Plainswalker abilities and the stack
Asked by Lowenstein 6 years ago
So my opponent has Saheeli Rai at 1 loyalty and does the +1. In response, I use Seismic Assault to kill it.
I thought the walker died, he says he gets to scary 1 still. How does it all work out?
Lowenstein says... #2
Rhadamanthus would the 1 damage still resolve even though it says "Saheeli Rai deals 1 damage...", and now Saheeli Rai doesn't exist?
August 30, 2017 12:54 a.m.
shinobigarth says... #3
also take note, while on this topic, that when a player activates a walker's ability and you respond to it while its on the stack, the + or - loyalty has already taken place, it does not happen when the ability resolves. i say this because it could matter in the case of you trying to redirect damage to a walker in hopes of killing it.
for example if they have a walker at 3 loyalty, they activate a +1 ability, then you announce you are bolting it in response in hopes of killing it, the walker has already gotten the +1 loyalty, so your bolt will bring it down to 1.
August 30, 2017 12:57 a.m.
Lowenstein says... #4
shinobigarth, thank you, yes, I have realized that.
Also, isn't it the same concept that if I use Seismic Assault's ability, and a player in response Naturalizes it, the ability is still on stack but when it tries to resolve there is no Assault to deal the damage.
Same thing, right? I think.
August 30, 2017 1:13 a.m.
Yes, it is the same thing. The misconception you have is that Seismic Assault still deals the damage even though it no longer exists. The game uses a concept called "last known information" for determining how that damage is dealt. If for instance Seismic Assault somehow gained lifelink and then was destroyed, the damage dealt would also result in you gaining life, even though Seismic Assault as it exists in the graveyard does not have lifelink, because it had lifelink as it last existed on the battlefield. It doesn't even matter if Seismic Assault had lifelink when the ability was activated, only as it left the battlefield. The same is true for Saheeli Rai, she can still deal the 1 damage to each opponent even if she dies before her ability resolves.
August 30, 2017 1:26 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #6
To back up what Neotrup explained: the only times an ability will fail to resolve properly if its source gets destroyed are when the ability specifically checks to see if its source is still on the battlefield (Durkwood Tracker, Myr Servitor, etc.) or if part of the effect is subject to a specific game rule that says the object still has to be on the battlefield in order for it to work ("exchanging" control of permanents, the "fight" keyword action, etc.). The cards in your example don't fall into either of these categories, so the abilities will resolve normally if the source gets destroyed.
Also consider this: activated abilities that require you to sacrifice the source as part of paying the cost (Insolent Neonate, Crackling Triton, etc.) wouldn't be able to work at all if removing the source also stopped the ability on the stack.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
Saheeli will die but your opponent will still get to scry 1 and deal 1 damage to you.
Once an ability is activated and put onto the stack, destroying the original source won't do anything to interfere with it. The ability will still resolve unless something else specifically counters it.
August 30, 2017 12:44 a.m.