I cast Rakdos's Return, X=6 at that opponent. How much damage is dealt?
That could be 7, 8, 9, or 10. Your opponent decides.
616. Interaction of Replacement and/or Prevention Effects
616.1. If two or more replacement and/or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way an event affects an object or player, the affected object’s controller (or its owner if it has no controller) or the affected player chooses one to apply, following the steps listed below. If two or more players have to make these choices at the same time, choices are made in APNAP order (see rule 101.4).
616.1e Once the chosen effect has been applied, this process is repeated (taking into account only replacement or prevention effects that would now be applicable) until there are no more left to apply.
One possibility looks like this:
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 6 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: Furnace of Rath, Tok-Tok, Embermaw Hellion, Gisela
Opponent's choice: Furnace of Rath (If a source would deal damage to a permanent or player, it deals double that damage to that permanent or player instead.)
Revised event: Rakdos's Return deals 12 damage to your opponent.
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 12 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: Tok-Tok, Embermaw Hellion, Gisela
Opponent's choice: Embermaw Hellion (If another red source you control would deal damage to a permanent or player, it deals that much damage plus 1 to that permanent or player instead.)
Revised event: Rakdos's Return deals 13 damage to your opponent.
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 13 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: Tok-Tok, Gisela
Opponent's choice: Tok-Tok (If a red source would deal damage to a player, it deals that much damage plus 1 to that player instead.)
Revised event: Rakdos's Return deals 14 damage to your opponent.
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 14 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: Gisela
Opponent's choice: Gisela (If a source would deal damage to you or a permanent you control, prevent half that damage, rounded up.)
Revised event: Rakdos's Return deals 7 damage to your opponent.
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 7 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: N/A Actual event: Rakdos's Return deals 7 damage to your opponent.
And of course, that player discarding 6 cards is not altered by any of this.
Private Mod Note
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Why bother with mere rulings when so many answers can be found in the Rules?
That is up to your opponent to decide. All those cards create replacement effects, and as the affected player, he chooses the order in which to apply them.
Possible outcomes (Tok-Tok and the Hellion are interchangable for this):
Furnace of Rath, Tok-Tok, Embermaw Hellion, and Gisela (here, in its last ability) contain replacement and prevention effects. When Rakdos's Return resolves:
If Rakdos's Return would deal damage to your opponent here, your opponent chooses which replacement or prevention effect applies, then another applicable one, and so on until none are applicable (C.R. 616.1, 616.1e, 614.1a, 615.1). Thus, your opponent here has the power to choose a replacement effect order that minimizes the damage dealt to them (e.g., Furnace of Rath, Tok-Tok, Embermaw Hellion, Gisela, which results in 7 damage to the opponent if X is 6 — 6 * 2 = 12 + 1 = 13 + 1 = 14 - (14 / 2) = 7). No matter how much damage is dealt this way, however, your opponent will still discard X cards due to Rakdos's Return.
Also, as a side note, if X=1 and your opponent is smart, he'll apply Gisela first. This way, the event of the spell dealing damage is replaced with the spell dealing no damage, and none of the other effects are then applicable anymore. He'll be dealt no damage in that case despite those two +1 effects and the doubling.
Also, as a side note, if X=1 and your opponent is smart, he'll apply Gisela first....dealing no damage
Are you sure? I would think the end result is 2:
1) 1 damage, apply Gisela = 0
2) Double that damage = 0
3) Add 1 from Tok-tok
4) Add 1 from Embermaw
=2?
No, that doesn't work that way. Once an effect reduces the damage to 0, other replacement effects that would affect the damage don't apply anymore, since "dealing 0 damage" is the same as not dealing damage at all (C.R. 614.7a).
My opp controls Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
I cast Rakdos's Return, X=6 at that opponent. How much damage is dealt?
I'm a simple Magic player since 1 year ago from China. Now I live in New Jersey.
That could be 7, 8, 9, or 10. Your opponent decides.
One possibility looks like this:
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 6 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: Furnace of Rath, Tok-Tok, Embermaw Hellion, Gisela
Opponent's choice: Furnace of Rath (If a source would deal damage to a permanent or player, it deals double that damage to that permanent or player instead.)
Revised event: Rakdos's Return deals 12 damage to your opponent.
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 12 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: Tok-Tok, Embermaw Hellion, Gisela
Opponent's choice: Embermaw Hellion (If another red source you control would deal damage to a permanent or player, it deals that much damage plus 1 to that permanent or player instead.)
Revised event: Rakdos's Return deals 13 damage to your opponent.
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 13 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: Tok-Tok, Gisela
Opponent's choice: Tok-Tok (If a red source would deal damage to a player, it deals that much damage plus 1 to that player instead.)
Revised event: Rakdos's Return deals 14 damage to your opponent.
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 14 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: Gisela
Opponent's choice: Gisela (If a source would deal damage to you or a permanent you control, prevent half that damage, rounded up.)
Revised event: Rakdos's Return deals 7 damage to your opponent.
Impending event: Rakdos's Return deals 7 damage to your opponent.
Relevant replacements: N/A
Actual event: Rakdos's Return deals 7 damage to your opponent.
And of course, that player discarding 6 cards is not altered by any of this.
Possible outcomes (Tok-Tok and the Hellion are interchangable for this):
1) (6 *2 +1 +1) /2 = 7
2) (6 *2 +1) /2 +1 = 7
3) (6 *2 /2 +1 +1 = 8
4) ((6 +1) *2 +1) /2 = 7
5) ((6 +1) *2 /2 +1 = 8
6) (6 +1) /2 *2 +1 = 7
7) ((6 +1) /2 +1) *2 = 8
8) (6 +1 +1) *2 /2 = 8
9) (6 +1 +1) /2 *2 = 8
10) (6 /2 +1 +1) *2 = 10
11) (6 /2 +1) *2 +1 = 9
12) (6 /2) *2 +1 +1 = 8
I think, that's all of them. So your spell will deal your opponent's choice of 7, 8, 9, or 10 damage to him.
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
If Rakdos's Return would deal damage to your opponent here, your opponent chooses which replacement or prevention effect applies, then another applicable one, and so on until none are applicable (C.R. 616.1, 616.1e, 614.1a, 615.1). Thus, your opponent here has the power to choose a replacement effect order that minimizes the damage dealt to them (e.g., Furnace of Rath, Tok-Tok, Embermaw Hellion, Gisela, which results in 7 damage to the opponent if X is 6 — 6 * 2 = 12 + 1 = 13 + 1 = 14 - (14 / 2) = 7). No matter how much damage is dealt this way, however, your opponent will still discard X cards due to Rakdos's Return.
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
Are you sure? I would think the end result is 2:
1) 1 damage, apply Gisela = 0
2) Double that damage = 0
3) Add 1 from Tok-tok
4) Add 1 from Embermaw
=2?