To what extent can you espond to Omnath floating mana?
Asked by JoJaBi 8 years ago
I have Omnath, Locus of Mana out with no mana floating and an opponent has an Intrepid Hero. Can I cast a sorcery speed spell without Intrepid being able to kill Omnath in response to the mana being added to my pool in order to cast the sorcery speed spell?
TheRedMage says... #2
The short answer is yes, you can. After you perform any action during your turn (including activating a mana ability) you, the active player, get priority and can tap another land or use the mana to cast a spell before your opponent gets to do anything (including activating Intrepid Hero's tap ability).
I would make a note, though, that you can just activate mana abilities as part of casting a spell, so you don't actually need to do this at all. You can just put the sorcery on the stack, and then activate mana abilities, and pay the cost all as part of the casting.
May 25, 2015 9:25 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #3
I see what the question is asking now. Basically, is there ever a time during which the opponent can activate Intrepid Hero's ability before or while you cast a spell.
The answer is basically an application of the two points I gave earlier.
First, mana abilities don't use the stack. Players can't respond to mana being added to someone's mana pool, and the mana abilities themselves resolve immediately without priority being passed.
Now, you can float mana prior to casting a spell, then announce your spell to begin the casting process. Because no players have priority during the casting process, your opponent will not be able to respond mid-cast with an ability (much less have time for that ability to resolve).
Alternatively, as TheRedMage said, you may just activate mana abilities during the cost payment portion of the casting process. Again, because players can't respond to mana abilities, and because players don't have priority during the casting process, you won't put Omnath, Locus of Mana in any danger here.
May 25, 2015 9:31 p.m.
Okay great! Thanks guys :) So you can cast as expensively as you want and Intrepid won't be able to kill Omnath somehow. The question was basically, when you cast something will the mana required ever be in your pool on its way to being spent in such a way that Hero can kill Omnath (if the mana in question was green). Thanks again :)
May 26, 2015 5:49 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
Note that you can also spend the mana in response (if you have an instant or an activated ability) because Intrepid Hero's ability requires a target with power 4 or greater. You can make Omnath an illegal target by the time the ability resolves.
Epochalyptik says... #1
First, you can't respond to mana being added to your mana pool. Or to mana being added to anyone's mana pool. That's not an action that uses the stack.
Second, when you spend mana on a spell, it's drained from your mana pool immediately upon payment. The mana doesn't remain in your pool indefinitely.
I feel like your question needs a bit more clarification, though. Could you provide more information in light of the two above points?
May 25, 2015 9:09 p.m.