Cityscape Lever’s ETB not triggering with Hulking Metamorph’s prototype ability, in spite of Skitterbeam Battalion’s ETB effect working.
When cast Hulking Metamorph using it’s prototype ability, I copied my Cityscape Leveler that I had on the battlefield. However, it did not trigger the Cityscape Leveler enter-the-battlefield effect. My understanding is that it should have, as when I cast the prototype of Hulking Metamorph and target any of my Skitterbeam Battalion creatures or creature tokens, it reproduces the enter-the-battlefield effect, as I have cast the Hulking Metamorph from my hand.
Both cards have the stipulation that their effects only takes place if cast from the hand, so I can only assume that triggering one effect and not the other must be a bug in the coding of city scape leveler.
When playing the original Metamorph/Skitterbeam combination, I checked the rules regarding the Metamorph’s ability to copy another creature to make sure I was not abusing a bug. From what I read it does seem to be a legal and intended interaction, which should extend to the Metamorph/Leveler combination.
I was playing on mobile, and didn’t record the trigger not taking place, as I was not prepared to do so. I don’t know if casting the Hulking Metamorph for its full cost and targeting the Cityscape leveler will reproduce the same bug or not. Targeting a Cityscape Leveler with the Hulking Metamorph prototype ability should be enough to reproduce the bug.
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[Deleted User] commented
Cityscape Leveler has a cast trigger (and attack trigger), not an ETB trigger. Since the Metamorph is not being cast as a Cityscape Leveler, you do not get a trigger from it.
Skitterbeam Battalion does have an ETB trigger, one that also has the additional clause, that you have to have cast it. So a cast Metamorph will get you the trigger.
No bug here.