1. Flickerform is attached to Kestia, the Cultivator who is a creature and my commander. I activate Flickerform and send Kestia to the command zone. Does Kestia come back via Flickerform's delayed trigger?
2. Flickerform is attached to another nontoken creature and Kestia, my commander, is bestowed on that creature. I activate Flickerform and send Kestia to the command zone. Does Kestia come back via Flickerform's delayed trigger?
I'm pretty sure it's "yes" to #1 and "no" to #2, because Flickerform's first "return" instruction doesn't refer to a specified zone and the second one does. Could I get clarification on that and, if possible and convenient, C.R. citation? Thank you for your time.
Flickerform's activated ability exiles "enchanted creature and all Auras attached to it", and later gets to return those cards to the battlefield as long as the permanent was moved to a public zone, such as exile (C.R. 400.7h, 400.2), and that card didn't leave that zone (C.R. 400.7).
Therefore, for questions 1 and 2, the answer is yes, since in both cases, the delayed triggered ability from Flickerform's activated ability can still refer to a card exiled due to that activated ability if that card was moved to the command zone rather than to exile. (C.R. 607.2a doesn't apply here since that rule applies only to the specific formulations "the exiled cards" and "cards exiled with [this object]", not to the formulation "cards exiled this way".)
EDIT: Clarification and correctness edit after comment 5 was posted.
EDIT (Jul. 31): Clarification.
EDIT (Jul. 27, 2020): Edited in view of rule changes with Core Set 2021.
EDIT (Jul. 28, 2020): See comment 5.
400.7h If an effect causes an object to move to a public zone, other parts of that effect can find that object. If the cost of a spell or ability causes an object to move to a public zone, that spell or ability’s effects can find that object.
Indeed, since the part about returning the principal creature doesn't indicate where it's supposed to be, that instruction can find that creature in the first actual place it moved if it is a public zone, which is the command zone. The cards of the former Aura permanents have to be still in the first place they moved, a public zone, -and- that place has to be the exile zone., and automatically, of course, count as ones moved by Flickerform. (see next post)
CR4007.h is among the nine exceptions (a-i) to the rule that objects live entirely unrelated existences when in separate zones, and no further account is given in relation to resolving spells/abilities. That is, this rule is the only reason any everyday effect for moving a card and then affecting it again can function.
(C.R. 607.2a doesn't apply here since that rule applies only to the specific formulations "the exiled cards" and "cards exiled with [this object]", not to "cards exiled this way".)
Indeed, the Flickerform ability and the delayed triggered ability in that ability don't qualify as linked. CR603.7 points us to look to "the zone [the Aura/s] is expected to be in", unhelpfully.
While it does seem to me I committed an oversight now, there is still this: "406.2. To exile an object is to put it into the exile zone from whatever zone it’s currently in. An exiled card is a card that’s been put into the exile zone." The overlap in the verbal and gerund form of 'exiled' is problematic.
However, the form '[acted-on] this way' is a well known template that points to objects that were subject to beginning the instruction from the effect as written, surviving meddling by replacement effects (but not utter restriction of the event through an impossibility rule). Those Auras - the commander - were exiled this way, even if they -are- not exiled.
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With the rule changes in Core Set 2021, the answer to both your questions is now: No.
Flickerform's activated ability exiles certain permanents and sets up a delayed triggered ability to possibly return those cards to the battlefield at a later time, here "[a]t the beginning of the next end step". In this case, if Kestia is exiled this way, it will go to exile, then a state-based action will give you the choice of moving it to the command zone (C.R. 903.9a). If you move Kestia this way, however, the delayed triggered ability won't return Kestia to the battlefield (even if Kestia returns to exile before it would do so, and regardless of whether Kestia was the creature enchanted by Flickerform or was an Aura attached to that creature), since Kestia has left exile (C.R. 400.7). Kestia will return this way only if it hasn't left exile in the meantime. See also this thread.
2. Flickerform is attached to another nontoken creature and Kestia, my commander, is bestowed on that creature. I activate Flickerform and send Kestia to the command zone. Does Kestia come back via Flickerform's delayed trigger?
I'm pretty sure it's "yes" to #1 and "no" to #2, because Flickerform's first "return" instruction doesn't refer to a specified zone and the second one does. Could I get clarification on that and, if possible and convenient, C.R. citation? Thank you for your time.
Therefore, for questions 1 and 2, the answer is yes, since in both cases, the delayed triggered ability from Flickerform's activated ability can still refer to a card exiled due to that activated ability if that card was moved to the command zone rather than to exile.(C.R. 607.2a doesn't apply here since that rule applies only to the specific formulations "the exiled cards" and "cards exiled with [this object]", not to the formulation "cards exiled this way".)See also this thread.
EDIT: Clarification and correctness edit after comment 5 was posted.
EDIT (Jul. 31): Clarification.
EDIT (Jul. 27, 2020): Edited in view of rule changes with Core Set 2021.
EDIT (Jul. 28, 2020): See comment 5.
400.7h If an effect causes an object to move to a public zone, other parts of that effect can find that object. If the cost of a spell or ability causes an object to move to a public zone, that spell or ability’s effects can find that object.
Indeed, since the part about returning the principal creature doesn't indicate where it's supposed to be, that instruction can find that creature in the first actual place it moved if it is a public zone, which is the command zone. The cards of the former Aura permanents have to be still in the first place they moved, a public zone,
-and- that place has to be the exile zone., and automatically, of course, count as ones moved by Flickerform. (see next post)CR4007.h is among the nine exceptions (a-i) to the rule that objects live entirely unrelated existences when in separate zones, and no further account is given in relation to resolving spells/abilities. That is, this rule is the only reason any everyday effect for moving a card and then affecting it again can function.
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
Indeed, the Flickerform ability and the delayed triggered ability in that ability don't qualify as linked. CR603.7 points us to look to "the zone [the Aura/s] is expected to be in", unhelpfully.
While it does seem to me I committed an oversight now, there is still this: "406.2. To exile an object is to put it into the exile zone from whatever zone it’s currently in. An exiled card is a card that’s been put into the exile zone." The overlap in the verbal and gerund form of 'exiled' is problematic.
However, the form '[acted-on] this way' is a well known template that points to objects that were subject to beginning the instruction from the effect as written, surviving meddling by replacement effects (but not utter restriction of the event through an impossibility rule). Those Auras - the commander - were exiled this way, even if they -are- not exiled.
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
Flickerform's activated ability exiles certain permanents and sets up a delayed triggered ability to possibly return those cards to the battlefield at a later time, here "[a]t the beginning of the next end step". In this case, if Kestia is exiled this way, it will go to exile, then a state-based action will give you the choice of moving it to the command zone (C.R. 903.9a). If you move Kestia this way, however, the delayed triggered ability won't return Kestia to the battlefield (even if Kestia returns to exile before it would do so, and regardless of whether Kestia was the creature enchanted by Flickerform or was an Aura attached to that creature), since Kestia has left exile (C.R. 400.7). Kestia will return this way only if it hasn't left exile in the meantime. See also this thread.