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If I use a creature to populate another creature, it comes into the battlefield as a copy, therefore activating its ETB abilites, correct?

For example: I have a Thragtusk on the field and then use Eyes in the Skies to populate and copy thragtusk, does his ETB work? (Giving me 5 life).
 

Populate can only copy tokens
you can't copy Thragtusk unless it is a token

but let's assume it is, in that case you will get 5 life from the populated copy (and a 3/3 token when that copy dies)

Oct 5, 2012 -- 1:58PM, Mr.Galt wrote:

If I use a creature to populate another creature, it comes into the battlefield as a copy, therefore activating its ETB abilites, correct?

Yes.

Oct 5, 2012 -- 1:58PM, Mr.Galt wrote:

For example: I have a Thragtusk on the field and then use Eyes in the Skies to populate and copy thragtusk, does his ETB work? (Giving me 5 life).

To our knowledge, Thragtusk is not token. You can't create a copy of it using Populate. You would get a copy of the bird you just created.

I see, I misread the "Populate" ability. That changes things haha. I would needsomething like a Cackling Counterpart in order to do the right combo

Yes, but keep in mind that Cackling Counterpart goes well with Populate.

Thragtusk + Cackling Counterpart + Eyes in the Skies would (optimally) give you a total of three Thragtusk, two birds one bird and 15 life.

just 1 bird token
or 2 bird tokens, but just 2 thragtusk

populate only copies 1 token, not all tokens

Any other cards like Cackling Counterpart ? That are standard, at least.

Fixed.

Oct 5, 2012 -- 2:05PM, ikegami wrote:

Yes, but keep in mind that Cackling Counterpart goes well with Populate.

Thragtusk + Cackling Counterpart + Eyes in the Skies would give you a total of three Thragtusk, two birds one bird and 15 life.

edit: boy... you guys are fast...

Back from the Brink

Oct 5, 2012 -- 2:07PM, Mr.Galt wrote:

Any other cards like Cackling Counterpart ? That are standard, at least.

They'd be a subset of these

If one were to populate the token from Mimic Vat , Seance , or Geist of Saint Traft ; would the populated copy be exiled as well as the original token at the appropriate step?

Oct 5, 2012 -- 11:51PM, ChidyDog wrote:

If one were to populate the token from Mimic Vat , Seance , or Geist of Saint Traft ; would the populated copy be exiled as well as the original token at the appropriate step?

no

Oct 6, 2012 -- 12:14AM, pitiex wrote:

Oct 5, 2012 -- 11:51PM, ChidyDog wrote:

If one were to populate the token from Mimic Vat , Seance , or Geist of Saint Traft ; would the populated copy be exiled as well as the original token at the appropriate step?

no

Great news, thanks. Wasn't sure if the Exile part was copied as well. Now, I thinking of putting Seance in my Trostani EDH deck to make token copies of actual creature cards since there isn't anything else in her colors like Cackling Counterpart unfornuately.

Hi -- Brand new to the game; playing with my son.  Two questions about populate:


(i) if the token we're copying has a temporary effect on it (+1/+1 until EOT), for example, will the populated creature lose the bonus at the end of the turn, or is it a permanent effect on the copy (i.e. a snapshot copy, not a copy with all of the same attributes)?


(ii) similar quesiton -- if the token has a bonus, like Collective Blessing (Enchantment giving all creatures +3/+3), does the copy come with the bonus already included, and then get the bonus again by virtue of Collective Blessing's effect?  So, a 1/1 knight is a 4/4 night because of Collective Blessing, then is populated, so now I have a 4/4 token and get a an additional +3/+3?  Same question if the token has an enchantment attached to it, does the copy get the benefit of the enchantment as well?



Thanks in advance!

You only copy the "base" characteristics: those specified by the effect that created the token. For example, if there's a token from Call of the Conclave and you copy that token, the copy will be a 3/3 green Centaur creature, no matter what enchantments, resolved spells, or counters were modifying the original token.

seance with thrangtusk in the graveyard would work aswell.  exile thrangtusk put a token exile it at the end of turn...throw a populate in there on goes away you get to keep one...keep populating every turn keep gaining 5 life if they die you get the 3/3 beast.  you could populate a thrangtusk army in just a few turns.

Nov 9, 2012 -- 2:50PM, adeyke wrote:

You only copy the "base" characteristics: those specified by the effect that created the token. For example, if there's a token from Call of the Conclave and you copy that token, the copy will be a 3/3 green Centaur creature, no matter what enchantments, resolved spells, or counters were modifying the original token.

note: some effects might also coincidentally affect both, but not because they're copied 
eg. Glorious Anthem , the copy would get +1/+1 too because the Anthem affects both the original and the copy

Hi,

I've been working on my Ghave, guru of spores deck, and I was thinking about including populate.
I thought that I could give one of my saprolings a bunch of +1/+1 counters to make it like a 10/10, and then populate it to get another 10/10 token.
I'm starting to doubt it though. Do I really get a saproling token with the counters on him or just the 1/1 saproling when I populate it?

Dec 8, 2012 -- 6:18AM, TheMysteriouSmartass wrote:

Hi,

I've been working on my Ghave, guru of spores deck, and I was thinking about including populate.
I thought that I could give one of my saprolings a bunch of +1/+1 counters to make it like a 10/10, and then populate it to get another 10/10 token.

I'm starting to doubt it though. Do I really get a saproling token with the counters on him or just the 1/1 saproling when I populate it?

When you copy a permanent (token or not), you only get to copy its basic characteristics, not counters, temporary effects or attached auras/equipments. So all you get when you populate the saproling is a new 1/1 green Saproling creature token, with no +1/+1 counter.

EDIT: not to be rude, but if you are upping an old thread, you should at least read it first. The answer to your question was already here:

Nov 9, 2012 -- 2:50PM, adeyke wrote:

You only copy the "base" characteristics: those specified by the effect that created the token. For example, if there's a token from Call of the Conclave and you copy that token, the copy will be a 3/3 green Centaur creature, no matter what enchantments, resolved spells, or counters were modifying the original token.