Is Panharmonicon a Replacement Effect?
The short answer is: No, Panharmonicon is not a replacement effect. It’s crucial to understand this distinction because it significantly impacts how Panharmonicon interacts with other cards in Magic: The Gathering. Panharmonicon is an ability that modifies how triggered abilities function, specifically those that trigger when a creature or artifact enters the battlefield (ETB). It doesn’t replace an event; it adds to it.
Understanding Triggered Abilities vs. Replacement Effects
To fully grasp why Panharmonicon isn’t a replacement effect, we must differentiate between triggered abilities and replacement effects.
Triggered Abilities
Triggered abilities are game actions that automatically activate when a specified event occurs. These abilities always start with the words “when,” “whenever,” or “at.” For instance, a creature with an ETB ability that reads “When [this creature] enters the battlefield, draw a card” has a triggered ability. This ability only activates after the creature has successfully entered the battlefield.
Replacement Effects
Replacement effects, on the other hand, modify how an event occurs before it happens. They don’t trigger; they replace. They use phrases such as “as,” “instead,” or “with.” A common example is a card that says “As [this permanent] enters the battlefield, choose a color.” This effect doesn’t wait for the permanent to be on the battlefield to trigger; it modifies the way it enters the battlefield.
Panharmonicon’s Role
Panharmonicon’s ability reads: “If an artifact or creature entering the battlefield causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.” Notice that it doesn’t modify the entry of the permanent. It only affects the triggered abilities that would trigger after a creature or artifact enters the battlefield. It adds an additional trigger, it does not replace the original one. Thus, it is not a replacement effect.
Panharmonicon and ETB Abilities: How It Works
Panharmonicon focuses solely on enters-the-battlefield (ETB) triggered abilities. If a creature with an ETB ability enters the battlefield under your control while Panharmonicon is on the battlefield, that ETB ability will trigger twice. This can lead to powerful combos and synergistic plays, often resulting in double the value from your creatures and artifacts. It’s essential to know, however, that Panharmonicon does not affect static abilities or activated abilities, it only works with triggered abilities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Panharmonicon
Here are some frequently asked questions about Panharmonicon to help you better understand its mechanics:
1. Does Panharmonicon affect its own ETB ability?
Yes, if Panharmonicon had an ETB ability itself, it would trigger twice due to Panharmonicon being in play. However, it does not have such an ability.
2. Does Panharmonicon double landfall triggers?
Yes, Panharmonicon will double landfall triggers from a creature entering the battlefield. If a card like Ashaya turns a land into a creature, and it entering the battlefield triggers landfall, Panharmonicon would double the landfall trigger.
3. Does Panharmonicon work with planeswalker abilities?
No, Panharmonicon does not interact with Planeswalkers because they do not have ETB triggered abilities. Putting loyalty counters on a planeswalker is not a trigger, therefore Panharmonicon has no effect.
4. Does Panharmonicon trigger cascade twice?
Yes, cascade is a triggered ability, so Panharmonicon will double the cascade trigger. You can thus target two different cards to detain. Note that detaining the same creature twice in the same turn is no different than detaining it once.
5. Does Panharmonicon work with mutate?
No, Panharmonicon does not work with mutate. Mutate modifies how a creature enters the battlefield, not when it enters. The process of mutating means it doesn’t really have an ETB in the traditional sense, and therefore is not affected by Panharmonicon.
6. Does Panharmonicon trigger modular?
No, modular’s ability to put counters onto a creature is a static ability, not a triggered ability, so Panharmonicon does not interact with it.
7. Does Panharmonicon work with other triggered abilities, besides ETB?
While Panharmonicon specifically focuses on triggering effects from artifacts and creatures entering the battlefield, it will not interact with any other triggered ability, even if that trigger is related to creatures or artifacts. For example, a creature’s death trigger would not be doubled.
8. Can Panharmonicon double triggered abilities that are not creature or artifact specific?
No, Panharmonicon only cares about artifacts and creatures entering the battlefield, and the triggers that result from that event. It doesn’t affect any other triggers, even if they are from a permanent you control.
9. What happens if a replacement effect modifies an ETB event that would have triggered an ability, and Panharmonicon is in play?
If a replacement effect modifies an event, then the original event does not happen, and the triggered ability will not trigger, so Panharmonicon will have nothing to interact with.
10. Does Panharmonicon double damage enchantments?
No, Panharmonicon does not double damage. Damage doublers have static abilities that modify the amount of damage dealt. These are not triggered abilities so Panharmonicon does not affect them.
11. Does Panharmonicon double static abilities?
No, Panharmonicon does not double static abilities. It only interacts with triggered abilities that occur when an artifact or creature enters the battlefield.
12. If there are multiple Panharmonicons on the field, how many extra triggers will occur?
Each Panharmonicon is an additional trigger, so if two Panharmonicons are on the field, it will triple the trigger.
13. Is Possibility Storm a replacement effect?
No, Possibility Storm is a triggered ability, not a replacement effect. Therefore, if you cast a spell, it will be exiled and you will reveal cards until you reveal another spell of that type. This is an important distinction.
14. Does Panharmonicon stack with similar trigger doubling effects?
Yes, Panharmonicon stacks with other similar trigger doubling effects. For example, with a second effect in play, ETB triggers would happen three times.
15. Does Panharmonicon allow me to choose which trigger to resolve first?
If multiple triggers go on the stack at the same time, then the affected player chooses the order that they resolve. Panharmonicon adds triggers, so you would still have control of how they resolve.
Conclusion
In summary, Panharmonicon is definitively not a replacement effect. It’s a card that enhances the potency of your ETB triggered abilities, adding an extra layer of value to your creatures and artifacts. Understanding this difference between triggered abilities and replacement effects is key to playing Magic: The Gathering effectively, especially when incorporating complex cards like Panharmonicon into your strategy. By correctly identifying what triggers and what replaces, you can leverage Panharmonicon’s power to its fullest potential.