Pointed Discussion

What could counter it other than a spell or ability? o__O

My theory is that the text is in there because if your opponent were to somehow make the creature you target an illegal target, or were to bounce/kill your target, the second ability would go off rather than the ability as a whole being countered.

This card + Tradewind Rider or Temporal Adept in a mono blue control deck usually will have your opponent screaming at you...lol

There is so much options with this incredible creature, I usually bounce him with Waterfront Bouncer and this is only one option.

(This effect lasts indefinitely.)
Yep, and this is why Gilded Drake owns. 5/5

+ Erratic Portal it become obvious .

Tons of fun to play with, annoying as hell to play against when bounce is involved. Reusable sources like Waterfront Bouncer, Tradewind Rider work but I personally enjoy Aether Burst.

I cast gilded drake and and swap that out with target player's creature. I cast act of treason on gilded drake to gain control of it. Does it stay in my control because I own it or does it go back to player I gave control of it?

Am I the only one who sees no point to the last line in Gatherer: "This ability can't be countered except by spells and abilities." Well, D'uh! I don't know of anything else that can counter something... and in that case, why specify this?

for those that do not understand what the card means by "can only be countered by spells or abilities"

the actual term counter refers to a few select situations where a card is nullified. A second way to "counter" a card, is to remove the target of the said card. For example, if you attempt to cast giant growth, targeting a creature you control and in response to you targeting a card with your spell on the stack, I can remove the said target with a spell that I will place on the stack (can be anything from boomerang to terror). The stack will now begin to resolve. My spell resolves and removes your creature (be it temporarily or permanently) then when your spell (giant growth) attempts to resolve, the target is no longer valid and the spell is, in according to the rules and mechanics of the game, countered.

This card by-passes this rule. Why? because you can place the trigger of swapping your card for their card on to the stack and return YOUR creature back to your hand. Normally, because if one of the targets of a multi target, non-"up to" spell (see note at end for further detail) is removed from the field, the spell is countered. In this case, you can do clever tricks such as casting this spell and after targets are declared, you can turn to mist your creature before the spell begins to resolve to invalidate your creature as a target, thus receiving the opposing monster for the rest of the game.


Note regarding multi target invalidation with and without the key phrase "up to"
(for example, a spell that can buff up to 4 targets with +1/+1 and one of the targets is removed. This will not counter the card because of the key phrase "up to". If you we're to place turn to mist on the stack after your opponent selects your creature and their creature for a card such as peel from reality, the creature they selected will not be returned to their hand and neither will yours, since one target has become invalid)



If I got any of that wrong, please feel free to elaborate. To my knowledge, this is the mechanic of countering a card by invalidating it's target (go read the card guile and it may perk some interesting ideas)

@keikun332
Close.

What actually causes an entire spell to be countered is the use of the word target. If someone casts Cryptic Command and chooses to return a permanent to it's owners hand and draw a card, if the permanent becomes illegal, then the whole spell is countered. If they choose to counter a spell and bounce, if the permanent becomes illegal then the spell will still be countered.You can almost read each section of a card as complete thoughts.
EX.
Bounce target permanent, then draw a card VS Counter target spell-bounce target permanent.

Another good example of this is Searing Blaze VS Lightning Helix.
Searing blaze targets both player and creature so if one becomes illegal the other is still damaged; but Lightning Helix only has one target. If Lightning Helix had read "3 damage to target creature, target player gains 3 life." then you would still gain the life.

So it's not that this card bypasses a rule, rather it uses a completely different one.

The rule it uses is that an ability can exist without it's source still on the battlefield. Just like how you can't Doom Blade a Cunning Sparkmage to prevent it from pinging you, it's ability to exchange control exists whether or not its source is still on the battlefield.

And as Oblivion Ring plus Vedalken Mastermind has taught us all, you can respond to an enters the battlefield ability before any part of it happens.

As for that confusing last line of text, the answer is in the rulings down below (it's still kind of confusing) and that is, making the target illegal after it's been chosen does not counter the ability. If it had, then as stated above (first paragraph) the sacrifice would not occur. By adding the last line of text, it prevents players from responding to their own drakes ability and giving a creature shroud to keep the 3/3 flying body.

EX.
I cast Gilded Drake and target your Raging Goblin. In response to it's ability I cast Mage's Guile on your goblin.

Normally this would counter the ability and you wouldn't have to sacrifice the drake, but the last line of text prevents this from happening.

Wow, I wrote a lot, and no one is going to read all of this.
Oh well. Have fun everybody!

Bounce it,
Bolt it,
Path it,
The Drake is
Always worth it!

A two cost, mind control? Not fair! This card is... Broken.
It looks like it was made from an aggro standpoint, as must broken cards are...
Without combos it's already grand... With them...

In EDH Capsize or Mimic Vat this thief and just look at your opponents faces. Priceless. 5/5

Use with oblation for some nice card drawing.

Oooh Nice Emrakul...

I'll be taking that.

(run with some Unsummons for more lulz)

Could I actually Flash this in at EOT and it's ability still trigger? (Without me paying the one blue?)

Look, a two mana Blightsteel Colossus.

Nice Emrakul you've got there. Here, take this drake.

He falls in love with Venser, the Sojourner in casual. For 2 mana, I'll take your best creature, and you can have this dude. Oh wait, I'll use Venser's +2, and take your new best creature too. Keep it going, and finally bounce him when he's the only creature they have - and his triggered ability will fizzle due to having no legal targets (meaning you'll get to keep him for future shenanigans and won't have to sacrifice him).

And in a worst case scenario you're paying 2 mana to get something that's better than a 3/3 flying (I mean, you wouldn't cast it at all if it wasn't better than a 3/3 flying). Ridic card. 5/5

A more concise version of why the text "This ability can't be countered except by spells and abilities." is present:
Let's say it didn't have that text and I targeted one of my opponent's creatures with the drake's enter the battlefield trigger. In response, my opponent sacrificed that creature, returned it to hand, gave it protection or shroud, or made it an illegal target in any other way, the ability would be countered because of no legal targets. That would mean I wouldn't have to sacrifice the Drake, because the "If you don't make an exchange, sacrifice Gilded Drake." text is part of the exchange trigger.

The reason it says "Up to" is so the ability goes on the stack even if there are no creatures on the board. If it didn't say "up to" and you played the drake with an empty board, you would get to keep the drake since the ability would never go on the stack.

Wish he would have been in the Political Puppets deck...

It's in my venser, the sojourner control deck. I'll happily steal one of my opponents creatures a turn for free, all while my planeswalker gains loyalty. My friends utterly despise this card. Such a ridiculously powerful effect for such a cheap mana cost.

Also works well with the sun titan, who happens to be in the same deck. Aether Adept is another sweet little enabler.

Come on people- Brand. That's what it's for.

Funny that no-one has mentioned Despotic Scepter.

mark of eviction, leyline of anticipation

I do believe this hasn't been realized or mentioned but:
Barrin, Master Wizard and this guy make the perfect couple. Reusable destroy any creature, every turn for 3cmc. Beautiful!

Try it in a commander deck, gogogo.

With a Mimic Vat you can go to town.

Snap is my favourite pick for a simple, organic combo you can play separately as well. Play the drake, snap it, play it a second time. Double the effect for no mana cost. And of course if you don't like the opponent having a 3/3 flying, don't cast it a second time and use your mana for something else...

Pretty strange Oracle text... thanks for the explanation, ForestFire.

And as Laguz already mentioned,
this guy and Venser, the Sojourner are best buds-
the only better Venser target in that deck is Treachery
(why, untap five lands for free every round? sure!)

You can even choose to blink and sac the Drake once you've stolen everything,
so they get NOTHING!
That seems fair.

Kicked Rite of Replication for multiplayer madness! Amusing that (what is probably) the best drake is the one that you don't actually use.

Why is there so many things to do with Venser the Sojourner? And to think that the first time I saw him I thought that first ability was "meh".

Y U NO BE IN POLITICAL PUPPETS?

What!? Nobody plays with Cycle anymore?! - Astral Slide gets to be my "Pick of the Minute" here with this guy then... And, if ever there was a combo in Magic that would make a Flyer into one of those annoying-asz "rats with wings" from Finding Nemo... THERE IT IS!! - - *seagull looks at Marlin* ... "Mine?" ... ChAos ensues!

Strictly more fun than control magic.

Flash this out for added fun.

Which is the most uber:
Treachery, Control Magic, Gilded Drake, or Bribery.

Combos with Stifle.

When do I have to announce my target. Is it when the creature comes into play or when I play the creature itself?

This ability can't be countered except by spells and abilities.

As opposed to being countered by any other means?

Very fun with Crystal Shard cheap effective and he goes right back to your hand. Pretty much hey nice *Enter Card Name Here* I will take that from you. Trololololo

roon of the hidden realm makes this guy even more fun.

I don't see anyone else asking, so hey: what happens if I flicker this guy when his ability is on the stack? Do I end up with 2 creatures?

I'm gonna make an edh deck that waits to drop a huge non flying dude to bait out a gilded drake then infect kill the jerk who played the drake with a bunch of free buffs. Thank you for the drake you op jerk.

This thing is a b*tch to play against. It's like Oooh lemme throw my money at you