Who layers replacement effects?

Asked by DragonChampions 3 years ago

If player A controls Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts and Dissipation Field, and is dealt damage by a creature player B controls, who decides which replacement effect happens?

616.1. If two or more replacement and/or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way an event affects an object or player, the affected object's controller (or its owner if it has no controller) or the affected player chooses one to apply, following the steps listed below. If two or more players have to make these choices at the same time, choices are made in APNAP order (see rule 101.4).

The way this is worded makes it sound like player B decides because they control the effected creature, but it could also mean that the controller of the replacement effects decide. Thanks in advance!

FSims81 says... #1

The creature isn't actually what's being affected in this scenario. Player A is the affected party because in order for either of these to trigger, Player B's creature has to be dealing Player A damage. Because Player A is the affected party, they will get to decide which effect is used against Player B's creature

July 10, 2020 4:13 p.m.

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2

The rules for replacement effects don't apply here because there aren't any replacement effects involved in the example. Both Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts and Dissipation Field have triggered abilities. Triggered abilities always start with one of the words "when", "whenever", or "at", and replacement effects contain the words "instead", "as", "with", "prevent", or a couple other less common constructions somewhere in the rules text.

Player A decides because they control both of the triggered abilities. If more than one triggered ability is trying to go onto the stack at the same time, first the active player (the player whose turn it is) puts the ones they control onto the stack in the order of their choice, then the non-active player puts theirs onto the stack on top of those in the order of their choice. If there are more than 2 players in the game then the decisions start with the active player and go around the table in turn order.

July 10, 2020 4:19 p.m.

Tylord2894 says... #3

Very importantly, the effects of Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts and Dissipation Field aren't replacement effects. Both of these are triggered abilities. All abilities that are worded "when/whenever/at [some condition], [do something]" are triggered abilities. Meanwhile, a replacement effect can be worded in a number of ways. Often, they include the word "instead". A replacement effect changes how something happens. Consider Furnace of Rath. This is a replacement effect because it is replacing the damage that would be done with twice that amount instead. But since the interaction you're concerned about is between triggered abilities, we'll focus on that.

When the trigger condition of a triggered ability triggers, it waits to be put on the stack. Right before a player receives priority next, those triggers are put on the stack. Starting with the active player, they put any waiting triggers that they control on the stack. If they have multiple triggers waiting (like in your example), they order them and put them on the stack in that order. Then, each other player does this.

In your example, player A would get to order the triggers. Note that if they put the triggers on the stack so that they would "bounce" the creature with the Dissipation Field trigger first, they would still make a token with the Teysa trigger. This is because the Teysa trigger doesn't target.

Hope this helps!!

July 10, 2020 4:21 p.m.

Rhadamanthus says... #4

Side note: if Player A arranges the triggers such that Dissipation Field's ability resolves first, Teysa's ability will still create a token. As written, Teysa's ability creates a token regardless of whether the creature actually gets destroyed or is even still on the battlefield as the trigger starts to resolve.

July 10, 2020 4:23 p.m.

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