<p>As others have said, yes, the ability will exist twice on each of your Sliver creatures, and each of those creatures will trigger it twice upon attacking. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In what situations would a creature be allowed to have two copies of the same ability (if ever)?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There is no limit to the number of copies of the same ability a creature can have. They are each added to the list of things that creature can do, and triggered abilities will each trigger separately. If you have 4 Thorncaster Slivers on the field, each sliver's attack will cause it to deal 1 damage 4 times. Notably, this allows you to distribute your damage however you like--you are not limited to dealing damage in packets of 4. </p>

<p>This doesn't mean that multiple copies of the same ability are always <em>useful</em>. For example, it's stated in the rules that multiple copies of flying, haste, lifelink, and many other keyword abilities are redundant, so a creature that gains flying twice doesn't have any advantages over a creature that has it once, and a creature with two instances of lifelink doesn't gain you twice as much health (although cards like <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Armadillo%20Cloak" rel="nofollow" title="Armadillo Cloak">Armadillo Cloak</a>, which don't use the keyword but have similar effects, will stack with lifelink). <a href="http://magiccards.info/rule/702-keyword-abilities.html" rel="nofollow">See this list</a> for which abilities stack and which don't. </p>

<p>Also worth noting that in cases where the duplicated abilities have a cost, such as <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205231" rel="nofollow">Prodigal Pyromancer</a> being enchanted with <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=130530" rel="nofollow">Arcane Teachings</a>, it doesn't simply increase the effectiveness of the ability. Prodigal Pyromancer will have 2 copies of the "{t}: deal 1 damage" ability, but each of those costs must be paid separately--tapping once will allow you to activate either the innate ability or the one granted by the enchantment, but not both. Triggered abilities which have a cost (e.g. "When X happens, you may pay Y. If you do, Z.") must also be paid for separately. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T14:10:38.347Z
2015-08-20T14:10:38.347Z
gwj17
<p><strong>Yes</strong>, you get two instances of the ability.</p>
<p>You can also reference the _Gatherer page for <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thorncaster%20Sliver">Thorncaster Sliver</a> which has official rulings.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>If you control multiple Thorncaster Slivers and a Sliver you control attacks, each ability will trigger separately.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>If you change the creature type of a Sliver you control so it’s no longer a Sliver, it will no longer be affected by its own ability. Its ability will continue to affect other Sliver creatures you control.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Abilities that Slivers grant, as well as power/toughness boosts, are cumulative. However, for some abilities, like flying, having more than one instance of the ability doesn’t provide any additional benefit.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-03T23:01:59.807Z
2013-08-03T23:01:59.807Z
user1873
<p>Yes, they will have two copies of the ability:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>112.2c An object may have multiple abilities. If the object is represented by a card, then aside from certain defined abilities that
  may be strung together on a single line (see rule 702, “Keyword
  Abilities”), each paragraph break in a card’s text marks a separate
  ability. If the object is not represented by a card, the effect that
  created it may have given it multiple abilities. An object may also be
  granted additional abilities by a spell or ability. <strong>If an object has
  multiple instances of the same ability, each instance functions
  independently</strong>. This may or may not produce more effects than a single
  instance; refer to the specific ability for more information.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Two copies of the triggered ability will mean two damage whenever a sliver attacks.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-03T22:39:28.083Z
2013-08-03T22:39:28.083Z
Pablo
<p>If I have two <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thorncaster%20Sliver">Thorncaster Sliver</a>s, does their effect stack? That is, do the other slivers I have get the &quot;1 damage&quot; ability twice?</p>
<p>If not, why? What rule makes it so they can't have the ability twice?  If I had a different card with same ability would they get it twice? What if the different card had a slightly different wording? Or caused 2 damage instead of 1?</p>
<p>In what situations would a creature be allowed to have two copies of the same ability (if ever)?</p>

<magic-the-gathering>
Can multiple Thorncaster Slivers grant multiple copies of the same ability?
Vaccano
# Can multiple Thorncaster Slivers grant multiple copies of the same ability?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-08-03)

If I have two [Thorncaster Sliver](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thorncaster%20Sliver)s, does their effect stack? That is, do the other slivers I have get the "1 damage" ability twice?

If not, why? What rule makes it so they can't have the ability twice? If I had a different card with same ability would they get it twice? What if the different card had a slightly different wording? Or caused 2 damage instead of 1?

In what situations would a creature be allowed to have two copies of the same ability (if ever)?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-08-03. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Yes, they will have two copies of the ability:

> 112.2c An object may have multiple abilities. If the object is represented by a card, then aside from certain defined abilities that
> may be strung together on a single line (see rule 702, “Keyword
> Abilities”), each paragraph break in a card’s text marks a separate
> ability. If the object is not represented by a card, the effect that
> created it may have given it multiple abilities. An object may also be
> granted additional abilities by a spell or ability. **If an object has
> multiple instances of the same ability, each instance functions
> independently**. This may or may not produce more effects than a single
> instance; refer to the specific ability for more information.

Two copies of the triggered ability will mean two damage whenever a sliver attacks.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-08-20. Score: 5

As others have said, yes, the ability will exist twice on each of your Sliver creatures, and each of those creatures will trigger it twice upon attacking.

> In what situations would a creature be allowed to have two copies of the same ability (if ever)?

There is no limit to the number of copies of the same ability a creature can have. They are each added to the list of things that creature can do, and triggered abilities will each trigger separately. If you have 4 Thorncaster Slivers on the field, each sliver's attack will cause it to deal 1 damage 4 times. Notably, this allows you to distribute your damage however you like--you are not limited to dealing damage in packets of 4.

This doesn't mean that multiple copies of the same ability are always *useful*. For example, it's stated in the rules that multiple copies of flying, haste, lifelink, and many other keyword abilities are redundant, so a creature that gains flying twice doesn't have any advantages over a creature that has it once, and a creature with two instances of lifelink doesn't gain you twice as much health (although cards like [Armadillo Cloak](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Armadillo%20Cloak "Armadillo Cloak"), which don't use the keyword but have similar effects, will stack with lifelink). [See this list](http://magiccards.info/rule/702-keyword-abilities.html) for which abilities stack and which don't.

Also worth noting that in cases where the duplicated abilities have a cost, such as [Prodigal Pyromancer](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205231) being enchanted with [Arcane Teachings](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=130530), it doesn't simply increase the effectiveness of the ability. Prodigal Pyromancer will have 2 copies of the "{t}: deal 1 damage" ability, but each of those costs must be paid separately--tapping once will allow you to activate either the innate ability or the one granted by the enchantment, but not both. Triggered abilities which have a cost (e.g. "When X happens, you may pay Y. If you do, Z.") must also be paid for separately.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2013-08-03. Score: 4

**Yes**, you get two instances of the ability.

You can also reference the \_Gatherer page for [Thorncaster Sliver](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thorncaster%20Sliver) which has official rulings.

> **If you control multiple Thorncaster Slivers and a Sliver you control attacks, each ability will trigger separately.**

> If you change the creature type of a Sliver you control so it’s no longer a Sliver, it will no longer be affected by its own ability. Its ability will continue to affect other Sliver creatures you control.

> Abilities that Slivers grant, as well as power/toughness boosts, are cumulative. However, for some abilities, like flying, having more than one instance of the ability doesn’t provide any additional benefit.


---

