Question regarding The Scarab God and Consuming Aberration

[Morale]

If i use The Scarab God's ability to create a token of Consuming Aberration,
does Consuming Aberration still get the effect of "this creatures attack and defense is equal to the number of cards in opponents graveyards?

from what i can tell, when i bring him back as a token from the grave, he is a 4/4 zombie that still has all of his abilities. So because of this.. his attack/defense are still equal to the opponents graveyard. please tell me if im wrong

[ApothecaryGeist]

Great question.  Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work like that.  An ability that sets a power/toughness to a variable value (like the number of cards in graveyards) only functions when the creature's power/toughness is otherwise undefined.  This is usually represented by */*.  Once the creature's power/toughness becomes defined as a static value, this ability no longer functions.


The actual nuts and bolts of why this works is mildly complicated and convoluted because - layers.  But this is the gist for this specific situation.

[Morganator 2.0]

I go over this specific example in my Scarab God primer. The layering is weird, but from what I remember, the token overrides Consuming Aberration's own power/toughness modifier. But then if someone stuck a Frogify on it, it would be a 1/1.

There are some other weird things with The Scarab God's layering as well.

[Morale]

thank you both very much for the reply!
Fortunately, for my scarab god deck, i rarely actually attack. i typically will just use Consuming Aberration for his milling effect and then cast the opponents creatures from their graves, and then let his upkeep effect kill the opponent.

its quite the fun brawl deck.

[Morganator 2.0]

its quite the fun brawl deck.

Is now a good time or a bad time to mention that neither The Scarab God nor Consuming Aberration are legal in Brawl?

[Morale]

its quite the fun brawl deck.

Is now a good time or a bad time to mention that neither The Scarab God nor Consuming Aberration are legal in Brawl?

luckily my play group enjoys making non-legal decks. currently deployed.

the real question is, are they still legal in commander? because when i get home, thats what ill be playing.

another question, i found your primer on the scarab god.
This might be a silly question, but im rather new (ive only been playing magic for... three months)
You say in your primer that The Scarab God's third ability works as a way to get around commander tax,
How does this work? I was under the impression that no matter what, every subsequent time you cast your commander from the
command zone it costs two more. and any time your commander would go anywhere from the battlefield (exiled, returned to hand, graveyard), it goes back to the command zone instead.  so wouldnt that mean you still have to pay the tax? or was it wrong and he can actually return to your hand?

Unfortunately most of the websites that list rules are blocked on the network im on.

also, i cant look at any of the banned card listings.. big sad

[Xaarvaxus]

"any time your commander would go anywhere from the battlefield (exiled, returned to hand, graveyard), you may choose to have it go to the command zone instead"

Perfectly legit to let it die and have it go to the graveyard where the third clause triggers to get it back to your hand.

[WWolfe]

the real question is, are they still legal in commander? because when i get home, thats what ill be playing.

Commander isn't a rotating format and they're not on the ban list, so yes both cards are legal in commander.

[Morale]

very nice! thank you both!