the second combat damage step (CR 510.4, 702.7b).

  6. 6. Question

    You control Horobi, Death’s Wail and your opponent controls Petrahydrox . During your turn, you cast Blinding Flare targeting your opponent’s Petrahydrox. Which of the following best describes what happens?

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    Rules

    Once Blinding Flare is put on the stack and cast, triggered abilities will go onto the stack on top of it in AP-NAP order (CR 603.3, 603.3b). Since it is your turn, Horobi’s trigger will go on the stack first, then Petrahydrox’s trigger will go on the stack on top of it (CR 101.4, 102.1, 405.3, 405.5). Petrahydrox is returned to your opponent’s hand. Horobi’s trigger will do nothing (CR 400.7).

  7. 7. Question

    You control Metallic Mimic which had the type “Phyrexian” chosen for it as it entered the battlefield. You also control two Alpine Watchdog and cast Mirrorweave targeting your Metallic Mimic. Then you cast Ichorclaw Myr . How many 1/ 1 counters does your Ichorclaw Myr enter the battlefield with?

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    Rules

    “Phyrexian” is a valid creature type and is one of Ichorclaw Myr’s creature types (CR 205.3m). Metallic Mimic’s third ability will apply to Ichorclaw Myr as it enters the battlefield (CR 614.1d, 614.12). Mirrorweave turns both Alpine Watchdogs into copies of Metallic Mimic, but the choice of “Phyrexian” is not a copiable value (CR 707.2, 707.6). The Alpine Watchdogs did not have a creature type chosen as they entered the battlefield, so their third ability will do nothing (CR 607.1, 607.2d).

  8. 8. Question

    You control Battlefield Thaumaturge , Phyrexian Altar , three Saproling tokens, and no other permanents. Your opponent controls two Boreal Elemental s. Can you cast Hex ? Why or why not?

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    Rules

    In the steps of casting a spell, targets are chosen before costs are determined or paid (CR 601.2c, 601.2f, 601.2g). The check for legal casting is also done before costs are determined and paid (CR 601.2e). Costs are determined by taking the mana cost of the spell, adding additional costs, then subtracting cost reductions. Hex’s mana cost is {4}{B}{B}, increased by {4} due to the abilities of the two Boreal Elementals, then reduced by {6} due to the ability of Battlefield Thaumaturge, resulting in a final cost of {2}{B}{B} (CR 601.2f). Phyrexian Altar is a mana ability, so it may be activated once the total cost is locked in (CR 601.2g, 605.1a). Once the cost is paid, the spell becomes cast (CR 601.2h, 601.2i, 601.5). After the check for legality before costs are paid, the targets are not rechecked for legality again until the spell attempts to resolve, and it will still resolve if at least one target is still legal (CR 608.2b).

  9. 9. Question

    You control a Muse Vessel that has exiled a Nessian Courser and a Brainstorm . During your opponent’s upkeep, you activate Muse Vessel’s second ability. In response, your opponent casts Krosan Grip targeting your Muse Vessel. When Muse Vessel’s ability resolves, which one of the following is true?

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    Rules

    As Muse Vessel’s second ability resolves, it will identify any cards exiled with Muse Vessel’s first ability through last-known information since the Muse Vessel is no longer on the battlefield (CR 113.7a, 406.6, 607.2a, 608.2h). Muse Vessel’s second ability creates a continuous effect that permits the casting of the chosen card (CR 601.3). However, this continuous effect does not supersede the timing restriction on casting creature spells (CR 117.1, 117.1a, 608.2g).

  10. 10. Question

    You control Aquamoeba and Spidersilk Armor . During your main phase, you cast Gather Courage targeting your Aquamoeba. After the Gather Courage resolves, you activate Aquamoeba’s ability. In response, your opponent casts Sudden Spoiling targeting you. Once everything resolves, what is Aquamoeba’s power and toughness?

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    Effects that modify power and toughness apply in a system of sublayers before timestamp order is taken into account (CR 613.4). First, the Aquamoeba’s printed power and toughness are 1/3 (CR 613.1). There are no characteristic-defining abilities to apply (CR 604.3, 613.4a). Then Sudden Spoiling’s effect is applied, as it sets Aquamoeba’s power and toughness to, specifically, 0/2 (CR 613.4b). Then Spidersilk Armor and Gather Courage are applied in timestamp order, as they modify power and/or toughness without setting them to a specific number, to make Aquamoeba a 2/5 (CR 613.4c). Finally, Aquamoeba’s power-and-toughness switching effect is applied to make Aquamoeba a 5/2 (CR 613.4d). While Sudden Spoiling removes Aquamoeba’s activated ability, it will not retroactively stop the ability from being activated (CR 113.7a).

  11. 11. Question

    Your opponent casts Blaze with X = 3 targeting you. You announce Honorable Passage . Which of these best describes what happens as you cast Honorable Passage, and what happens as Honorable Passage resolves?

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    Rules

    As you cast Honorable Passage, first you announce the spell and put it on the stack (CR 601.2a). Then you choose the target for the spell (CR 601.2c). Finally, you pay all costs (CR 601.2f, 601.2g, 601.2h). You do not choose the source of damage until Honorable Passage resolves (CR 608.2d).

  12. 12. Question

    You attack your opponent with your Phyrexian Crusader and your opponent blocks with Ironscale Hydra . Before damage, you cast Giant Growth targeting your Phyrexian Crusader. Which of the following best describes what happens next?

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    Infect changes the results of dealing damage. Instead of marking damage on creatures, a source with Infect causes the creature’s controller to put that many -1/-1 counters on that creature (CR 120.3, 702.90c). Ironscale Hydra’s ability is a prevention effect that applies before damage is processed into results (CR 120.4b, 615.1a). Since Giant Growth modifies Phyrexian Crusader’s characteristics, Phyrexian Crusader is the source of all five damage for Ironscale Hydra to prevent (CR 510.1a).

  13. 13. Question

    You control Nessian Courser and Llanowar Elves . During your Beginning of Combat step, your opponent casts Frost Breath targeting each of your creatures. In response, you tap the Llanowar Elves to cast Blossoming Defense targeting the Llanowar Elves. Once the stack is empty, which of the following is true?

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    Llanowar Elves gains hexproof from Blossoming Defense, so it is no longer a legal target for Frost Breath (CR 608.2b, 702.11b). Since at least one target is still legal, Frost Breath will continue to resolve (CR 608.2b). It cannot tap the Llanowar Elves since it is an illegal target for that portion of the spell. Frost Breath creates a continuous effect that affects game rules, so that portion of the effect will not apply to Llanowar Elves (CR 608.2b).

  14. 14. Question

    You control Reflecting Pool , River of Tears , and no other lands. Which of the following best represents the color(s) of mana that your Reflecting Pool can produce?

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    Reflecting Pool produces mana based on the type of mana your lands “could produce.” These types are determined by seeing what the abilities of your lands would produce if they resolved at that moment, applying any applicable replacement effects (CR 106.7). River of Tears’ ability contains a self-replacement effect, so it will always be checked when determining what River of Tears can produce for purposes of Reflecting Pool (CR 614.1a, 614.15).

  15. 15. Question

    Your opponent controls Teferi, Time Raveler and Grafdigger’s Cage , while you have a Nessian Courser in your graveyard. During your main phase, you cast Violent Outburst . During the resolution of the Cascade trigger, you reveal Living End . Which of the following best describes what happens, assuming you choose to cast Living End if possible?

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    Cascade’s effect creates a window where you may cast the exiled card with mana value less than Violent Outburst (CR 702.85a). This spell is being cast from exile, so Grafdigger’s Cage will not apply (CR 702.85a). However, Teferi, Time Raveler’s effect prevents you from casting spells while the stack is not empty, so you may not cast Living End (CR 101.2, 307.5, 601.3). Since it was exiled and not cast, Living End will be put on the bottom of your library in a random order with the other exiled cards.

  16. 16. Question

    Your opponent casts Blazing Specter . In response, you cast Hallow targeting the Blazing Specter on the stack. After both spells resolve, your opponent attacks you with the Blazing Specter. You declare no blockers. Which of the following best describes what happens during the combat damage step?

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    Rules

    While on the stack, Blazing Specter is a creature spell and thus a legal target for Hallow (CR 112.1). Hallow’s prevention effect will continue to apply to the permanent that the Blazing Specter creature spell becomes (CR 400.7b). Hallow will prevent the damage that Blazing Specter deals in combat and cause you to gain that much life (CR 615.5, 615.6). Blazing Specter’s ability will not trigger (CR 603.2h, 615.6).

  17. 17. Question

    You control a Fellwar Stone enchanted with Ensoul Artifact and your opponent controls No Mercy . You attack with your Fellwar Stone. Your opponent declares no blockers. Fellwar Stone deals 5 damage to your opponent and No Mercy triggers. In response to the trigger, you cast Erase on your Ensoul Artifact. What happens as No Mercy’s trigger resolves?

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    Since Fellwar Stone is a creature, No Mercy’s ability will trigger when it deals combat damage (CR 510.2, 510.3a, 603.2). No Mercy’s ability does not target, so it will resolve normally (CR 115.1d, 608.2b). The Fellwar Stone is destroyed because it is the same object that dealt damage and caused the No Mercy ability to trigger, even though it is no longer a creature (CR 608.2c, 608.2j).

  18. 18. Question

    Your opponent attacks you with an Elvish Berserker and you block it with Brimaz, King of Oreskos . After all triggers resolve, you then cast Flash Foliage . After everything has resolved, which of the following statements are true? (Choose any/all that apply)

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    Once Brimaz is declared as a blocker for Elvish Berserker, both creatures have a triggered ability that triggers (CR 509.1i, 509.4a, 509.5a, 509.5c). These abilities will be put on the stack in AP-NAP order (CR 603.3b). When Brimaz’s triggered ability resolves, you create a Cat Soldier token blocking Elvish Berserker (CR 608.2c). This does not trigger Elvish Berserker’s ability again (CR 509.1h, 509.5c). Your opponent will choose where the Cat Soldier token goes in the damage assignment order, before or after Brimaz (CR 509.7). When Elvish Berserker’s triggered ability resolves, it will get 2/ 2 until end of turn (CR 608.2h). When Flash Foliage resolves, your opponent will choose where the Saproling token goes in the damage assignment order, but may not change the relative positions of Brimaz and the Cat Soldier token (CR 509.7). This does not trigger Elvish Berserker’s ability again (CR 509.1h, 509.5c).

  19. 19. Question

    You control a face-down Blistering Firecat during your opponent’s turn. Your opponent passes priority during their end step. You pay Blistering Firecat’s Morph cost to turn it face-up, then pass priority. Can your opponent then cast Shock ? Why or why not?

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    The end step will end once the stack is empty and both players pass in succession (CR 500.2). Turning Blistering Firecat face-up is a special action that doesn’t use the stack and you will receive priority back again once that action is complete (CR 116.2b, 116.3). Taking this special action breaks the succession of priority passes required for the step to end, so your opponent will receive priority back and may cast Shock (CR 117.1, 117.3d, 117.4).

  20. 20. Question

    During your turn, your opponent controls Dress Down . During your first main phase, you cast Arcbound Worker , Ivy Elemental with X = 2, Fury by paying its Evoke cost, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer by paying its Dash cost, and Mayhem Patrol by paying its Blitz cost. Assuming no other effects are involved, which of the creatures are still on the battlefield when your cleanup step begins? (Choose any/all that apply)

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    Blitz and Dash both function similarly to each other, as they both represent static abilities that function while the spell is on the stack, and that will create a delayed triggered ability that will exist independent of its source (CR 603.7a, 603.7c, 608.3g, 702.109, 702.152). Thus, Dress Down will not prevent Mayhem Patrol and Ragavan from leaving the battlefield due to Blitz and Dash, respectively. Arcbound Worker and Ivy Elemental both have replacement effects that allow them to enter the battlefield with 1/ 1 counters (CR 614.1c). However, when these creature spells are resolving, the game looks at the characteristics of the creature as it would exist on the battlefield to determine which replacement effects to apply, including continuous effects that already exist and would apply to that creature (CR 614.12). Since Dress Down removes the static abilities generating these replacement effects, they will not apply as Arcbound Worker or Ivy Elemental enter the battlefield (CR 603.6d). Each creature will be put into your graveyard as a state-based action (CR 704.5f). Evoke includes a triggered ability that triggers when Fury enters the battlefield and its Evoke cost was paid (CR 702.74a). Dress Down removes this ability immediately when Fury enters the battlefield, so it will not trigger (CR 603.6a, 603.6b). Fury will remain on the battlefield.