Does Populate Trigger ETB Effects?
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Yes, populate does trigger ETB (Enter the Battlefield) effects, as creature tokens, including populated copies, enter the battlefield, triggering any cards that care about creatures or creature tokens entering the field. This means that any ETB abilities triggered by creatures or creature tokens will activate when a populated copy enters the battlefield, making populate a powerful tool for triggering multiple ETB effects in a single turn.
Understanding ETB Effects and Populate
To fully understand how populate triggers ETB effects, it’s essential to grasp the basics of ETB effects and how populate works. ETB effects are abilities that trigger when a creature or permanent enters the battlefield, often providing beneficial effects such as gaining life, drawing cards, or destroying enemy creatures. Populate, on the other hand, is a keyword ability that allows you to create a copy of a creature token, effectively doubling the number of creatures on the battlefield.
Related FAQs
1. Does Copying Trigger ETB Effects?
Copying a creature or permanent can trigger ETB effects, but only if the copied text includes abilities that replace the enters-the-battlefield event, such as “enters the battlefield with” or “as [this] enters the battlefield” abilities.
2. Does Regenerate Activate ETB Effects?
No, regenerate does not activate ETB effects, as a regenerated creature does not leave the battlefield and therefore does not trigger ETB effects.
3. Do ETB Effects See Themselves?
No, creatures with abilities that happen “as this creature enters the battlefield” cannot see themselves on the battlefield, as these abilities are replacement effects that apply before the creature enters the battlefield.
4. Does Panharmonicon Trigger ETB Effects?
Yes, Panharmonicon affects an artifact or creature’s own ETB triggered abilities, as well as other triggered abilities that would trigger when an artifact or creature enters the battlefield.
5. Does Phyrexian Metamorph Trigger ETB Effects?
Yes, Phyrexian Metamorph triggers ETB effects, as any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied permanent will trigger when Phyrexian Metamorph enters the battlefield.
6. How Do ETB Triggers Work?
ETB triggers activate when a game action takes place, such as when a creature or permanent enters the battlefield, and the ability goes straight to the stack and then resolves.
7. Does Merfolk Trickster Stop ETB Effects?
No, Merfolk Trickster cannot stop ETB effects from triggering, as the ability goes on the stack immediately when a creature with an ETB ability enters the battlefield.
8. Does Ninjutsu Trigger ETB Effects?
Yes, ninjutsu triggers ETB effects, as creatures that come in attacking through a successful ninjutsu ability enter the battlefield and trigger ETB effects.
9. Does Myriad Trigger ETB Effects?
Yes, Myriad triggers ETB effects, as any “enter the battlefield” abilities on the creature will trigger for each copy of the creature created by Myriad.
10. Does Deathtouch Cancel Deathtouch?
Yes, two instances of the Deathtouch ability against one another cancel out the Deathtouch ability.
11. Is Soulbond an ETB Trigger?
Yes, Soulbond is a trigger that activates when a creature enters the battlefield, allowing you to pair the creature with another creature.
12. Does ETB Populate?
Yes, ETB can trigger populate, as creature tokens, including populated copies, enter the battlefield and trigger ETB effects.
13. Does Copying a Spell Count as ETB?
Yes, copying a spell can count as ETB, as the copy resolves and enters the battlefield, triggering ETB effects.
14. Is Cascade an ETB Trigger?
No, Cascade is not an ETB ability, as it triggers when a spell is cast, not when a creature or permanent enters the battlefield.
15. Does Spark Double Get ETB Effects?
Yes, Spark Double triggers the copied creature’s ETB effects, as its copy ability works as a replacement effect, not as its own ETB ability.