Spiny Starfish — ruling 1

Spiny Starfish’s first ability creates a regeneration shield for it. Spiny Starfish’s second ability checks whether it _used_ any regeneration shields that turn, not whether any regeneration shields were created for it.

Spiny Starfish — ruling 2

The second ability doesn’t care where the regeneration shields Spiny Starfish used that turn came from. If it regenerated due to a regeneration shield from Refresh, for example, the ability will still put a Starfish token onto the battlefield.

Spiny Starfish — ruling 3

The second ability has an “intervening ‘if’ clause,” so it won’t trigger at all unless Spiny Starfish had regenerated that turn. However, the number of tokens that are created isn’t determined until the ability resolves (in case it regenerates again before that time).

Spiny Starfish — ruling 4

If Spiny Starfish regenerates during the end step after its second ability has resolved, no tokens will be created as a result.

Spiny Starfish : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Spiny Starfish is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

: Regenerate this creature. At the beginning of each end step, if this creature regenerated this turn, create a 0/1 blue Starfish creature token for each time it regenerated this turn.

How it works : Spiny Starfish

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1October 1, 2009· Wizards of the Coast
Spiny Starfish’s first ability creates a regeneration shield for it. Spiny Starfish’s second ability checks whether it _used_ any regeneration shields that turn, not whether any regeneration shields were created for it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2October 1, 2009· Wizards of the Coast
The second ability doesn’t care where the regeneration shields Spiny Starfish used that turn came from. If it regenerated due to a regeneration shield from Refresh, for example, the ability will still put a Starfish token onto the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3October 1, 2009· Wizards of the Coast
The second ability has an “intervening ‘if’ clause,” so it won’t trigger at all unless Spiny Starfish had regenerated that turn. However, the number of tokens that are created isn’t determined until the ability resolves (in case it regenerates again before that time).
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4October 1, 2009· Wizards of the Coast
If Spiny Starfish regenerates during the end step after its second ability has resolved, no tokens will be created as a result.
No other card is named in this ruling.