Does Panharmonicon Double Planeswalker Loyalty?

No, Panharmonicon does not double a planeswalker’s loyalty. This is a crucial distinction for players to understand, as it’s a common point of confusion, especially when dealing with other doubling effects in Magic: The Gathering. While Panharmonicon interacts with enters-the-battlefield triggered abilities, the loyalty counters a planeswalker enters with are not determined by a triggered ability. They are established by the static text on the card itself, a rule that dictates how many loyalty counters the planeswalker comes into play with. Therefore, Panharmonicon’s ability has no impact on this initial loyalty count.

Why the Confusion?

The confusion often arises because Panharmonicon is known for its ability to double certain effects. Specifically, it doubles any triggered ability that occurs “when” or “whenever” a permanent enters the battlefield. Players might assume, incorrectly, that the initial placement of loyalty counters on a planeswalker falls into this category. However, the number of loyalty counters is determined by a static characteristic stated on the planeswalker card, not by a triggered ability that activates upon its entrance to the battlefield.

This is a key difference. A static ability is always in effect, whereas a triggered ability goes on the stack and can be responded to. The placement of loyalty counters, despite occurring when the planeswalker enters, is a static replacement effect. It’s more similar to how a creature might enter with a certain number of +1/+1 counters, not how it triggers abilities upon entering.

The Power of Triggered Abilities: What Panharmonicon Does Double

To understand why Panharmonicon doesn’t double planeswalker loyalty, it’s helpful to recap what it does double. Panharmonicon is an incredibly powerful card because it allows you to get double value from cards with enters-the-battlefield (ETB) triggers. This means if you play a creature that has an effect that says “Whenever this creature enters the battlefield, draw a card,” Panharmonicon will trigger that ability twice, and you will draw two cards.

This functionality is crucial to understanding how Panharmonicon works. It specifically targets triggers, those actions that happen in response to a specific event. Because the number of loyalty counters a planeswalker enters with is an innate property of the card, it is not a response to an event, and is therefore not triggered.

Loyalty Counters and Activation Costs

It’s also worth noting that Panharmonicon does not double loyalty counters added by a planeswalker’s activated abilities. These activated abilities usually include a cost that involves adding or removing loyalty counters. Activating these abilities isn’t an ETB effect, it is simply a cost paid to trigger a different effect, and Panharmonicon has nothing to do with costs of any kind. Similarly, effects that double the effect of a planeswalker’s activated abilities do exist, but Panharmonicon is not one of them.

Key Takeaways

• Panharmonicon only doubles triggered abilities, not static effects.
• The number of loyalty counters on a planeswalker when it enters the battlefield is determined by a static ability, not a trigger.
• Panharmonicon does not impact activated abilities of planeswalkers, including those that involve placing loyalty counters.
• Understanding the difference between static abilities and triggered abilities is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Panharmonicon and Planeswalkers

1. Does Doubling Season Double Planeswalker Loyalty When They Enter?

Yes, Doubling Season does double the initial loyalty counters when a planeswalker enters the battlefield. This is because Doubling Season affects permanents entering the battlefield with counters, and the static text on a planeswalker card dictates the number of loyalty counters they enter with, causing that to be doubled. However, it does not double counters gained through activated abilities.

2. Can Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider Affect Planeswalker Loyalty?

Yes, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider significantly impacts planeswalker loyalty. Your planeswalkers enter with double their normal loyalty counters, while your opponents’ enter with half (rounded down). It also affects loyalty abilities, doubling your additions and halving your opponent’s.

3. Does Panharmonicon Work with Modular?

No, Panharmonicon does not work with Modular. Modular is a static ability that transfers counters when the modular creature dies. It is not an ETB trigger, but a replacement effect, and so Panharmonicon cannot interact with it.

4. Does Proliferate Work on Planeswalkers?

Yes, Proliferate is an excellent way to add additional loyalty counters to planeswalkers. It allows you to add a counter to each permanent or player that already has one. You don’t have to target or choose, instead you “may” add a counter to them.

5. Can an Indestructible Planeswalker Lose Loyalty?

Yes, an indestructible planeswalker can still lose loyalty. Indestructibility prevents destruction through damage or effects, but it doesn’t prevent a planeswalker from being put into the graveyard due to having zero loyalty counters. It also does not stop loyalty counters from being removed through damage or activated abilities.

6. Does Deathtouch Kill Planeswalkers?

No, Deathtouch does not instantly kill planeswalkers. Deathtouch only affects creatures. Planeswalkers take damage normally. A creature with deathtouch will still remove only one loyalty counter from a planeswalker upon damage.

7. Can Phyrexian Revoker Shut Down Planeswalkers?

Yes, Phyrexian Revoker can stop planeswalkers by naming the specific planeswalker card. Once named, the named planeswalker cannot activate its abilities, but they can still be attacked and lose loyalty that way.

8. Can You Flicker a Planeswalker to Use Its Abilities Again?

Yes, you can flicker a planeswalker to use its abilities again in the same turn. Once it leaves play and returns, it is treated as a new permanent and you can use all its abilities again on the turn it returns.

9. Can You Play Multiple Legendary Planeswalkers?

Yes, you can have multiple legendary planeswalkers in play, as long as they don’t have the exact same name. For example, you can have both Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Jace, Unraveler of Secrets in play at the same time.

10. Can You Proliferate for Zero Counters?

Yes, you can Proliferate for zero counters. Proliferate says you “may choose any number” of permanents and players. This includes zero, and thus, you can cast proliferate without adding any counters to anything.

11. Does Hexproof Stop Proliferate?

No, Hexproof does not stop Proliferate. Proliferate does not target permanents; instead you “choose” them. Hexproof protects from being targeted and therefore does not stop proliferate from affecting a permanents with hexproof.

12. What Happens if a Planeswalker Reaches 0 Loyalty?

A planeswalker with 0 loyalty is put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action.

13. Is Panharmonicon a Replacement Effect?

No, Panharmonicon is not a replacement effect. It specifically doubles triggered abilities when a permanent enters the battlefield. Replacement effects do not trigger, and they occur immediately without going on the stack.

14. Does Panharmonicon Work with Purphoros?

Yes, Panharmonicon works very well with Purphoros, God of the Forge. Purphoros triggers for each ETB. If a creature enters with multiple ETB triggers, Panharmonicon will effectively trigger Purphoros twice for every trigger. A Siege-Gang Commander would deal 4 damage (2 for itself, 1 each for its two 1/1 goblins), but with Panharmonicon, it would deal 8 damage.

15. Does Panharmonicon Trigger Mutate Abilities?

No, Panharmonicon does not trigger mutate. Mutate does not trigger on the battlefield, and instead it replaces the existing creature, and therefore Panharmonicon does not trigger.

Understanding how Panharmonicon interacts with different card types, especially planeswalkers, is essential for any Magic: The Gathering player looking to maximize their strategy. While it doesn’t double planeswalker loyalty, its ability to amplify other triggered abilities is still incredibly powerful.