Can being returned be countered like casting? both from graveyard: cards are Reassembling Skeleton and Gravecrawler
Asked by nickiru 8 years ago
can either of these be countered when you are returning themn to the fiels? Reassembling Skeleton and Gravecrawler
I am pretty sure gravecrawler can be cause it says ''cast'', but what about return?
thanks!
Raging_Squiggle says... Accepted answer #2
They both can technically, but I'll get into that in a bit.
First, Reassembling Skeleton's ability is an activated ability written as "Cost:Effect", meaning you pay 
, and he returns to play as the effect. The activated ability uses the stack, but the Reassembling Skeleton itself never touches the stack in this case.
Gravecrawler's ability is a static ability that allows it to be cast from the graveyard under certain conditions (IE, you must control a zombie). Casting Gravecrawler from the graveyard puts it on to the stack as though you cast it from your hand, and then resolves and enters the battlefield.
Now, as I stated before, they both can be countered, but not by the same card. Reassembling Skeleton's activated ability cannot be countered by something like Counterspell, because he is not returning to play as part of a cast. You would need something like Stifle to counter his ability.
Gravecrawler can be countered by Counterspell because casting him from your graveyard puts him on the stack as a spell and can be countered as normal. Stifle would not work on him because this is not an activated/triggered ability.
January 11, 2016 1:20 a.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #4
Per your request, here are some rulings to enjoy:
112.9. Activated and triggered abilities on the stack arent spells, and therefore cant be countered by anything that counters only spells. Activated and triggered abilities on the stack can be countered by effects that specifically counter abilities, as well as by the rules (for example, an ability with one or more targets is countered if all its targets become illegal). Static abilities dont use the stack and thus cant be countered at all.
112.3b Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are written as [Cost]: [Effect.] [Activation instructions (if any).] A player may activate such an ability whenever he or she has priority. Doing so puts it on the stack, where it remains until its countered, it resolves, or it otherwise leaves the stack. See rule 602, Activating Activated Abilities.
111.1. A spell is a card on the stack. As the first step of being cast (see rule 601, Casting Spells), the card becomes a spell and is moved to the top of the stack from the zone it was in, which is usually its owners hand. (See rule 405, Stack.) A spell remains on the stack as a spell until it resolves(see rule 608, Resolving Spells and Abilities), is countered (see rule 701.5), or otherwise leaves the stack. For more information, see section 6, Spells, Abilities, and Effects.
701.5a To counter a spell or ability means to cancel it, removing it from the stack. It doesnt resolve and none of its effects occur. A countered spell is put into its owners graveyard.
January 11, 2016 1:26 a.m.
oh hey thanks for the rules!!
that allows me to point fingers at the rules rather than people rage quitting thinking I'm cheating.
January 11, 2016 10:09 a.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #6
No problem! If you have any rulings questions/curiosities, feel free to message me either in my profile or PM. Now go and show those other players the truth and make em stop raging. Lol.
nickiru says... #1
also if a particular rule can be provided that would be great. I'm banking a deck off this so I want to be sure.
January 11, 2016 1:13 a.m.