Can I activate abilities just before a creature is sent to the graveyard?
Asked by joga 13 years ago
For example, if Drana blocked a 1/1 and is then hit by lightning bolt, thus sending it to the grave, can i still activate it's ability?
Generally, yes.
Unless otherwise stated, activated abilities of permanents can be used any time you have priority.
In this case, you have Drana on the board, your opponent casts lightning bolt; with lightning bolt on the stack, both of you get priority, active player first. When you have priority, you can activate Drana's ability; that ability goes on the stack above lightning bolt, and it resolves before the bolt does.
The way you worded your question leaves some wiggle room -- if an opponent casts lightning bolt, and it resolves, then Drana dies -- as soon as the bolt resolves, state-based effects are checked, see that Drana has 4 damage marked on her, and she is sent to the graveyard.
A few permanents will only let you activate their abilities when the stack is empty -- if you control a Birthing Pod , and someone casts Shatter on it, you will not be allowed to activate the pod in response, because pod specifically states that you can only use it when you could use a sorcery -- that is, when it's your turn, you have priority, and the stack is empty.
June 16, 2011 2:50 p.m.
If a creature is destroyed and is on the way to the GY, that should hold.
However, I believe the exception to this rule is if the sacrifice if as part of a casting cost of a spell or ability, you sacrifice the Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief . (Say to a Viscera Seer )
Can a more learned member confirm/deny this for Joga?
June 16, 2011 5:26 p.m.
truongrandy says... #4
its whatever is on top of the stack that will have priority so if someone activate Lightning Bolt on Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief , you may activate Viscera Seer to sacrafice Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief on the stack and the Lightning Bolt will just sizzle out with no legal target left
June 16, 2011 6:12 p.m.
xxxxxxCronoxxxxxx says... #5
if a spell or ability is on the stack the only why to stop it from resolving is to counter it or make its target iliegel before it resolves
if a spell or ability would kill a target you could cast another spell or ability that would target the same creature, if the 2nd spell or ability would kill the creature the first spell would fizzle and normaly any aditional effects would fizzle as well
June 16, 2011 7:38 p.m.
xxxxxxCronoxxxxxx says... #6
i dont think you would be able to do any of that if there was something was giving all creature -1-1 and then you played a creature with a toughness of 1
the creature would die the instant it came into play but any entter the battlefield abilitys would still trigger cause it still entered the battlefield before dieing
June 16, 2011 7:42 p.m.
truongrandy says... #7
but either way you have to wait for it to resolve and you bascailly can respond to it as long its legal
June 16, 2011 7:49 p.m.
LiFo, Last in, First out. You block a 1/1, Drana takes 1 damage (until everything resolves), then you are bolted and take 3 damage sending her to the grave. You cannot activate her ability because: you would have had to do it as you blocked the Myr, then after the combat phase, you are bolted and die. Hope this was slightly helpful.
June 17, 2011 12:51 p.m.
Usually you can. Like opponent's Liquimetal Coating turns your Scalding Tarn into an ARTIFACT LAND, THEN same opponent cast Shatter , YOU then RESPOND by tapping Scalding Tarn , lose a life and search for a land.
June 18, 2011 2:14 a.m.
deadmanwalking says... #10
Wow there are a lot of answers. From what I saw, most of them are right. Short version: yes, but not exactly like that. The syntax would be a little different, you'd activate the ability in response to the Lightning Bolt , not Drana going to the graveyard, but yeah, you can functionally do that. The reason you'd trigger it this way is because you could use her ability to kill the 1/1 and save Drana. If this really happened in a game, I thought you might want to know that.
June 18, 2011 8:14 a.m.
xxxxxxCronoxxxxxx says... #11
only if the player cast lightning bolt during combat before combat damage is assigned
Gamer7129 says... #1
yes. You can activate her ability in response to the lightning bolt.
However, once lighting bolt resolves, you can no longer activate her ability because she is put into a graveyard as a state-based action.
June 16, 2011 1:10 p.m.