Elspeth, Knight Errant

[Jax]

Elspeth, Knight-Errant -- 2WW
Planeswalker - Elspeth
+1: Put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token into play.
+1: Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains flying until end of turn.
-8: For the rest of the game, artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and
lands you control are indestructible.
4

With regard to that last ability, does it apply just to the stuff you
have on the board at the time, or does it apply to everything you play
for the rest of the game. Or: I play Elspeth's last ability, then
play a Plains. Is that Plains indestructible?

[Zoe Stephenson]

Jax <***@hotmail.com> sent:

Elspeth, Knight-Errant {2}{W}{W} Planeswalker - Elspeth 4
/ +1: Put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token into play.
/ +1: Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains flying until end of turn.
/ -8: For the rest of the game, artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and
lands you control are indestructible.

Post by Jax
With regard to that last ability, does it apply just to the stuff you
have on the board at the time, or does it apply to everything you play
for the rest of the game.

Everything under your control, for the rest of the game.

Post by Jax
Or: I play Elspeth's last ability, then
play a Plains. Is that Plains indestructible?

Yes.

The Shards of Alara set FAQ says:

Once Elspeth's third ability resolves, it's continually in effect
until the game ends, even if Elspeth has already left play or leaves
play at some point afterwards. It doesn't lock in what it applies to.
Since the effect states a true thing about a set of permanents, but
doesn't actually change the *characteristics* of those permanents, it
will apply to whatever artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and lands
you happen to control at any point in the game from that time
forward. It will apply to such permanents that come under your
control after the ability has resolved, and it will cease to apply to
permanents that leave your control. Since the ability doesn't change
those permanents' characteristics, if any of them loses all
abilities, it will still be indestructible.

[David DeLaney]

Post by Jax
Elspeth, Knight-Errant -- 2WW
Planeswalker - Elspeth
+1: Put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token into play.
+1: Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains flying until end of turn.
-8: For the rest of the game, artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and
lands you control are indestructible.
4
With regard to that last ability, does it apply just to the stuff you
have on the board at the time, or does it apply to everything you play
for the rest of the game. Or: I play Elspeth's last ability, then
play a Plains. Is that Plains indestructible?

That Plains is. Why? Because the ability is not changing the _characteristics_
of anything at all. So 418.3b says it can affect stuff that wasn't affected,
or wasn't there to be affected, on resolution.

"But but but ... it's giving it an ABILITY! 201.1 says that changes the
characteristics!" No; no, it is not. "That is indestructible" is no more
an ability being given to "that" than "that is red" or "that has +2/+0"
would be. It's AFFECTING 'that'; it's not giving it a keyword ability or
a spelled-out ability. "Indestructible" isn't an ability.

So it does in fact apply to all your new relevant stuff for the rest of the
game. And STOPS applying to stuff that becomes irrelevant, or becomes not stuff
you control, as well.

Dave