Can Adarkar Valkyrie target a creature between when it dies and when it goes to the graveyard? Or, can it target a card in a graveyard that died this turn?
Asked by the5ervant 9 years ago
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the5ervant says... #2
So can the valkyrie's ability be activated after the event has resolved that killed the creature, or does the valkyrie's ability have to resolve first?
February 10, 2016 9:47 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #3
If an effect causes the creature to die, then the creature is in the graveyard. That's what dying means. Therefore, you won't be able to target a creature after it dies. Dying isn't something you can respond to. It doesn't use the stack. It just happens. A creature can die as a result of being destroyed, as a result of being sacrificed, or as a result of having 0 or less toughness. Sometimes these things happen during the resolution of a spell or ability, sometimes they happen as part of the payment of a cost (well, sacrificing can, anyway), and sometimes they happen for other reasons (combat, usually).
As I said, the ability creates a DTA, and that DTA needs to exist before the creature dies. Abilities can't retroactively trigger, and the ability can't target cards in graveyards.
February 10, 2016 9:50 p.m.
RicketyEng says... #4
To give an example, let's say you have a creature and someone casts a spell to deal lethal damage to it. While that spell is still on the stack, you could respond with Adarkar Valkyrie's ability, targeting that same creature. This would set up the delayed triggered ability before the resolution of the burn spell and your creature would return to the battlefield after dying. However, as soon as the burn spell has resolved, it will be too late for Adarkar Valkyrie to save your creature because it will already be in the graveyard.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
Whenever an effect says "[permanent type]," but does not say "[permanent type] card(s)," then it refers only to permanents of that type. Remember that permanents are objects on the battlefield.
Therefore, Adarkar Valkyrie's ability can only target a permanent. Even if you could target a creature in a graveyard with Adarkar Valkyrie's ability, the ability creates a delayed triggered ability that triggers when the creature dies. Therefore, an already-dead creature would never be able to trigger the DTA.
Additionally, "dies" means "is put into a graveyard from the battlefield." There's no time between dying and being put into a graveyard; they're exactly the same thing.
February 10, 2016 9:43 p.m.