"HAUNT" explain it to me, please.

[stonedwolf]

HAUNT ... what is it and how does it work, in an example format, please.

[Tekkactus]

Huant is a simple concept with not-so-simple wording.

When a creature with haunt dies or a spell with haunt goes to the graveyard, you remove it from the game and choose a creature. Then, when that creature dies, the removed creature or spell's haunt effect is triggered.

Example) My [card:43d74a30a1]Graven Dominator[/card:43d74a30a1] just got [card:43d74a30a1]terminate[/card:43d74a30a1]d. I choose to haunt my opponent's [card:43d74a30a1]Goblin Warchief[/card:43d74a30a1]. I then play [card:43d74a30a1]Tremor[/card:43d74a30a1]. This causes the Warcheif to die, so now all creatures are 1/1 until end of turn (thanks to Haunt) and because all of my opponent's critters have 1 damage already on them, they die.

[UnknownKnowned]

*claps* great example there tekk-a-roo

[lionden_56]

That's actually a pretty nice combo.

[Twinkee]

except [card:1b259c189f]Tremor[/card:1b259c189f] only does 1 damage and [card:1b259c189f]goblin warchief[/card:1b259c189f] is a 2/2. you need [card:1b259c189f]pyroclasm[/card:1b259c189f] to do the job.


I had to make 3 (tag related) corrections in your post...TYPE BETTER! - EM

[Einsteinmonkey]

But Twink is right. Just haunt his [card:8d12ca7423]Raging Goblin[/card:8d12ca7423] or something.

[Tekkactus]

Whoopsies. I was thinknig of a different Goblin Leaderthing. What's the one that costs :r: and can pump other goblins for :1mana::r:?

[Einsteinmonkey]

[card:9ef9919e55]Goblin Taskmaster[/card:9ef9919e55].

[Your Worst Nightmare]

A simpler explanation is to think of Haunt as some sort of Imprint (from Mirrodin). When the creature or spell hits the graveyard, instead it comes back to play as a 'ghost' haunting a creature ('imprinted' on a creature). Just like imprint (and substance), it does nothing per se, but when the haunted creature leaves play, the haunting spell's ability activates. (If by something very weird the haunting spell had no abilities, when the haunted creature leaved play, nothing would activate.)

[lionden_56]

To restart this, a different question concerning haunt...does a spell with haunt need to have a legal haunt target in order to be played? For example, can I play [card:281f2e7ac5]Cry of Contrition[/card:281f2e7ac5] on my turn 1 before my opponent has played a permanent? Haunt is just countered due to lack of targets, right?

[Tekkactus]

Right. Cry will go to the graveyard like a normal spell since it can't haunt anything.

[stonedwolf]

Thanks, the mechanic is easy enough, but the wording bordered on insane. :D