Spike Feeder interaction with Bioshift

Asked by nismosean 9 years ago

Opponent plays Spike Feeder to setup the combo with Archangel of Thune .

Does the removal of counters to gain life ability hit the stack? Can I use Bioshift in any order/timing to effectively remove both counters on Spike Feeder before they can be removed to gain life and setup the combo?

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1

Removing +1/+1 counters from Spike Feeder only causes life gain if they are removed specifically to pay the cost of that activated ability, not for any other reason.

It's a little tricky to get this to work the way you want it to, but it can be done as long as you're clear about exactly what's going on. When your opponent activates Spike Feeder's last ability, respond with Bioshift before that ability resolves. One of the following will happen:

  • Your opponent responds by removing the second counter, and Spike Feeder dies for being 0/0 before your opponent actually gains any life
  • Your opponent doesn't respond, Bioshift resolves and removes the second counter, and Spike Feeder dies for being 0/0 before your opponent actually gains any life
October 2, 2014 4:39 p.m.

Epochalyptik says... #2

Spike Feeder 's ability is not a triggered ability. It's an activated ability. As Rhadamanthus said, activated abilities must be manually activated; they don't trigger. Only triggered abilities trigger.

October 2, 2014 4:43 p.m.

nismosean says... #3

Thanks. That's how I figured it would play out as long as I cast bioshift in response to them activating the ability. If the creature hit the battlefield and then I attempted to bioshift they could respond by activating the last ability and gain life.

October 2, 2014 4:47 p.m.

Pilz_753 says... #4

If you cast Bioshift in response to the first activation of Spike Feeder the Feeder would die. At this point he has only one +1/+1 counter on it. Your opponent can then either remove this counter gain another live or just let Bioshift resolve. In both cases the Feeder would die because he's a 0/0 and state based actions are checked before any Archangel triggers resolve and to put new counters on the Feeder.

October 2, 2014 4:49 p.m.

Pilz_753 says... #5

Ninjaed

October 2, 2014 4:50 p.m.

This discussion has been closed