Activating Elixir of Immortality in response to Naturalize or other "Destroy target artifact..." spells.
Asked by samk125 9 years ago
This is a question that I have run into in various games. If I have Elixir of Immortality on the field, and someone targets it with a "destroy target artifact..." spell like Naturalize or any of the countless others, am I allowed to respond to that spell by activating the Elixir's ability?
Some people that I play say this is a legal move, some argue otherwise, claiming that it's a rather cheap way to avoid it being destroyed, exiled, etc. Can someone point to rules that verify one way or another on this? Thanks in advance!
Yes, you can activate Elixir of Immortality in response to Naturalize, and if nothing else happens the effect would happen first and Naturalize would fizzle.
Nearly everything in Magic uses the stack and priority in order to determine what's happening in what order and who has the ability to act. In order for Naturalize to resolve everyone needs to pass priority, the right to add things to the stack. So with Naturalize on the stack you'll have the option to add more spells, like say a Counterspell, or in this case use an ability.
November 24, 2014 4:50 p.m.
DeathChant17 says... #3
- When Naturalize is cast it is put on the stack.
- Activated abilities also go on the stack, where it remains until countered, it resolves, or it otherwise leaves the stack.
- So in response you are allowed to activate Elixir's ability, which then goes on the stack above Naturalize and resolves first, allowing you to gain the life and shuffle your graveyard and elixir back into library before Naturalize destroys it.
- If a Naturalize was played in response to you activating the ability, the Naturalize resolves first, but abilities are independent of their source once on the stack. So the elixir would get destroyed, but since the ability is on the stack and resolves after the Naturalize, you still get to gain the life and shuffle the graveyard(now with the elixir) back into your library.
- This is how I have always understood it from reading the rules. Anyone may correct me if I'm wrong, then I can learn too!
November 24, 2014 4:53 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #4
@DeathChant17: Your answer is inaccurate in this case. You sacrifice Elixir of Immortality as part of the cost to activate its ability. You can't respond to the ability by casting Naturalize because Elixir of Immortality will already be in the graveyard by the time players get priority to respond to its ability.
November 24, 2014 6:06 p.m.
DeathChant17 says... #5
Epochalyptik, I thought activation cost was 2 colorless and tap. It doesn't say sac the elixir, jus shuffle elixir and graveyard into library. Also how does it (the ability) go on the stack with players not being able to respond?
November 24, 2014 6:14 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #6
Oh, wow. RFTC, I guess.
Typically, artifacts like this require you to sacrifice them in response. I guess I just took that for granted.
To answer your question, DeathChant17, the ability doesn't go on the stack without other people being able to respond. But in cases where the source of the ability is sacrificed as part of the payment for the ability's cost, players can't respond by targeting the permanent because the permanent is no longer on the battlefield.
November 24, 2014 6:22 p.m.
DeathChant17 says... #7
@Epochalyptik ok that makes sense. Thank you. So my original answer was correct? Jus need to know, cuz I see Elixir of Immortality in my group often and would like to know for sure.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
You can do that.
Spells and abilities don't do anything until they resolve, so your Elixir of Immortality will still be on the battlefield when you want to respond to whatever is targeting it.
If you activate Elixir of Immortality's ability in response, the permanent is sacrificed and is no longer a legal target for any spell or ability that did or would have targeted it as a permanent. Any spells or abilities that targeted it and only it will be countered by the game rules for having no remaining legal targets.
November 24, 2014 4:48 p.m.