The Battlefield

Dualcaster Mage

$4.97

Saw in Half

$3.90

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

Dualcaster Mage + Saw in Half

Overview

When Dualcaster Mage’s enter-the-battlefield trigger copies Saw in Half, it puts a copy of that instant onto the stack that the Dualcaster Mage’s controller controls and may retarget . When that copy resolves it will destroy its target; if the destroyed creature actually “dies” (is put into its owner’s graveyard) as a result of that resolution, the creature’s controller creates two tokens that are copies of that creature with power and toughness equal to half that creature’s power and toughness (rounded up), using the creature’s last-known information from the battlefield to determine power/toughness [Ruling 2025-09-19].

Step 1

A player casts Saw in Half targeting some creature; Saw in Half is a spell on the stack.

Step 2

Dualcaster Mage enters the battlefield and its triggered ability goes on the stack targeting that Saw in Half spell (it can target any instant or sorcery spell) [Ruling 2016-06-08].

Step 3

When Dualcaster Mage’s trigger resolves it creates a copy of the Saw in Half spell on the stack that the Dualcaster Mage’s controller controls; that player may choose new targets for that copy .

Step 4

If the copy of Saw in Half resolves, it attempts to destroy its chosen target creature. If the target is destroyed and is actually put into its owner’s graveyard as a result of that resolution (i.e., it “dies” rather than ceasing to exist as a token or being replaced), the effect creates two tokens that are copies of that creature, except each token’s power and toughness are half the original creature’s power and toughness (rounded up) [Ruling 2025-09-19].

Step 5

To determine the tokens’ power and toughness, use the destroyed creature’s last-known power and toughness from when it was on the battlefield [Ruling 2025-09-19].

Resolution

Dualcaster Mage’s ETB trigger can target the Saw in Half spell on the stack and put a copy of Saw in Half onto the stack controlled by the Dualcaster Mage’s controller; that copy is a spell on the stack . The copy may have new targets chosen when it’s created . When the copy resolves it destroys its target. If that creature is actually put into its owner’s graveyard as a result of that destruction (i.e., it “dies” rather than ceasing to exist as a token or being replaced), its controller then creates two tokens that are copies of that creature, except each token’s power and toughness are half the original creature’s power and toughness (rounded up); use the creature’s last-known information from when it was on the battlefield to compute the tokens’ power and toughness [Ruling 2025-09-19]. If the target was a token (which ceases to exist when it would leave the battlefield), it does not “die,” so the token-creation clause does not occur .

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