Andrew and Noel are playing a Legacy GPT. Noel controls The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Dark Depths, Thespian's Stage, two Taiga and some other permanents. He also has Life from the Loam in his graveyard. Andrew controls Stoneforge Mystic, True-Name Nemesis and a Batterskull attached to its Germ token, along with at least three dual lands. Andrew has at least one card in his hand.

(For reference, the Oracle text on Tabernacle: All creatures have “At the beginning of your upkeep, destroy this creature unless you pay {1}.”)

1. It's the beginning of Andrew's turn. He untaps, then, without acknowledging the triggers on his creatures given to them by Tabernacle, draws a card after a brief pause to ensure that Noel does not have any effects on his upkeep. Before Andrew takes a game action in his precombat main phase, Noel calls a judge. Noel claims that the triggers are Andrew's since Tabernacle gives the creatures the text containing the trigger, while Andrew claims that the triggers are Noel's since Noel controls Tabernacle. I'm fairly certain that Noel is correct, but what is the call, the penalty (if any), and the fix (if any)?

2. Andrew passes the turn (which is not necessarily the turn in Question 1) and on his end step, Noel activates Thespian's Stage targeting Dark Depths. He puts the original Dark Depths into his graveyard, the copy triggers since it has no ice counters, and it is sacrificed and Noel puts his Marit Lage token onto the battlefield. Noel then untaps and, without acknowledging the trigger given to Marit Lage by Tabernacle, proceeds to his draw step, replacing his draw by putting the top three cards of his library into his graveyard to return Life from the Loam to his hand, after pausing to ensure that Andrew has no effects on his upkeep. Before Noel takes a game action in his precombat main phase, but after the dredged cards have been placed in his graveyard, Andrew calls a judge. Andrew claims that Noel missed his trigger, but Noel claims that since the Marit Lage token has indestructible, there was no need to acknowledge the trigger. Who is correct, and what is the penalty (if any), and fix (if any)?

3. If Andrew only controls at most two mana-generating lands (due to repeated use of Wasteland and Ghost Quarter by Noel, for instance), what, if anything, changes in the answer to question 1?

4. In Question 2, if Noel had merely drawn a card rather than dredging Life from the Loam, what, if anything, changes in the answer if a) he had no cards in hand before his draw step or b) he had at least one card in hand before his draw step?

Edited Daniel Pareja (Feb. 10, 2015 02:44:23 AM)

I moved this to Rules Q&A, as the base premise of those questions seems to center on what is, essentially, a rules question: who is responsible for triggers like The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale?

Tabernacle is a bit odd, in that - like with Kataki, War's Wage - it grants an ability to other permanents.

Originally posted by CR 603.3a:

A triggered ability is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered

Each creature on the battlefield now has a triggered ability, controlled by the controller of that creature.

So, since Tabernacle's trigger has a default action (destroy this creature unless…), we “resolve it choosing the default option” - namely, “destroy this creature”. That would usually be considered detrimental to the controller of those creatures, so:

1) Noel is correct, Andrew has missed his trigger(s), and the creature(s) will be destroyed by default. Issue a Warning for Missed Trigger to Andrew, after explaining to him how this all works.

2) from the IPG: “If a triggered ability would have no impact on the game, it’s not an infraction to fail to demonstrate awareness of it.” I would encourage Noel to simply communicate the trigger, in order to avoid such confusion. Noel is again correct, no infraction.

3) no change.

4) no change.

d:^D