Just happened to me in the Brawl event, I used [Frogify] on the oppoent's [Alela, Artful Provocateur]]and later when they played [Sephara, Sky's Blade] Alela still gained Indestructible, even though she did not have flying from any other source.
External link →Yaaay, I fixed it. As many in the comments here allude to, the problem was with dependency detection between "losing all abilities" and any effect that gives an ability if you have some ability (e.g. Sephara, or Kwende).
Because no dependency was detected, the effects assumed that the application of one of them would have no impact on which objects were affected by the other. So Sephara and Frogify both started thinking they applied to Alela, and after Frogify applied Sephara didn't recheck.
Detecting the dependency fixes the issue. Our next GRE patch is still a ways away, but this will be fixed in it. #wotc_staff
I also noted that [[Empyrean Eagle]] does not reduce the [[Alela]]'s cost. Is that related?
Did you mean [[Warden of Evos Isle]]?
Just curious, what does GRE patch mean?
Patch to the Game Rules Engine. Doing one of these currently involves taking down all of our match servers to update the engine, so we try to do it only at scheduled intervals. #wotc_staff
There should be no dependency, though. If Frogify is there first, Alela does not have flying and so can't gain indestructible. If Sephara is there first, she gains indestructible and then loses it to Frogify. The outcome should be no flying, no indestructible either way. The only situation where you could have a dependency is when you have something that only takes away the conditional ability, like Sky Tether taking away flying. Then you probably should apply dependency rules to avoid getting a non-flying indestructible Alela.
There is a dependency, even if either ordering should result in the same outcome: Sephara does [flying -> indestructible], Frogify removes all abilities including flying without any requirement. Therefore, all else being equal, Frogify's effect should apply first because it affects the "input" of Sephara's effect without caring about its output.
613.7a An effect is said to “depend on” another if (a) it’s applied in the same layer (and, if applicable, sublayer) as the other effect (see rules 613.1 and 613.3); (b) applying the other would change the text or the existence of the first effect, what it applies to, or what it does to any of the things it applies to; and (c) neither effect is from a characteristic-defining ability or both effects are from characteristic-defining abilities.
Frogify changes what Sephara applies to. #wotc_staff
devtrackers.gg