Aphetto Alchemist

WLUhawk · Joined: 30 Jan 2009 Posts: 2

Can Aphetto Alchemist tap and target himself to untap? I thought he could but have been told he must have a valid target to untap before he taps.

Bushviper · Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Posts: 270

You can use himself to untap.......himself. (hope that made sense) Anyways, the card says untap target artifact or creature, not untap target tapped artifact or creature. Because of this you can target any creature wether tapped or untapped and if it is tapped the creature will untap, if the creature is untapped it does nothing. Now that we have established that you can target the alchemist, this is why it works. Tapping is the cost of the ability and thus by the time the ability resolves the alchemist will be tapped and will then untap. This also works with Fatestichtcher the same way. Thats why people in ext have tested the fatesticher, mesmiric orb combo in dredge.

GnikXela · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 102

Actually, if you read the card it says "Untap target artifact or creature." It doesn't say anything about the artifact or creature needing to be already tapped, therefore you could target itself, or another already untapped creature. I had a similar problem a few years ago at GP Philly. I was playing 10 land stompy and had quirion ranger in the deck. I wasn't running anything that needed untapped, just needed the return land part. The judges there told me that I could use the ability on an already untapped creature, getting me my extra land I needed.

Delicious · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 818

Bushviper · Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Posts: 270

im guessing as his was a semi-long post Gink prob. was writting his post while I finished posting mine and never saw my post before submitting his.

WLUhawk · Joined: 30 Jan 2009 Posts: 2

The reason I asked this is I make Aphetto a merfolk using Imagecrafter and tap him to untap himself gaining infinite life from Judge of Currents.

ck3gds · Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 328

This is slightly off topic, but you can throw in Wake Thrasher too, along with Unnatural Selection and Seeker of Skybreak? Smile

In other words, (Wake Thrasher OR Judge of Currents) + (Aphetto Alchemist OR Seeker of Skybreak) + (Imagecrafter OR Unnatural Selection)?

Hardtrack · Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 506

Wake Thrasher, Judge of Currents, Aphetto Alchemist, Seeker of Skybreak, Imagecrafter, Unnatural Selection.

Since Wake Thrasher triggers on any permanent you control untapping you don't even need to make the Seeker or Alchemist a Merfolk, just keep on untapping itself and the Wake Thrasher will get bigger every time.

But yes, Unnatural Selection and Seeker of Skybreak work just as well.