can a planeswalker be killed before being able to use the ability?
Asked by crisgordo90 11 years ago
I friend of mine always uses the first skill even if I just lightning at it
ryuzaki32667 says... #2
He who casts a plainswalker will have priority to use abilities, ie. If I play Liliana of the Veil and plus 1, my opponent can cast Lightning Bolt but the end result will be a Liliana of the Veil with only 1 loyalty counter.
March 3, 2014 6:08 p.m.
To expand upon the answers above: assuming the planeswalker enters in the usual way (from resolving as a spell cast in a main phase by the active player), then your opponent will have time to activate an ability before you are able to Lightning Bolt it. Once a spell resolves, priority (who gets to cast a spell) goes to the active player (the player whose turn it is). If the stack is empty and it is a main phase, the active player can activate a planeswalker's ability. Only when he passes priority to you in order for the ability to resolve will you be able to respond.
Sidenotes: Adding or subtracting Loyalty counters is part of the cost of activating a planeswalker's ability and they will be added or removed from the planeswalker's starting loyalty before you get a chance to respond. Even if you do remove the planeswalker, the ability will still resolve normally.
March 3, 2014 6:25 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
raithe000's answer is the most correct. lookoutimscary, yours is incorrect.
March 3, 2014 7:48 p.m.
lookoutimscary says... #6
Epochalyptik: Ahh, now that I read Raithe's answer I understand
March 3, 2014 8:10 p.m.
If he is going to activate it's ability you could say "in response" and cast Hero's Downfall or something similar.
March 3, 2014 8:20 p.m.
You can say "in response" to the activations, but an ability exists independent of its source.
March 3, 2014 8:23 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #9
@Flornhale: You can't respond to the decision to cast a spell or activate an ability. The planeswalker's controller will still have priority to start and finish the activation process. If you cast Hero's Downfall afterward, you'll destroy the planeswalker, but the ability will still be on the stack. Because abilities on the stack exist independently of their sources, they still resolve even if their sources are removed.
March 3, 2014 8:35 p.m.
Ah thanks for clearing that up, I never truly cared if there was a planeswalker on the field unless it was a Sorin Markov or Jace, the Mind Sculptor since I really only play commander
March 3, 2014 8:39 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #12
You still kill it, provided its loyalty ability's activation cost hasn't put it out of lethal range of your burn spell. If you use a spell like Hero's Downfall , you'll destroy it anyway.
March 5, 2014 11:28 a.m.
Schuesseled says... #13
Seeing as your opponent has priority he'll be able to +1 before you can cast lightning bolt. (unless he decides to do something else after it enter's the battlefield, e.g. play domri, and then i'll play this dude, you can respond now to lightning bolt the planeswalker, but no one does this intentionally.)
lookoutimscary says... #1
He casts it, you get priority to Lightning Bolt it, if it'd kill it, it dies before he can activate it's abilities.
March 3, 2014 6:02 p.m.