Exile Replacement Beats Undying
Judge Level 2Anger of the Gods burns the Wolf away — permanently.
Cards involved
The gods' wrath
You control a fresh Young Wolf (1/1, undying, no counter). Your opponent casts Anger of the Gods: 3 damage to each creature — "If a creature dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead."
What happens?
Does the Wolf come back?
With no +1/+1 counter, undying should trigger — right?
Pick an answer to continue.
"Dies" means "goes from the battlefield to a graveyard". Anger of the Gods replaces exactly that zone change with exile — and a replaced event never happens (614.6). No death, no trigger, no Wolf.
614.6If an event is replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which may in turn trigger abilities. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can’t be carried out, in which case the impossible instruction is simply ignored.
702.93aUndying is a triggered ability. “Undying” means “When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.”
Off to exile
Anger resolves: 3 damage, the Wolf would die, goes to exile instead. The board is empty and stays that way.
614.6If an event is replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which may in turn trigger abilities. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can’t be carried out, in which case the impossible instruction is simply ignored.
Rule of thumb
The exile clause isn't on cards like Anger of the Gods by accident — it's the targeted answer to persist, undying and graveyard recursion. Same principle as Rest in Peace, just built in.
Stack
Anger of the Gods
3 damage to all creatures; if one would die: exile instead
Young Wolf
1/1 with undying — no counter
The stack is empty.
Battlefield
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