Can Reveillark's leaves-the-battlefield ability target itself?

For example, let's say its power and thoughness are turned to 0: it is destroyed (so its ability triggers) and its power is 2 or less (so it can be a target).

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    Do you have in mind a specific method of making its power 2 or less while it's in the graveyard? – murgatroid99 Dec 12 '16 at 18:06

Reveillark cannot target a Reveillark card in the graveyard, including itself. While it is in the graveyard, it has its printed characteristics, including 4 power. There are currently no cards that can change the power or toughness of a creature card in a graveyard. So, once it is in the graveyard, it is not a legal target of its own ability, even if it had power 2 or less while on the battlefield.

However, there is a way to get a very similar effect. If you have a Clone, for example, copying a Reveillark, and the Clone dies, it will have power 0 while in the graveyard, and it will be a legal target for the triggered ability. So it can bring itself back, and copy the Reveillark again, effectively achieving the same outcome that you are looking for.

  • Is there a time between the moment the Clone dies and the moment it is targeted? In fact, is it in the graveyard at the moment it leaves the battlefield? – sinsedrix Dec 12 '16 at 18:27
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    Yes, by the time you are choosing targets for the ability, Clone is in the graveyard and is a valid target. – murgatroid99 Dec 12 '16 at 18:29
  • @sinsedrix There in no in-between place for the Clone to go. One moment it is on the battlefield, the next it is in the graveyard. – diego Dec 12 '16 at 18:39
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    @sinsedrix: "Dies" means "is put into the graveyard from the battlefield". All abilities triggering when a creature dies require that creature already to be in the graveyard, so that's likely where they'll be when the ability triggers. It will never be on the battlefield and in the graveyard, but there's no "transition" zone. – TheThirdMan Dec 13 '16 at 7:56

No, you can't return Reveillark with its own ability. When it hits the graveyard, any effects that changed its power on the battlefield no longer apply. It is now a 4 power creature card so its ability can't target it.


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