Everybody knows Darksteel and Blighsteel Colossi have replacement effect preventing them from going into graveyard. That may be stupid (the thought not ruling) but I wonder what really happens when either Colossi gets milled? Let's look into specific scenario:
1. Player 1 casts Long-Term Plans for some card. Then he casts Brainstorm to draw that card.
2. Player 2 wants to prevent Player 1 from getting that card so he casts a spell to mill 5 cards of Player 1 library.
3. The second card milled this way is Darksteel Colossus
Now the uncertainty happens:
A. Colossus gets shuffled into library immediately during resolution of mill resulting in different order of next cards milled from top of library. In result searched card may not be milled.
or
B. Shuffling Colossus waits until mill resolution. Since Colossus is no longer in library (mill) nor graveyard (replacement effect), where did it go?
Where art thou Colossi?
Accepted Answer
It is effectively the second option. Mill, as opposed to drawing cards, is one complete action. So, if Tome Scour is cast (ignoring the fact that it is a Sorcery; I just wanted a mill card referenced), that is one event of "Mill 5 cards". So, the entire event takes place, as modified by the Colossus's own ability. In other words, it becomes "Mill 5 cards, and shuffle Colossus into the library". The Colossus is still "milled" for anything that cares about it, but it just goes back into the library instead of the graveyard. The other 4 cards go to the graveyard as normal. Shuffle will happen after the Mill effect itself is done.
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It is effectively the second option. Mill, as opposed to drawing cards, is one complete action. So, if Tome Scour is cast (ignoring the fact that it is a Sorcery; I just wanted a mill card referenced), that is one event of "Mill 5 cards". So, the entire event takes place, as modified by the Colossus's own ability. In other words, it becomes "Mill 5 cards, and shuffle Colossus into the library". The Colossus is still "milled" for anything that cares about it, but it just goes back into the library instead of the graveyard. The other 4 cards go to the graveyard as normal. Shuffle will happen after the Mill effect itself is done.
Thanks but still it tickles my brain as the Colossus is like "left in a void" during milling process. There was rules errata for Madness not that far ago for discarding into exile to solve the "void zone" situation and this one is kinda similar. I know it only refers to handful of cards but...
EDIT: Madness may not be the best example since it's a trigger and shuffling is replacement effect but both resolve after whatever caused them to "activate".
EDIT: Madness may not be the best example since it's a trigger and shuffling is replacement effect but both resolve after whatever caused them to "activate".
The Colossus is shuffled in at the same time as the other cards are milled. Yes, there is a dexterity component to it that the person playing will need to physically set aside Colossus so they can shuffle it back in but the in game action is that you milled 5 cards at one time and instead of one of those cards making it to the graveyard, it went to the library. Everything happens at once in terms of in game actions. The Colossus is just changing the result to "put 4 cards in the yard and 1 is shuffled". Since they happen at the same time, the other 4 cards are already in the yard by the time the shuffle occurs.
