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Author Topic: PSA: Opposition Agent - what you're allowed and not allowed to do  (Read 12591 times)

Aetherium Slinky

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Opposition Agent

TL;DR: You can look at your opponent's hidden information (hand, library while searching, any face-down exiled cards etc.) but you can't physically reveal that information i.e. show the card to others. You do not have access to information outside the game and you can't make the player concede. You also cannot activate their mana abilities to waste their mana.

The official rulings for Opposition Agent say this (I've highlighted some important bits):
Quote
NOTES AND RULES INFORMATION FOR OPPOSITION AGENT:
While controlling an opponent, you make all choices and decisions for that player. However, because the control effect is limited to while they’re searching their libraries, it’s unlikely the player will be allowed to make any decisions other than what to find with the search.
(2020-11-10)
You can’t have the player find cards in their library that aren’t asked for by the search instruction. For example, if the opponent is searching their library for a basic land card, you can’t have them find a different card, such as a creature card.
(2020-11-10)
If the search instruction states a quality of the card to find, such as a color or card type, you may have the opponent not find any cards. If the search is simply for a number of cards without stating a quality, you must have them find that many cards (or as many as possible, if their library doesn’t contain that many cards).
(2020-11-10)
While controlling an opponent, you can’t make any choices or decisions for that player related to tournament rules. You can’t make them concede or have them agree to an intentional draw.
(2020-11-10)
The cards found in the search will be exiled rather than be put wherever the spell or ability tells the opponent to put them after finding them. Any other effects the spell or ability has will still apply. If such an effect refers to the found cards, it can see them in exile.
(2020-11-10)
If a spell or ability instructs an opponent you control to search multiple zones including the library, you decide what cards they find in all zones. They'll exile all cards they find in any of the zones.
(2020-11-10)
If more than one player controls an Opposition Agent, and another player searches their library, the controller of the Opposition Agent that most recently entered the battlefield controls that player during the search. Because the last ability of each Opposition Agent is trying to exile the card and give permission to play it, the owner of the exiled card chooses which effect wins. However, that owner will be under another player’s control, so that player controlling that owner actually makes the decision. In other words, the player who controls the Opposition Agent whose effect applies (and thus controls the opponent) can choose to give themselves all the play permissions unless they’re feeling very generous.
(2020-11-10)
You must follow the normal timing permissions and restrictions for each exiled card. If one is a land, you can’t play it unless you have land plays available.
(2020-11-10)
You’ll still pay all costs for a spell cast this way, including additional costs. You may also pay alternative costs if any are available.
(2020-11-10)
In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well.
(2020-11-10)

The Comprehensive Rules say this (again with my own highlights):
Quote
From the Comprehensive Rules (November 19, 2021—Innistrad: Crimson Vow)

718. Controlling Another Player

718.1. Some cards allow a player to control another player during that player’s next turn. This effect applies to the next turn that the affected player actually takes. The affected player is controlled during the entire turn; the effect doesn’t end until the beginning of the next turn.
718.1a Multiple player-controlling effects that affect the same player overwrite each other. The last one to be created is the one that works.
718.1b If a turn is skipped, any pending player-controlling effects wait until the player who would be affected actually takes a turn.

718.2. Two cards (Word of Command and Opposition Agent) allow a player to control another player for a limited duration.

718.3. Only control of the player changes. All objects are controlled by their normal controllers. A player who’s being controlled during their turn is still the active player.

718.4. If information about an object in the game would be visible to the player being controlled, it’s visible to both that player and the controller of the player. If information about cards outside the game would be visible to the player being controlled, it’s visible only to that player, not the controller of the player.
Example: The controller of a player can see that player’s hand and the face of any face-down creatures they control.


718.5. While controlling another player, a player makes all choices and decisions the controlled player is allowed to make or is told to make by the rules or by any objects. This includes choices and decisions about what to play, and choices and decisions called for by spells and abilities.
Example: The controller of another player decides which spells that player casts and what those spells target, and makes any required decisions when those spells resolve.
Example: The controller of another player decides which of that player’s creatures attack, which player or planeswalker each one attacks, what the damage assignment order of the creatures that block them is (if any of the attacking creatures are blocked by multiple creatures), and how those attacking creatures assign their combat damage.

718.5a The controller of another player can use only that player’s resources (cards, mana, and so on) to pay costs for that player.
Example: If the controller of a player decides that the controlled player will cast a spell with an additional cost of discarding cards, the cards are discarded from the controlled player’s hand.
718.5b The controller of another player can’t make choices or decisions for that player that aren’t called for by the rules or by any objects. The controller also can’t make any choices or decisions for the player that would be called for by the tournament rules.
Example: The player who’s being controlled still decides if they will leave to visit the restroom, trade a card to someone else, agree to an intentional draw, or call a judge about an error or infraction.


718.6. The controller of another player can’t make that player concede. A player may concede the game at any time, even if they are controlled by another player. See rule 104.3a.

718.7. The effect that gives control of a player to another player may restrict the actions the controlled player is allowed to take or specify actions that the controlled player must take.

718.8. A player who controls another player also continues to make their own choices and decisions.

718.9. A player may gain control of themselves. That player will make their own decisions and choices as normal.

The Tournament Rules has an important rule that relates to this (again, with my own highlights):
Quote
MTR 3.13 Hidden Information

Hidden information refers to the faces of cards and other objects at which the rules of the game and format do not allow you to look.

Cards in the library, cards in the opponent’s hand, cards exiled face down (such as from Pyxis of Pandemonium), and cards other players are drafting, are all examples of hidden information.
Throughout the match, a draft, and pregame procedures, players are responsible for keeping their cards above the level of the playing surface and for making reasonable efforts to prevent hidden information from being revealed. However, players may choose to reveal their hands or any other hidden information available to them, unless specifically prohibited by the rules. Players must not actively attempt to gain information hidden from them, but are not required to inform opponents who are accidentally revealing hidden information.

Players can show their opponent any information that that player is allowed to see. This means they cannot show the opponent the contents of their deck unless they are currently allowed to see it (i.e. searching). Players cannot try to look at the opponent’s hand, but if the opponent has it revealed they don’t need to inform them. It is possible to accidentally reveal information.  Maybe they are playing with their hand tilted too far forward, or maybe they are wearing reflective sunglasses.

One more Comprehensive Rules quote about activating mana abilities (with my own highlights):
Quote
From the Comprehensive Rules (November 19, 2021—Innistrad: Crimson Vow)

605. Mana Abilities

605.1. Some activated abilities and some triggered abilities are mana abilities, which are subject to special rules. Only abilities that meet either of the following two sets of criteria are mana abilities, regardless of what other effects they may generate or what timing restrictions (such as “Activate only as an instant”) they may have.
605.1a An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t require a target (see rule 115.6), it could add mana to a player’s mana pool when it resolves, and it’s not a loyalty ability. (See rule 606, “Loyalty Abilities.”)
605.1b A triggered ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t require a target (see rule 115.6), it triggers from the activation or resolution of an activated mana ability (see rule 605.1a) or from mana being added to a player’s mana pool, and it could add mana to a player’s mana pool when it resolves.

605.2. A mana ability remains a mana ability even if the game state doesn’t allow it to produce mana.
Example: A permanent has an ability that reads “{T}: Add {G} for each creature you control.” The ability is still a mana ability even if you control no creatures or if the permanent is already tapped.

605.3. Activating an activated mana ability follows the rules for activating any other activated ability (see rule 602.2), with the following exceptions:
605.3a A player may activate an activated mana ability whenever they have priority, whenever they are casting a spell or activating an ability that requires a mana payment, or whenever a rule or effect asks for a mana payment, even if it’s in the middle of casting or resolving a spell or activating or resolving an ability.
605.3b An activated mana ability doesn’t go on the stack, so it can’t be targeted, countered, or otherwise responded to. Rather, it resolves immediately after it is activated. (See rule 405.6c.)
605.3c Once a player begins to activate a mana ability, that ability can’t be activated again until it has resolved.

605.4. Triggered mana abilities follow all the rules for other triggered abilities (see rule 603, “Handling Triggered Abilities”), with the following exception:
605.4a A triggered mana ability doesn’t go on the stack, so it can’t be targeted, countered, or otherwise responded to. Rather, it resolves immediately after the mana ability that triggered it, without waiting for priority.
Example: An enchantment reads, “Whenever a player taps a land for mana, that player adds one mana of any type that land produced.” If a player taps lands for mana while casting a spell, the additional mana is added immediately and can be used to pay for the spell.

605.5. Abilities that don’t meet the criteria specified in rules 605.1a–b and spells aren’t mana abilities.
605.5a An ability with a target is not a mana ability, even if it could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves. The same is true for a triggered ability that could produce mana but triggers from an event other than activating a mana ability, or a triggered ability that triggers from activating a mana ability but couldn’t produce mana. These follow the normal rules for activated or triggered abilities, as appropriate.
605.5b A spell can never be a mana ability, even if it could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves. It’s cast and resolves just like any other spell. Some older cards were printed with the card type “mana source”; these cards have received errata in the Oracle card reference and are now instants.

What this means is that the controller of Opposition Agent, while searching another player's library, may look through the entire library, see their hand, see cards in hidden zones such as face-down exiled cards, morphs, etc.

Since you do not have priority nor is there a spell being cast so you cannot legally activate mana abilities either. There's a single exception: Panglacial Wurm but I suggest you reach out to a judge for that because the card is a rules nightmare in general. As far as I've understood you're allowed to force the other player to cast it and pay for its casting cost and activate any mana abilities (including using Ashnod's Altar to sacrifice their creatures, mind you!) but that's only if Panglacial Wurm is in their library and you're searching the library (which you are with Opposition Agent).

You cannot do anything outlined by the Tournament Rules because Opposition Agent forbids that specifically - if your pod chooses to follow those rules in full. In EDH, for example, there's rule 0 which means you can override any rules you want or choose not to follow the Tournament Rules altogether. Any non-sanctioned, non-competitive event can choose not to follow the Tournament Rules but usually people do follow [parts of the] rules because there's stuff about marked cards, conceding, using proxies and shortcutting loops. Then again there's stuff about slow play, checking decks for compliance, handling [missed] triggers, reversing actions and playing banned cards which are rules people often choose not to follow for different reasons.

Anyway the important bit is that unless you rule 0 this in an EDH game you are not allowed to physically reveal any cards from the controlled player's hand or other hidden zones. This is because Opposition Agent specifically forbids this. You can obviously share the information verbally with the pod but this obviously adds another layer of trusting the controlling player which can be used as a political tool in multiplayer games.
« Last Edit: December 13, 2021, 06:56:30 pm by MustaKotka »
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Morganator 2.0

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Re: PSA: Opposition Agent - what you're allowed and not allowed to do
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2021, 09:05:48 pm »
Quote
If more than one player controls an Opposition Agent, and another player searches their library, the controller of the Opposition Agent that most recently entered the battlefield controls that player during the search. Because the last ability of each Opposition Agent is trying to exile the card and give permission to play it, the owner of the exiled card chooses which effect wins. However, that owner will be under another player’s control, so that player controlling that owner actually makes the decision. In other words, the player who controls the Opposition Agent whose effect applies (and thus controls the opponent) can choose to give themselves all the play permissions unless they’re feeling very generous.

I had never thought of this before. That's really weird. There are a bunch of cards where two of them on the battlefield cause weird situations like this (Notion Thief is another one).

Aetherium Slinky

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Re: PSA: Opposition Agent - what you're allowed and not allowed to do
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2021, 09:07:35 pm »
Quote
If more than one player controls an Opposition Agent, and another player searches their library, the controller of the Opposition Agent that most recently entered the battlefield controls that player during the search. Because the last ability of each Opposition Agent is trying to exile the card and give permission to play it, the owner of the exiled card chooses which effect wins. However, that owner will be under another player’s control, so that player controlling that owner actually makes the decision. In other words, the player who controls the Opposition Agent whose effect applies (and thus controls the opponent) can choose to give themselves all the play permissions unless they’re feeling very generous.

I had never thought of this before. That's really weird. There are a bunch of cards where two of them on the battlefield cause weird situations like this (Notion Thief is another one).
It's almost never time stamps. But when it is, it's weird.
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