Can I Proliferate Exiled Cards? A Deep Dive into MTG’s Proliferate Mechanic and Exile Zone
The short answer is no. Proliferate, a powerful mechanic in Magic: The Gathering, only affects permanents on the battlefield and players. Cards in exile are neither permanents on the battlefield nor players, and therefore cannot be affected by proliferate. Proliferate adds counters to permanents and players already possessing counters, and the exile zone simply isn’t part of that equation. Let’s delve into why, and explore some related scenarios.
Understanding Proliferate: The Core Mechanics
Proliferate is a keyword action that allows you to duplicate existing counters on permanents and players. The key word here is “permanent”. A permanent is a card or token on the battlefield. Exile is a separate zone, a place for cards removed from the game (at least temporarily, in many cases). Therefore, proliferate cannot directly interact with exiled cards.
Proliferate, as defined by the comprehensive rules of Magic: The Gathering, targets permanents and/or players that already have counters on them. You choose any number of these targets, and for each type of counter present on that permanent or player, you add another counter of that type.
For example, if you control a creature with three +1/+1 counters and a planeswalker with five loyalty counters, you can choose to proliferate both. The creature would then have four +1/+1 counters, and the planeswalker would have six loyalty counters. You don’t have to choose both; you could choose just the creature, just the planeswalker, or neither. That’s because “any number” includes zero.
This precise wording prevents proliferate from adding counters where none existed beforehand. It also restricts its influence to the battlefield and players; the exile zone is off-limits.
The Exile Zone: A Temporary or Permanent Departure
The exile zone serves various functions in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often used for cards that are meant to be removed from the game permanently, like when a card is exiled “for good.” However, some cards and abilities allow you to retrieve cards from exile, adding a layer of strategic depth.
There are cards like Pull from Eternity and Riftsweeper specifically designed to bring exiled cards back into the game. Some cards, like those with the Suspend mechanic, use exile as a temporary holding zone before the card can be cast. In these cases, the exiled card has time counters placed on it.
Suspend and Proliferate: A Near Miss
The Suspend mechanic allows you to cast a card for a reduced cost by exiling it and placing time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, you remove a time counter. When the last time counter is removed, you can cast the card without paying its mana cost.
While you can’t directly proliferate the time counters on a suspended card while it’s in exile, there are ways to manipulate these counters. Cards like Shivan Sand-Mage, Venser’s Diffusion and Timebender are examples of cards that can affect cards in exile with suspend counters. Remember that proliferate will only work once the suspended card enters the battlefield as a permanent.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Proliferate and Exile
1. Can you proliferate suspend counters?
Not while the card is in exile. Proliferate only affects permanents on the battlefield or players. Once a suspended card enters the battlefield, then you can proliferate any counters it might have.
2. Can Atraxa proliferate suspend counters?
Again, only after the suspended card becomes a permanent on the battlefield. Atraxa, Grand Unifier is an excellent proliferate engine, but it’s subject to the same rules as any other proliferate effect.
3. Does hexproof stop proliferate?
No. Hexproof prevents targeting by spells or abilities your opponents control. Proliferate doesn’t target, it chooses. Therefore, hexproof is ineffective against proliferate.
4. Can you proliferate a card with vanishing?
Yes, once the card with vanishing is a permanent on the battlefield. Vanishing places time counters on a permanent, and proliferate can add more time counters to that permanent.
5. Can you proliferate the ring?
Yes. The Ring emblem can be proliferated. Emblems are not permanents but players can have emblems with counters on them.
6. Can you proliferate toxic counters?
You don’t proliferate “toxic.” Toxic is a keyword ability that causes a player to receive poison counters when a creature with toxic deals combat damage to them. You proliferate poison counters on a player.
7. Can you proliferate loyalty counters on planeswalkers?
Absolutely. Planeswalkers are permanents on the battlefield, and loyalty counters are a type of counter. Proliferate is a key strategy for maximizing planeswalker value.
8. Can you proliferate +1/+1 counters on tokens?
Yes. Tokens are permanents, and proliferate works on any permanent with counters.
9. Can you proliferate negative counters?
Yes. If a permanent has -1/-1 counters, you can proliferate them, adding more -1/-1 counters.
10. Can you proliferate with no valid targets?
Yes. The phrase “any number” includes zero. You can activate a proliferate ability and choose not to add counters to anything. This might seem pointless, but it can be relevant in niche scenarios, such as triggering other abilities that trigger when you proliferate, regardless of whether you add any counters.
11. Can you proliferate poison counters?
Yes, you can proliferate poison counters. As long as a player already has one or more poison counters, proliferate can be used to add another poison counter to them. This can be a potent win condition in poison-based decks.
12. Does proliferate target?
No, proliferate does not target. It chooses permanents and/or players that already have counters. This distinction is crucial, as abilities that prevent targeting (like hexproof) do not stop proliferate.
13. Can you return exiled cards to the battlefield?
Yes, there are several cards that allow you to return exiled cards to the battlefield or your hand. Pull from Eternity and Riftsweeper are prime examples.
14. Can you proliferate stickers?
No, you can’t proliferate stickers. Stickers are not counters. However, you can proliferate ticket counters.
15. What are some strategies for using proliferate effectively?
Effective proliferate strategies often involve:
- Counter synergy: Building decks around cards that generate counters of various types.
- Planeswalker domination: Using proliferate to quickly build up loyalty counters on powerful planeswalkers.
- Poison win: Employing proliferate to accelerate the accumulation of poison counters on opponents.
- Token armies: Creating swarms of tokens with +1/+1 counters and then proliferating those counters to overwhelm opponents.
- Versatility: Cards like Atraxa, Grand Unifier are valuable as they can be used in different strategies.
Conclusion
While you can’t directly proliferate cards in exile, understanding the nuances of proliferate and the exile zone is vital for strategic gameplay. Proliferate’s power lies in its ability to amplify existing counters, making it a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield and against players. Remember to focus on getting those counters on permanents where proliferate can work its magic.
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