The Secrets of Strixhaven spoiler of the elder dragon Lorehold, the Historian, got me hyped. How could it not? The Miracle mechanic returning in a Standard-legal premiere set is fantastic news.

Lorehold, the Historian, however, isn't the first 'Miracle' legend.

Deep in the control mages' Discords, talk arose of another legend from way back when that sparked similar feelings: God-Eternal Kefnet.

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God-Eternal Kefnet's text is identical to Miracle, which is:

You may cast this card for its miracle cost when you draw it if it’s the first card you drew this turn.

Rather than a Miracle cost, Kefnet copies the card and reduces its cost by 2. Otherwise, the effect is the same as Miracle, including how the Miracle trigger exists on the stack while the card is in hand.

God-Eternal Kefnet is unique to Magic: The Gathering (MTG) in this way. No other card in paper MTG creates a copy that exists in a player's hand.

I registered God-Eternal Kefnet in the 2024 North American Eternal Weekend. During testing at my local, a special, though not uncommon, interaction stirred a kerfuffle: Can you cast a Force of Will for free without any other cards in hand?

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What's the Ruling?

You are hellbent (i.e., no cards in hand) and have a God-Eternal Kefnet on the battlefield. In response to your opponent's spell, you crack a clue token to draw and reveal a Force of Will. God-Eternal Kefnet's trigger to copy the Force of Will resolves, creating a Force of Will copy in your hand.

Your hand is now Force of Will and a copy of Force of Will. Can you pitch Force of Will to Force of Will? Well, of course, but you have to do it the legal way.

You can pitch the original Force of Will to the Force of Will copy, but you cannot pitch the copy to the original. This is due to the wording on Force of Will you've never paid attention to before:

Force of Will

Instant

You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.

Counter target spell.

"Exile a blue card." Copies aren't cards. Therefore, you can't pitch the Force of Will copy to Force of Will, but you can pitch the Force of Will to the copy.

Have some obscure rulings or wild card interaction stories to share?

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Featured image: God-Eternal Kefnet by Lius Lasahido