Conquest FAQ
4/13/07
New Keyword: Mechanize
Weaponized Thug, 2RR, COM
Creature – Human Berserker Construct, 3/1
First strike
Mechanize 3 (You may pay 3 instead of paying this card's mana cost. If you do, this card comes into play as an artifact. Use only mana from artifact sources to pay this cost.)
Mechanize is a static ability that functions while a spell is on the stack. It is a keyword that represents up to two abilities. The first provides spells an alternate cost to play the spell. If the spell is a permanent spell, the second ability sets a triggered ability when the spell enters play. Mechanize [cost] means “Instead of paying this spell’s mana cost you may pay [cost.] using mana from an artifact source.” and “When this spell resolves, if it comes into play, it becomes an artifact in addition to its other types.” Mechanize costs can only be mana costs because of the way they qualify the type of mana used to play them.
* Playing a card using a mechanize cost will not make it an artifact spell while it is on the stack. If it’s a permanent though, it will come into play as an artifact.
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New Keyword: Wake
Spectral Retainer, 1W, UNC
Basic Enchantment – Aura
Enchant creature
Wake (When you play this card, search your library for an Aura card and reveal it. You may pay that card's mana cost and play it. If you don't, put it on top of your library. Shuffle your library.)
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has flying.
Wake is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions in any zone from which you could play the card it's on. The second is a triggered ability that functions when the first ability is applied. "Wake" means "When you play this card, search your library for a card that shares a subtype with it, and reveal the chosen card." and "You may play the card by paying its mana cost. If you don't, put it on top of your library. Then, whether you play it or not, shuffle your library."
* If a spell with wake is countered before the first wake ability resolves, then the ability will be countered also. If a spell with wake is countered after the first wake ability resolves, the wake ability will not becountered. However, the controller of the wake ability may still choose not to play the searched card.
* A spell with wake can search for another spell with wake. If so, the second spell's wake ability will resolve before the first spell resolves.
* If a spell searched for by a wake ability is played, and upon resolution requires it's controller to place it on top of his or her library, the card will get shuffle into the library as the second part of the wake ability resolves.
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“Landkeep”
Forest Runner, 1G, COM
Creature – Centaur Berserker, 3/3
Trample
When you do not control an untapped Forest, sacrifice Forest Runner.
A cycle of green creatures in Conquest all have a triggered ability that requires you to sacrifice them if you do not have any untapped Forests in play. It is similar to upkeep costs on previous cards except here a single Forest can be used to satisfy all the “Landkeep” costs on permanents you control. (See 404.3)
Lethal Damage
Morbedeur, 2B, UNC
Creature – Human Wizard, 1/1
Wake
Damage dealt by Morbedeur is lethal.
Some black creatures in Conquest have text saying the damage they deal is lethal. Lethal damage dealt to a creature will result in that creature being put into the graveyard, unless it is an indestructible creature or some replacement effect is placed on it (like a regeneration shield.) This language does not change the amount of damage that is dealt to the creature, only the result of that damage regardless of whether or not it would normally be sufficient to be considered lethal.
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Phasing Triggers
Phantasmal Eel, 1U, UNC
Creature – Snake Fish, 2/2
Phasing
Whenever Phantasmal Eel comes into play or phases in, target player removes the top three cards of his or her library from the game.
There are a number of permanents in Conquest that have abilities that trigger when they phase in or phase out. Because no player has priority during the untap step, these abilities won’t go on the stack until the Upkeep step. (See 502.15d)
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Strongholds
Summer Palisade, UNC
Land – Stronghold
G: Target blocking land gets +1/+1 as long as it’s a creature.
G: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
The Strongholds all have mana abilities that require a mana cost rather than “T” as most lands do. These are still considered mana abilities, happen immediately upon use and can be used when their controller does not have priority. (See 411)
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Card Specific Notes
Decoy Station, 2W, COM
* Returning Decoy Station to your hand is part of the effect of the triggered ability and must be done, even if the creature doesn’t block alone this turn.
Dustform Boon, 1WW, COM
* This is a triggered ability and Dustform Boon will check to see which player controls the enchanted creature when the ability resolves.
Endless Armies, 1W, UNC
* The gate counter created by Endless Armies ability only serves as a reminder that the ability has been used.
Magical Kiln, 1WW, UNC
* If an Aura would be returned to play but has no legal target to attach to, it will stay in the graveyard at resolution. (See 212.4J) If it is also somehow a Seal, you still would gain the life.
Nexus of All Realities, 4W, RAR
* The CIP ability of this card is removes Aura as a type so that state-based don’t immediately place the enchantment into the graveyard as it becomes a creature. (See 420.5D)
Prosperity of Faith, 1W, RAR
* The activated ability doesn’t target, so you could choose to return Prosperity of Faith to your hand along with one other Seal.
Sympathetic Link, 1W, UNC
* The two abilities will trigger from any damage dealt, not just combat damage.
Backtrack, 4UU, RAR
* In this case, type refers to Artifact, Creature, Enchantment or Land. It does not refer to subtypes.
Dissolving Spell, UU, COM
* The ability of this card doesn’t target, and it can’t target itself, so it can be played even if there isn’t a spell on the stack to counter.
* If no spell is countered, the second ability will trigger.
* Dissolving Spell can’t target itself.
Mentalist’s Boon, 1U, COM
* This is a triggered ability and Mentalist’s Boon will check to see which player controls the enchanted creature when the ability resolves.
Mudskipper, 1UU, UNC
* Mudskipper does not have phasing, so another spell or permanent would need to phase it out before its ability would ever trigger.
Psychic Fog, 1U, UNC
* The CIP ability of this card will trigger on itself coming into play.
Subordinate, 2UU, RAR
* Because the effect targets the player and not the creature he or she controls, Subordinate could be used on Acetic Band.
Unsubstantiate, 2U, UNC
* When the enchanted permanent phases out, Unsubstantiate will “indirectly phase out” with it. (See 502.15J)
Doom Harvester, 3B, UNC
* Doom Harverster’s Spellshape ability does not require it to tap as an activation cost.
Grave Trolling, 3BB, UNC
* Because it doesn’t target the creature card, Grave Trolling can be played even if you have an empty graveyard.
Slaying Cycle, 3BB, RAR
* If a player has no creatures in play, he or she doesn’t have to discard a card. However, if that player has no cards in hand, he or she must sacrifice a creature if able.
Voodoo Master, 1B, RAR
* Untapping two tapped lands is a cost for the ability and must be paid.
Accidental Discovery, 2R, UNC
* If you played a permanent this turn, it will count as an Artifact, even if it wasn’t an artifact spell when it was played.
Factory Assembly, R, RAR
* The alternate cost this card makes available can be used to play any creature spells, even artifact creature spells.
Forge Weapons, 2R, COM
* If an indestructible artifact is targeted it won’t be destroyed, but you can still put the +1/+1 counters on a creature.
Implosion Wave, R, UNC
* If an indestructible artifact is targeted it won’t be destroyed, but will still count when determining the value of X.
Marshal of Thieves, R, COM
* When you gain control of an Equipment attached to a creature, it will remain on that creature until you Equip it to a creature you control.
Overloader, 2RR, UNC
* Overloader’s ability will trigger when any artifact comes into play, including itelf if you play it using a mechanize ability.
* If an opponent plays an artifact and you do not pay R, that artifact will be sacrificed at end of turn.
Static Barrier, 1R, UNC
* The CIP ability of this card will trigger on itself coming into play.
Toma Trinket Collector, 1RR, RAR
* If Toma Trinket Collector chooses itself with its ability, the artifact spell will still be able to deal damage to it. This is because the target is chosen randomly, and not specifically targeting it. The damage dealt will be prevented however.
Untamed Manticore, 4R, UNC
* When choosing targets with Untameds Manticore, you would choose first, then the chosen opponent would choose.
Equinox Mammoth, 3G, UNC
* Equinox Mammoth’s’s Spellshape ability does not require it to tap as an activation cost.
Hermit Elder, 2G, COM
* You cannot tap Hermit Elder to satisfy the first part of its ability’s cost because it needs to tap in order to fulfill the rest of that cost.
Hydra Heads, 3G, UNC
* Hydra Heads will check to see if you control a creature at resolution, so if you have a creature when its ability is played, but then that creature leaves play before it resolves, the target land will become a creature. You do, however need to target a land when it is played and that land must still be in play when it resolves.
Natural Convergence, X, COM
* If a spell or effect would reduce the cost to play a spell, you would be able to search for that many basic lands even though you didn’t pay using green mana. You didn’t need to pay with any mana. Keystone, on the other hand, will not let the cost go below 1, so with it in play, you would still need to pay at least G to play Natural Convergence.
Vow of Serenity, 1G, UNC
* Playing a spell using a mechanize cost will not trigger Vow of Serenity’s first ability, but once it’s in play, you can use Vow of Serentiy’s second ability on it.
Explore the Uncharted, 1RGG, UNC
* For example, if you were to sacrifice Enlightened Stonerune, you could search for an Artifact, a Creature, a Golem or a Monk card to put into your hand.
Rom Bensaka, 1WBB, RAR
* If an Equipment is moved onto Rom Bensaka, its controller could still choose to equip it to something else the next time he is able.
Keystone, 4, UNC
* Mana abilities usually only require “T” to activate. These sorts of mana abilities are unaffected by Keystone’s second ability. However, if a mana ability has a mana cost, Keystone’s ability would reduce that mana cost down to 1. For example, With a Keystone in play Cabal Coffers would read “1, T: Add B to your mana pool for each swamp you control.” But a swamp would still read “T: Add B to your mana pool.”
Oak Staff, 1, COM
* Even though it must be equipped to a creature before you can use its second ability, Oak Staff’s mana ability requires you to tap it and not the creature its attached to.
Battery Ridge, COM
* Because Battery Ridges ability uses “when” rather than “as” you can tap it for mana even if you declined to pay its triggered cost.
Spinery, Haunted Mine, RAR
* The “Legend Rule” puts the two legendary permanents into their owner’s graveyard as a state-based effect. So playing a Spinery, Haunted Mine while another is in play will not trigger the Spite ability of either land.
Toma, Academy Relicas, RAR
* Paying for a spell by using its mechanize ability does not turn the spell into an artifact spell, even if it would become an artifact once it comes into play.