<p>They won't be 'stolen' anymore when they return to the battlefield. One of the rulings under Lumbering Battlement says</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When the cards return to the battlefield, they will be new objects with no connection to the cards that were exiled.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>'Stealing' a creature is a continuous effect, i.e. a creature is always controlled by its owner <em>unless</em> another effect changes this. When a stolen creature returns to the battlefield, the game doesn't know about the effect anymore and its owner will control it.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>400.7. An object that moves from one zone to another becomes a new object with no memory of, or relation to, its previous existence.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Nine exceptions are listed there but this isn't one of them.</p>
<p>There is even a special ruling about these type of cards/effects which I didn't know about (thanks @doppelgreener):</p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="610">
<li>One-Shot Effects</li>
</ol>
<p>610.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. Examples include dealing damage, destroying a permanent, creating a token, and moving an object from one zone to another.</p>
<p>610.3. Some one-shot effects cause an object to change zones “until” a specified event occurs. A second one-shot effect is created immediately after the specified event. This second one-shot effect returns the object to its previous zone.</p>
<p>610.3c An object returned to the battlefield this way returns under its owner’s control unless otherwise specified.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Finally, @murgatroid99 mentions a card which explicitly modifies this behaviour, <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bCloudshift%5d">Cloudshift</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Exile target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T18:15:35.643Z
It may also be good to specify that a permanent will by default enter the battlefield under their owner's control, in this case according to [610.3b](https://blogs.magicjudges.org/rules/cr610/#3b)
doppelgreener
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T18:55:24.023Z
For contrast it might be good to mention cards like Cloudshift that explicitly have the creature enter the battlefield under your control.
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-02T18:01:34.637Z
2020-08-03T06:44:19.160Z
2020-08-03T06:44:19.160Z
Glorfindel
<p>Some cards like <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bMistmeadow%20Witch%5d">Mistmeadow Witch</a> and <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bGhostly%20Flicker%5d">Ghostly Flicker</a> specify under whose control the flickered creature will return. What happens when it isn't specified whose control the creature will return under? For example if I'd play <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bYannik%2c%20Scavenging%20Sentinel%5d">Yannik, Scavenging Sentinel</a> or <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bLumbering%20Battlement%5d">Lumbering Battlement</a> which doesn't specify that, would the creature return under my or my opponent's control?</p>

<magic-the-gathering>
A question about flickering a stolen creature
Jak
# A question about flickering a stolen creature

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-02)

Some cards like [Mistmeadow Witch](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bMistmeadow%20Witch%5d) and [Ghostly Flicker](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bGhostly%20Flicker%5d) specify under whose control the flickered creature will return. What happens when it isn't specified whose control the creature will return under? For example if I'd play [Yannik, Scavenging Sentinel](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bYannik%2c%20Scavenging%20Sentinel%5d) or [Lumbering Battlement](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bLumbering%20Battlement%5d) which doesn't specify that, would the creature return under my or my opponent's control?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-02. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

They won't be 'stolen' anymore when they return to the battlefield. One of the rulings under Lumbering Battlement says

> When the cards return to the battlefield, they will be new objects with no connection to the cards that were exiled.

'Stealing' a creature is a continuous effect, i.e. a creature is always controlled by its owner *unless* another effect changes this. When a stolen creature returns to the battlefield, the game doesn't know about the effect anymore and its owner will control it.

> 400.7. An object that moves from one zone to another becomes a new object with no memory of, or relation to, its previous existence.

Nine exceptions are listed there but this isn't one of them.

There is even a special ruling about these type of cards/effects which I didn't know about (thanks @username_2):

> 610. One-Shot Effects
>
> 610.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. Examples include dealing damage, destroying a permanent, creating a token, and moving an object from one zone to another.
>
> 610.3. Some one-shot effects cause an object to change zones “until” a specified event occurs. A second one-shot effect is created immediately after the specified event. This second one-shot effect returns the object to its previous zone.
>
> 610.3c An object returned to the battlefield this way returns under its owner’s control unless otherwise specified.

Finally, @username_3 mentions a card which explicitly modifies this behaviour, [Cloudshift](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bCloudshift%5d):

> Exile target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: It may also be good to specify that a permanent will by default enter the battlefield under their owner's control, in this case according to [610.3b](https://blogs.magicjudges.org/rules/cr610/#3b)  
> **username_3**: For contrast it might be good to mention cards like Cloudshift that explicitly have the creature enter the battlefield under your control.  

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