Can a creature use abilities after it dies but before it enters the graveyard?
Asked by belugawhaleonthefloor 6 years ago
So, is a creature able to tap and use an ability right after it's toughness hits 0?
Here's the scenario... is it possible to use Twisted Image on Tree of Perdition to make the toughness equal 0, and then tap Tree of Perdition to make the opponent lose the game before the Tree hits the graveyard?
Epochalyptik says... #2
As a note, there's no such thing as a time after a creature dies but before it enters the graveyard. "Dies" means "is put into a graveyard from the battlefield."
May 15, 2017 7:34 p.m.
belugawhaleonthefloor says... #3
Ok but wait if there is no time between dying and graveyard then how are people able to block a bigger creature with like a 1/1 and then sacrifice it after it dies to gain an additional effect like dealing damage with Barrage of Expendables? I guess I'm just confused with all the steps of the combat phase.
May 15, 2017 8:13 p.m.
The sacrifice happens before combat damage is assigned but after blockers are declared.
May 15, 2017 8:20 p.m.
belugawhaleonthefloor says... #5
Interesting so would that also mean that a 5/5 trample would deal all 5 damage to the player even if it was blocked by a 1/1 who sacrificed itself, since it's essentially blocked by something with 0 toughness?
May 15, 2017 10:32 p.m.
yes, creatures with trample essentially do 0 damage to the creature and the rest to the player.
BlueScope says... Accepted answer #1
Nope - state-based actions are what puts a creature in the graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, and those don't use the stack, which means that they can't be responded to.
This is also no case where last-known information would be used, as exchanges will only happen when both entities to be exchanged exist when the exchange would take place.
May 15, 2017 6:20 p.m.