The LGS to which I go to play Commander on Saturdays has a special theme every other week that adds something to the game or changes deck construction rules. Once a month, the theme is that each player can choose a Vanguard from the original Vanguard sets to play with (some are banned for
balance, of course, like Lyna). This time, I'm building a Depala
vehicles deck with Karn as the Vanguard, and I ran into a bit of a conundrum.
The Karn vanguard is effectively an Emblem version of
March of the Machines. He reads, "Each noncreature artifact you control is an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its mana value." The rule for Vehicle cards in question is 301.7b: "If a Vehicle becomes a creature, it immediately has its printed power and toughness. Other effects, including the effect that makes it a creature, may modify these values or set them to different values."
I see two ways this interaction could work. Take
Smuggler's Copter as an example:
1) As it is cast and before it hits the battlefield, it is a noncreature artifact spell. When it hits the battlefield, as a check of state-based effects, Karn sees it and makes it an artifact creature with power and toughness 2 (equal to CMC). Now, since it has become a creature, per the first sentence of 301.7b, it now has its printed power and toughness (3/3).
2) Karn's effect supersedes the printed power and toughness of Copter and makes it 2/2, per the second sentence of 301.7b.
I believe the second scenario is the correct one. Part 2 of the question: if this is true, can a vehicle "regain" its printed power/toughness if it is crewed? A ruling on March of Machines from 7/15/07 reads, "If a noncreature artifact becomes an artifact creature this way and then another effect animates it, the new effect overrides
March of the Machines’s effect. For example,
Chimeric Staff is a 4/4 creature while
March of the Machines is on the battlefield. If you activate
Chimeric Staff’s ability and choose X = 5,
Chimeric Staff will be a 5/5 artifact creature for the rest of the turn." I understand that crewing the vehicle doesn't change its power and toughness values and that the vehicle in question is already a creature, but crewing it would "animate" it, allowing it to become a creature independent of Karn's effect. Does that cause it to now gain its printed values, or are they still equal to the card's CMC?
Something like
Cyberdrive Awakener or
Workshop Elders is very clear, as they would set the base power/toughess of the
vehicles as they become creatures. All the other cards don't seem to be quite as clear-cut (
Karn, Silver Golem;
Karn's Touch; the +1 ability on
Karn, the Great Creator;
Sydri, Galvanic Genius;
Titania's Song;
Toymaker;
Xenic Poltergeist; and the Karn vanguard).