Champion

From MTG Salvation Wiki

Champion allows you to upgrade one permanent into another, representing a powerful creature taking the place of another to fight in its stead.^[1] It was introduced in Lorwyn, in which it features on a cycle of rare non-shapeshifter creatures and on three uncommon shapeshifters with changeling, in whose case "champion" appears as "champion a creature".

From the Comprehensive Rules 502.72. Champion 502.72a Champion represents two triggered abilities. "Champion an [object]" means "When this permanent comes into play, sacrifice it unless you remove another [object] you control from the game" and "When this permanent leaves play, return the removed card to play under its owner's control." 502.72b The two abilities represented by champion are linked abilities as defined by rule 217.7d. 502.72c A permanent is "championed" by another permanent if the latter removes the former from the game as a result of a champion ability.

[edit] Rulings

• A creature's own champion ability won't allow you to remove that creature from the game.
• If a creature with champion leaves play before its comes-into-play ability resolves, its leaves-play ability will do nothing. Then its comes-into-play ability will resolve. Its controller may remove a permanent of the appropriate quality he or she controls from the game. If the player does, that card won't come back. If the player doesn't, nothing happens (because the creature with champion isn't around to be sacrificed.)
• If a creature with champion loses the champion ability (due to Humble, for example) and then leaves play, champion's leaves-play ability won't trigger. The removed card remains removed from the game.
• All Lorwyn cards with both changeling and champion have "champion a creature." The ability allows you to remove any other creature you control from the game.
• All other Lorwyn cards with champion have "champion a [creature type]." The ability doesn't limit you to creatures. For example, a card with "champion a Kithkin" allows you to remove a Kithkin enchantment from the game.

[edit] References