Madness network and blocking the action to destroy it?

Tried to google, didn’t find anything relevant. Could u help me understand this card?


”Unique master.
Put this card in play. Untapped Malkavians can take actions in any Methuselah's minion phase (follow normal sequencing rules).” -this part is clear, no problem

”Any minion can burn this card as an action that any untapped Malkavian (in addition to the normally eligible blockers) can attempt to block.”

- this latter part of the card is causing me headache. It doesn’t say D-action, so is it directed against the controller? The way i understand it is this: Your own minions can block it normally. But malkavians controlled by other methuselahs can also block it IF they are already untapped when the action to remove it is announced(so no wake/2nd trad, eluding the arms of morpheus, etc.)

Do i understand this correctly?

Dada wrote:

- this latter part of the card is causing me headache. It doesn’t say D-action, so is it directed against the controller?

Yes. The presence or absence of the "" symbol isn't what determines the directedness of the action. But since you're burning someone else's Madness Network, it's directed at that card and the controlling Methuselah.

Dada wrote:

Your own minions can block it normally. But malkavians controlled by other methuselahs can also block it IF they are already untapped when the action to remove it is announced(so no wake/2nd trad, eluding the arms of morpheus, etc.)

If they're unlocked, or able to block as though unlocked, when they announce their block attempt, they're able to block.

[LSJ 20041022]

LSJ wrote:

> Player A controls the Madness Network. Anson, controlled by player B,
> attempts to burn it. A declines to block. Player C also controls a
> Malkavian, Ozmo, but he is tapped.
>
> Can Ozmo play Wake with Evening's Freshness (or Forced Awakening) and
> block the action, without need for Eagle's Sight?

Yes.

> The confusion arises from the fact that Madness Network mentions that
"any
> untapped Malkavian" can attempt to block and Wake allows the vampire to
> "attempt to block as though untapped". Is this sufficient to qualify for
> the Madness Network's definition of an "untapped Malkavian", or is the

Yes.

> Malkavian not eligible since even after playing Wake, he is still tapped?

He can block as if untapped, so that is enough.

Thanks you!

Just to be sure, how about 2nd stradition or sense the savage way since they both force you to block as you play it?

My understanding of this historically is that you need to be an eligible blocker before you can play those cards that force an attempt to block. So you can't - in other situations - play Second Tradition or Black Sunrise etc. to untap yourself and then play Eagle's Sight to make yourself an eligible blocker, as many players would quite like to do.

This sucks slightly from the point of view of Madness Network, where you would become an eligible blocker during the resolution of the card.

In the absence of a specific ruling (and I've tried to find one), in an off-the-cuff ruling situation in a tournament, I'd rule that you can't.

jamesatzephyr wrote:

My understanding of this historically is that you need to be an eligible blocker before you can play those cards that force an attempt to block. So you can't - in other situations - play Second Tradition or Black Sunrise etc. to untap yourself and then play Eagle's Sight to make yourself an eligible blocker, as many players would quite like to do.

This sucks slightly from the point of view of Madness Network, where you would become an eligible blocker during the resolution of the card.

In the absence of a specific ruling (and I've tried to find one), in an off-the-cuff ruling situation in a tournament, I'd rule that you can't.

Discussion about this was raised in the recent Stockholm stream. Can we get official word on whether or not locked malkavian prince can play 2nd tradition to unlock and attempt to block action to destroy their prey's madness network being destroyed by their grand-prey?

EDIT: Also Sense the savage way and other cards like it please?

I think that unlocked malkavian can second tradition it if they control the card, thankfully they can't if it's not theirs which is rather rare.