By Samuel Clemens (Negator42) on Sunday, March 20, 2005 - 10:38 pm:

Here's a question: If you have less than one life (via Platinum Angel or something similar), can you pay a cost requiring life? Would my Carnophage be tapped for good? Or would I be able to activate Unspeakable Symbol a bagillion times?

By Shadow Librarian (Evercursed) on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 03:57 am:

No, you cannot pay life you do not have. Therefore, once you get to zero, your carnies and Bargains all stop working for you.

By Homelands rules! (Psycho) on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 07:03 am:

So when you're at 0 or less, Glacial Chasm stops hanging around as well? That stinks!

By Apprentice (Apprentice) on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 03:00 pm:

Isnt that why Prosperous Bloom decks were so good? It was before that rule of paying life you dont have.

-Apprentice

By Samuel Clemens (Negator42) on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 03:42 pm:

Glacial Chasm is EXACTLY the card I was thinking of (goes great with Soul Echo...).

Prosperous Bloom decks were good because the rules at the time said that you could be at less than one life if you were in the middle of doing something (I would say 'until everything resolves', but there was no stack at the time). Although not being able to pay life would stop them too....

By Puschkin (Puschkin) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 06:58 am:

Not exactly. Even back then you were not allowed to pay life you don't have. The thing was that you the game checked for player deaths only at the and of phases! That meant, you could go down to very low life via Infernal Contracts, Vampiric Tutors and cast huge Prosperities without worrying much what the opponent draws via the Prosperity. He could draw an Incinerate and a Firblast and bring you down to -3, it didn't matter, you didnt die until the current phase (main phase) ended and since you are finishing your opponent off with a 20-point- Drain Life, you'll be back to 17 when it's time for checking if someone is dead. This had nothing to do with paying life you don't have nor with the stack.

By Homelands rules! (Psycho) on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 07:57 am:

Glacial Chasm works nice with Soul Echo, but you will be screwed when you run out of life to fuel the Chasm. So I would rather use it in some sort of freaky way with Lethal Vapors, so you'll never get another upkeep to pay life.