What is the correct stack?
Asked by Kryogenyc 5 years ago
Two card iterations: Case 1: I have Lyra Dawnbringer and Sarkhan's Unsealing on the battlefield. I cast Shalai, Voice of Plenty. Shalai, Voice of Plenty should trigger Sarkhan's Unsealing because of the pump from Lyra Dawnbringer Correct? But in MTGO didn't trigger, why?
Case 2: I have Mentor of the Meek in the battlefield and i play Knight of Malice the ability of Mentor of the Meek triggered, even though the Knight of Malice is a 3/2
Why in some cases this happens and other doesn't.
Gidgetimer says... #3
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July 19, 2018 7:16 a.m.
I don't think its a bug. Because the +1/+0 ability is on the card, it has to be on the battlefield to get it. There is no stack in play here... the card enters as a 2/2, which triggers Mentor of the Meek, then instantly becomes a 3/2. The Mentor trigger doesn't check the power again when it resolves.
This is essentially the same thing that is happening in case 1 (only not to the caster's benefit) Sarkhan's Unsealing triggers on Cast and resolves before the creature ETBs so really at no point in that ability does the creature benefit from any effects that can change its power.
July 27, 2018 1:44 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #5
@kdown: You're right that Knight of Malice has to be on the battlefield to get the bonus from its ability. That's why it's a 3/2 when it enters the battlefield in this example. Also, an "enters the battlefield" ability triggers after the object has actually entered the battlefield, not before it gets there. Mentor of the Meek looks at the creature's power when it enters the battlefield, not while it's still resolving as a spell.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
In Case 1, MTGO was correct. The way Lyra's ability is written, it only affects Angel permanents on the battlefield. It won't affect an Angel spell on the stack. The Shalai spell just has 3 power.
If Case 2 happened on MTGO the way you described, it's a bug. In your example, Knight of Malice enters with 3 power. There's no period of time, not even a very short one, where it's on the battlefield and isn't getting the +1/+0 from its ability.
July 18, 2018 4:47 p.m.