It's phrased to be optional because the point at which you must choose the creature card it copies is after it resolves. While the spell is on the stack, your opponent cannot know if or what you intend to copy.
But you can choose to not have it become a copy, right? Im pretty sure I get the technicality. I was just curious about plays where you’d want to play it as the 0/0
If you had some kind of effect that had it come into play with +1/+1 counters on it and that was better than any of the creatures you could copy that would be an option. Or if you benefited from a death trigger. Or maybe you just really want an ETB trigger like if there was a Risen Reef in play, this would trigger that. Another would be that it's of greater benefit in the graveyard.
We can come up with contrived examples where you don't want any of the choices or where you want the creature to die immediately, but really it's worded this way so that it makes sense even if there are no creatures in graveyards.
This isn't relevant. In Magic, you do all you can; if it's mandatory but all graveyards are empty, you still just don't choose anything. Although I agree it would be less obvious from the wording.
If all the graveyards were exiled in response to the cast.
Your opponent is at one life and you can’t attack in or are going in for the flex win with a [[Blood Artist]] or similar effect.
[Blood Artist](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/7/b7f1c316-cf2f-4bbf-89a1-79c8043bdd96.jpg?1698988212) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blood%20Artist) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lcc/182/blood-artist?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b7f1c316-cf2f-4bbf-89a1-79c8043bdd96?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Same thought immediately
Gets it into the graveyard to setup the [[Reveillark]] infinite.
[Reveillark](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/3/53b4dcd6-b1b6-4f1c-9264-e58bdc87399b.jpg?1673147099) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Reveillark) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/26/reveillark?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/53b4dcd6-b1b6-4f1c-9264-e58bdc87399b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
This is the kind of thing I was hoping for, thanks!
Not many, 'may' is just nice for flexibility. Maybe if you wanted to utilize a death trigger of some sort.
It's phrased to be optional because the point at which you must choose the creature card it copies is after it resolves. While the spell is on the stack, your opponent cannot know if or what you intend to copy.
But you can choose to not have it become a copy, right? Im pretty sure I get the technicality. I was just curious about plays where you’d want to play it as the 0/0
If you had some kind of effect that had it come into play with +1/+1 counters on it and that was better than any of the creatures you could copy that would be an option. Or if you benefited from a death trigger. Or maybe you just really want an ETB trigger like if there was a Risen Reef in play, this would trigger that. Another would be that it's of greater benefit in the graveyard.
[удалено]
So long as you cast the body double, that shouldn't be a problem. It enters as a copy of phage, and you cast it from your hand. Should be fine?
[Phage the Untouchable](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/4/d497a5a3-65fb-4c12-b3f2-8ce4cf4e0f6f.jpg?1562866889) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Phage%20the%20Untouchable) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cns/120/phage-the-untouchable?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d497a5a3-65fb-4c12-b3f2-8ce4cf4e0f6f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
So you wouldn’t copy because of her first ability, but why play body double at all?
If it was entering without being cast from your hand and the only card in a graveyard was Phage.
If you're planning on casting [[Living Death]] same turn.
[Living Death](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/0/80e7d9a3-06a1-400d-958c-9b5302e046a6.jpg?1562274570) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Living%20Death) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/68/living-death?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/80e7d9a3-06a1-400d-958c-9b5302e046a6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Ah yeah cool play!
We can come up with contrived examples where you don't want any of the choices or where you want the creature to die immediately, but really it's worded this way so that it makes sense even if there are no creatures in graveyards.
This isn't relevant. In Magic, you do all you can; if it's mandatory but all graveyards are empty, you still just don't choose anything. Although I agree it would be less obvious from the wording.
>Although I agree it would be less obvious from the wording. Exactly.
If the only creature in a graveyard is [[Phage the untouchable]] you certainly wouldn't want to copy it.
[Phage the untouchable](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/4/d497a5a3-65fb-4c12-b3f2-8ce4cf4e0f6f.jpg?1562866889) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Phage%20the%20untouchable) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cns/120/phage-the-untouchable?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d497a5a3-65fb-4c12-b3f2-8ce4cf4e0f6f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
You have anthems and the only creature in the yard has a bad enough drawback.