Kraj & "once per turn" & Zone Changes

[Harlequin]

Lets start with realavent info about the cards:

Experiment Kraj
~this~ has all activated abilites of all other creatures with a +1/+1 counter on it.
T: put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.


Locus Swarm
G: Regenerate
G: Untap Locus Swarm, use this ability only once each turn


Ok... the question.

Lets say I have 2 Locus Swarms in play each with a +1/+1 counter on them.  Now my Kraj effectivel has the following activated abilites.

T: put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
G: Regenerate.
G: Regenerate.
G: Untap ~This~, use this ability only once each turn.
G: Untap ~this~, use this ability only once each turn.

Ok How many times can I untap Kraj this turn?  Is it 1, 2, or dependant on if I used the Locus swarms ability this turn?

For example, does useing the locus swarms ability spend my once each turn for Kraj as well.  Or to ask it the other way around, If I untap Kraj once/twice this turn, can I no longer untap my swarms?

Now lets say one of my locus swarms is returned to my hand - But Kraj remains in play.  Now I replay the swarm and give it a +1/+1 counter.  Can I now get one more untap out of Kraj (even though he himself did not change zones).

For a full example DOES THIS WORK:

Kraj, swarm x2, waterfront bouncer, and a Graft creature, all creatures have a +1/+1 counter on them.

Tap Kraj
G: Untap Kraj (once)
Tap Kraj
G: Untap Kraj (twice - no more availible).
Use Waterfront Bouncer to return 1 swarm to my hand
Recast the Swarm, and graft a +1/+1 counter on him.
Tap Kraj
G: Untap Kraj (thrid time - useing the recasted swarm)
Tap both swarms (lets say for a convoke spell)
G: Untap Swarm A (first this turn for swarm A)
G: Untap Swarm B (first this turn for swarm B)

[parallax]

Experiment Kraj's "once per turn" abilities are definitely not affected by whether you have activated the Swarms and vice versa.

I'm not 100% sure about the rest, but I believe with an EK and two Swarms, the EK will have two instances of the untap ability and therefore be able to untap twice. If that is correct, then if one of the Swarms leaves play, and returns to play later, the Kraj will have a new unused instance of the ability and can untap again.

[Harlequin]

that was my thinking as well.  I guess it boils down to, how do the rules read the words "This ability"  on a global level (I guess I would call it).  Or a local level almost like it has the ~~ around it.  Like...

"use ~this ability~ only once per turn."

[parallax]

10/4/2004 If you make two copies of an ability that can be played once a turn, you can play each of them once a turn.

In Gatherer, under Quicksilver Elemental.

[Harlequin]

Good work on QS elemental!  Thank you very much. 

I just wanted to make sure my crazy plans worked before I built a causal deck that totally broke the rules.

[Mr. Nightmare]

Tap Kraj
G: Untap Kraj (once)
Tap Kraj
G: Untap Kraj (twice - no more availible).
Use Waterfront Bouncer to return 1 swarm to my hand
Recast the Swarm, and graft a +1/+1 counter on him.
Tap Kraj
G: Untap Kraj (thrid time - useing the recasted swarm)
Tap both swarms (lets say for a convoke spell)
G: Untap Swarm A (first this turn for swarm A)
G: Untap Swarm B (first this turn for swarm B)

For more fun and profit, bounce more swarms with Kraj.  Oh, and make sure you have Gaea's Cradle and Krosan Restorer (Grafted, of course) in play.  Fun times with infinite mana/storm!

[parallax]

There's like infinite ways to make infinite mana with Kraj + creatures. The question is, which is the most efficient wrt cards and mana? How many of them don't even need Kraj?

[Harlequin]

Its for a causal deck, so going "infinite" is something I tried to avoid.  Right now my "combo" is Kraj, Viridian Joiner, Clockwork Dragon, and other fun stuff like Spinal Crusher (Remove a +1/+1 to make Kraj unblockable) and that sunburst guy who looks like a buzz saw which is remove a +1/+1 counter for +4/+4 until EOT. 

Essentially, Its for multiplayer, where in our group infinte combo is prohibated... but 30+ mana per yeilding a creature who gains 10 p/t each players turn is apparently within our rules =P

Oh and ofcourse Arcbound Reclaimer + Eldrich Oracle for mad insane draw (powered by that to any color mana converter, snake for sunburst)