Turn it and Burn it

Turn // Burn is such a complex card.


I had so many oops moments that I have decide to write something about it, both to clarify my thoughts as well as to ... well, add junk to the internet i guess =)




One recent "oops" moment was when i realized I totally misunderstood fused cards!

Apparently Turn // Burn, if you play both halfs, is counted as one spell (hence the keyword fused)

AND.

Its the left half first, then the right half.

I always had this misunderstanding that it is two mini cards and I can play either and stack them which ever way  I like. I was wrong =)

Hence there are no "response to turn, but before burn" shenanigans. (This discussion involved whether a restoration angel can save a critter from turn, flickering the creature in response to burn. It cannot be done as the turn and burn resolves as one spell. You can only flicker in response to the fused "turn and burn" spell, which does'nt safe the creature)





The next few "oops" moments involved layer 7B rules.

I am still not very fluent with layers, so I will have a disclaimer that I am no authority on rules =)

But in a nutshell, it means effects that affect base stats (e.g. creature becomes a 5/5, 0/0 1/1) are applied before effects that modify base stats (e.g. creature gets +3/+3, -1/-1 etc) if there are multiple modifiers on the stack.


My previous encounters with layer 7B are largely because I was messing with the Izzet Blitz decks. I was mostly messing with Travis Woo's version. But there were other versions that use Dragonshift shenanigans.

How the "combo" works is that when you play a spell that targets Nivix Cyclops, Nivix Cyclops get +3/+0. However Dragonshift turns the creature into a 4/4 flyer with no other abilities. However how it works is. Dragonshift is applied first, turning the Cyclops into a 4/4. THEN the other modifier (+3/+0) triggers are applied.

Layer 7B has some weird effects with Turn // Burn

Did you know Turn // Burn cannot kill a Kalonian Hydra? or any thing with more than 2 +1/+1 counters on it?

With the Hydra, it actually turns it into a 0/1, then the counters apply and its actually a 4/5 !!! You just grew it!!


Another interesting interaction is that: Against a RESOLVED giant growth. Turn // Burn cannot kill the creature.

===================
Say the creature is a 1/1
You play and resolved Giant Growth.
Turn and Burn is played by your opponent.


Turn turns the creature from 1/1 to 0/1 (notice, its the base stats) THEN Giant Growth's +3/+3 effect kicks in, turning the creature into a 3/4

Burn is not enough to kill it.

===================

Its really weird, but if you remember that Giant Growth is until end of turn, its a bit easier to grok it.

Now Turn // Burn in response to Giant Growth will still kill the creature, as the Giant Growth is as yet unresolved.

Giant Growth in response to Turn // Burn however will STILL save the creature despite of Turn. because of the sequence of how the modifiers are applied as described above (as the Giant Growth will resolve before Turn \\ Burn).




Now don't get me wrong, I am not pissing all over Turn \\ Burn. I like it ALOT! It works in many situations where there is nothing else that works!

In fact it is my crutch removal in my decks with blue and red. But being my go to removal, I needed to know how it works and what it works against and more importantly what it does'nt work against. So I don't get caught flat footed =)