Doubling Season, due to it's odd templating, has odd interactions with things like Gemstone Mine and Hooded Hydra which add counters in ways that aren't “effects.”

My question is, is the action returning a permanent to play after a Banishing Light considered an “effect”? I'm not sure if Banishing Light actually puts the permanent into play, or if Light merely stops keeping the card exiled and the game rules bring it back to the battlefield. Will the counters on, say, a Planeswalker, if the Light that's banishing it dies while a Doubling Season is on the field?

Hi,

The triggered ability from the Light that exiled the permanent is ultimately going to the reason why the permanent is returning (due to the one-shot effect that's created when the Light leave the battlefield). No matter how the Light is leaving the battlefield, it's returning ultimately due to the effect of a resolving spell or ability (the Light's trigger), so the Season will apply to it.

Nathan Long
Magic Rules NetRep