How does one determine how "Beginning of Upkeep" Triggers stack?

Asked by MlgMan67 5 years ago

So, recently I was playing some commander when I had Starfield of Nyx and Solitary Confinement and I was under the impression that I could sacrifice Solitary Confinement and then pull it back with Starfield of Nyx. As I did that, my friend asked how I was able to do that. I responded with me being able to choose which things during the beginning of my upkeep can go. Then he presented the thought that all "beginning of upkeep" triggers happen all at the same time. I was sure I was correct, but I didn't feel confident. I want to keep the answer to this question in mind for similar instances in magic. Thoughts?

FancyTuesday says... Accepted answer #1

Many abilities may trigger simultaneously, but they always have an order (Active Player, Non-Active Player, or "APNAP", and within APNAP players order triggers they control how they like) and only resolve one at a time in that order; last in, first out.

If multiple triggers you control trigger at the same time, you order them however you like. You may put Starfield's trigger on the stack first, then Solitary Confinement's trigger on top of it so that Solitary Confinement's resolves first, putting it in the graveyard before Starfield's trigger resolves.

But there's a catch in this case, because Starfield of Nyx says it returns target enchantment card to the battlefield. When a spell or ability requires a target, you must declare that target when it goes on the stack, not when it resolves. When Starfield's trigger goes on the stack Solitary Confinement is still on the battlefield, so it's not a legal target. Solitary may be in the garveyard before Starfield resolves, but it wasn't a valid target for the ability when it needed to be.

August 4, 2018 1:36 a.m. Edited.