Upkeep Triggers and the stack?
Asked by UniqueUserID 9 years ago
I'm somewhat unfamiliar to how these work. Mind going through some examples quickly dear reader?
1) Breath of Dreams makes all green creatures have cumulative upkeep. As far as I know you cannot use Tidal Visionary or color changing effects since you cannot "stack" onto it in time since it procs at the start of upkeep and it is a cost so nothing can be done to stop it?
2) Dystopia works in the same way, you cannot change a creatures colour to avoid OR force the cost to be paid? Unless your allowed to react to the sac effect, and if so, how come?
filledelanuit says... #2
First of all, in magic we say "triggers" not procs. Anyway to answer your questions.
You are correct. Once an ability triggers removing the ability won't stop the ability from resolving. So changing the color won't stop you from having to pay for upkeep.
Dystopia doesn't work the same way. It requires you to sacrifice a Green/White creature as the ability resolves. So if you make so all of your creatures aren't green or white then you don't have to do anything.
March 2, 2015 5:41 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #3
A "proc" is fundamentally different from a "trigger."
"Proc" is short for programmed random occurrence. A proc is something that has a chance of happening. Critical hits are an example of procs.
A trigger is something that always happens when the defined criteria are met.
Sam_I_am says... Accepted answer #1
You are correct. You do not get priority until after all of the triggers are already on the stack, and you'll have to pay the upkeep for all of your green creatures.
You are not correct. Yes, the trigger goes onto the stack but it doesn't check whether or not you have a permanent to sacrifice a creature until resolution, so you are able to change the color of a permanent to affect it.
March 2, 2015 5:39 p.m.