Can Delving be prevented while on the stack?

Asked by spacetear 9 years ago

Say I've got Tormod's Crypt sitting on the field. My opponent goes to play something with Delve, say Treasure Cruise with only 1 Island and a large graveyard. After that is placed on the stack, I sacrifice my Crypt and its ability goes on the stack, targeting my opponent and resolving first. BUT when exactly is the cost of a spell paid? Would this interaction remove my opponent's ability to Delve to pay the cost of Treasure Cruise since costs are paid when the stack resolves, or is the cost of the spell paid as it is placed on the stack? And in the case of the former, would Treasure Cruise go back to hand since it can't be played, or does it go in the graveyard?

Dracoson says... #1

By the time you have priority to activate Tormod's Crypt , Treasure Cruise will already be on the stack and the cards exiled for delve.

October 3, 2014 6:11 p.m.

merrowMania says... #2

As exiling the cards in one's graveyard is part of the casting cost (well, reducing it...so yeah), the cards would already have been exiled.

Assuming he had priority to cast the spell (which is the only way he would even be allowed to), the spell would have already been cast when you receive priority to respond with Tormod's Crypt

October 3, 2014 6:46 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... Accepted answer #3

To cast a spell it is moved from where ever it is to the stack. Then all choices are made (such as targets and modes) and costs are paid. Then and only then do players receive priority.

merrowMania: you may want to re-read the current oracle text for delve.You had it right outside of the parenthesis delving pays for , it doesn't reduce the cost by . This is important because you can not over pay for a spell, but you could reduce the cost by more than the actual cost. So you cannot just exile your entire graveyard to make Rakshasa Vizier huge by using a single delve spell.

October 3, 2014 9:46 p.m.