How do all these death triggers resolve after a board wipe?
Asked by Steryoth19 6 years ago
Let's say that I have Pawn of Ulamog, Requiem Angel, Sifter of Skulls, Elenda, the Dusk Rose, and two other creature tokens (we'll just call them non-spirit creature tokens) on the board, and an opponent decides to board wipe. How does this resolve? Can I stack the triggers in a way that will allow Pawn of Ulamog, Requiem Angel, and Sifter of Skulls to spit out tokens after the wipe? Will Elenda, the Dusk Rose see all this happening, get pumped up, and spit out tokens afterwards? How would this resolve? What stacking of triggers would allow for the best value?
I have asked this same question elsewhere and heard that, while each creature will see the other leaving the battlefield and multiple triggers will be on the stack, Elenda, the Dusk Rose's first ability will not trigger, only the second.
Steryoth19 says... #2
I see now, I think. So Elenda, the Dusk Rose will see the others die but, because it is a simultaneous death, she will not gain any counters. I just could not wrap my head around that fact that, if Pawn of Ulamog can see 5 other creatures dying and make 5 tokens afterward, then why would Elenda, the Dusk Rose not apply her counters before dying and creating the tokens. So, in short, Elenda, the Dusk Rose will not grow because it is a simultaneous death, right? Am I correct on the Pawn of Ulamog thing? I still am curious why Elenda, the Dusk Rose will not pump because of the similar wording, but I guess I am just sticking with the idea that it just doesn't work like that. haha.
February 13, 2018 7:29 p.m.
Steryoth19 says... #3
Nevermind. I think I get it now.. It's because the board wipe must resolve before the other creatures die, therefore she (Elenda, the Dusk Rose) cannot gain her counters because she is dying alongside the others. Ok. Sorry. I think I've got it now.
February 13, 2018 7:33 p.m.
Tyrant-Thanatos says... #4
Yeah, it's okay. Basically you've got it, because the entire spell, be it a Wrath of God, or a Deadly Tempest, or a Life's Finale, the entire spell has to resolve completely and be removed from the stack before any triggered abilities can be put onto the stack off of the events it caused.
When say Requiem Angel triggers, the ability that it puts onto the stack simply reads "create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying". It doesn't care what's happened to the angel that the ability came from. However, when Elenda's first ability triggers and goes onto the stack, it reads "put a +1/+1 counter on Elenda, the Dusk Rose". By this time, Elenda is already dead, and you can't put counters on dead creatures.
Tyrant-Thanatos says... Accepted answer #1
The answer you got from "elsewhere" is close.
Elenda's first triggered ability will trigger, but as Elenda is no longer on the battlefield, it will be unable to put counters on her.
All of the other abilities will trigger for each applicable death, and you are free to stack all of these triggered abilities as you choose, all of them happening after the boardwipe resolves completely.
February 13, 2018 6:44 p.m. Edited.