Some creatures with CDAs based on numbers that can only be determined on the battlefield don't work properly
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- Java
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Description
As discussed in #11545, this issue is an investigation into creatures with characteristic-defining abilities that use numbers that can't be (or shouldn't be able to be) determined outside of the battlefield. As far as I am aware, this is every relevant card, although it's possible I've missed some.
Completely broken (they always ETB as a 0/0 and die immediately):
- Elvish Impersonators
Improperly retaining P/T after leaving the battlefield:
- Aquamorph Entity
- Bell Borca, Spectral Sergeant
- Chameleon Spirit
- Entropic Specter
- Haunting Apparition
- Living Lore
- Lost Order of Jarkeld
- Molten Sentry
- Pallimud
- Primal Clay
- Primal Plasma
- Rusting Golem
- Sewer Nemesis
- Skyshroud War Beast
- Tidewalker
Incorrectly implemented as not a CDA (no clear functional difference?)
- Minion of the Wastes
- Nameless Race
- Wood Elemental
Appears to work properly:
- Caller of the Hunt
- Shapeshifter
- Sutured Ghoul
- Unlicensed Hearse (vehicle)
Relevent cards that are unimplemented:
- Lydari Elephant
- Vedalken Squirrel-Whacker
TDFC back-faces with relevant CDAs (Not tested; these shouldn't matter, because **712.8a** states that DFCs only have the characteristics of their front faces outside the battlefield and stack, but I'm listing them for reference):
- Mastercraft Raptor
- Sunbird Effigy
- Wretched Bonemass (unimplemented)
Contributor guide
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Research direction
Start with the discussion in #11545 and review the listed cards against the battlefield and out-of-battlefield CDA behavior described here. Done means the affected implemented cards no longer enter as incorrect 0/0 creatures or retain battlefield-dependent power and toughness after leaving the battlefield, with the unimplemented cards accounted for.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- java
- Domain
- game-dev
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 25/100