Can i activate an ability in response to my own spell?
Asked by gun.rugger 14 years ago
Opponent has 7 creatures. I have 6 Elves. They swing with everything.
I have a Prototype Portal with a Wurmcoil Engine imprinted. I pay four and cast Blunt the Assault can I pay 6 to create a Wurmcoil Engine token in Response to my Blunt the Assault so that I gain 14 Life instead of 13?
π_is_the_word says... #2
Pretty much, but you must make it clear to your opponent you have not given them a chance to respond yet and you are still adding cards to the stack. Keep in mind it is best to just do them separately because it is easier to figure out what your opponent is responding to and so it makes the stack easier to understand for everyone. It is also considered polite to do them separately. So, you could have made the token and then played the Blunt the Assault.
But, activating an ability can be played at instant speed unless stated otherwise on the card.
April 5, 2011 10:20 a.m.
I think if his opponent passes priority without doing anything Blunt the Assault will resolve and he won't have a chance create a token so he doesn't gain the extra point of life.
I think that is the way the stack works along with passing priority. I could be wrong and am open to corrections.
April 5, 2011 10:35 a.m.
π_is_the_word says... #4
You can add cards to the stack that do not interact, my understanding(I'm too lazy today to look it up.) is that your opponent declares he has no response and passes priority back to you, you then have 1 last chance to respond before the spell resolves. My comment before was saying that he can add multiple cards to the stack before passing priority to his opponent who then may respond to each individually or together.
I'm hoping someone who didn't spend over half the night working on an essay will back me up with rules... but, I'm always okay with being proven wrong.
April 5, 2011 10:43 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
The short answer to your question is yes.
When priority is given to a player, that player may put any number of spells or abilities on the stack before passing priority, including 0. Then priority passes to the next player. When all players pass priority without placing a spell on the stack, then the top spell and ONLY the top spell resolves, then priority passes again. (After every resolution, game rules do a double-check to make sure nobody wants to respond to the next spell before resolving it too.)
Therefore, you can play Blunt the Assault and then trigger your Prototype Portal so they go on the stack in the proper order for you to get extra life gain. If that is your final spell/ability, then priority will go to your opponent, who can choose to respond. If they don't, and you don't place anything else on the stack after they pass, the token comes in. Then, you get a chance to put anything else on the stack (if you want to) before priority passes to the opponent again. Once both of you pass without doing anything, the next spell/ability will resolve. This continues until the stack is empty.
April 5, 2011 11:09 a.m.
AegairEtapa says... #6
Err no.
116.4. If all players pass in succession (that is, if all players pass without taking any actions in between passing), the spell or ability on top of the stack resolves or, if the stack is empty, the phase or step ends.
Once you pass priority, if your opponent passes you can't add anything to the stack. It's the same reason why asking to respond to an opponent playing a land them saying yes and you passing priority ends their main phase.
April 5, 2011 11:11 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #7
I thought all players, including the original player.
I.e.: You play a spell. Therefore someone has already placed something on the stack during this rotation of priority. Even if the opponent passes, there has still been a change to the stack and the game checks with everyone again for responses.
Also, I don't think that is a legal way to end someone's main.
305.4. During either main phase, the active player may play one land card from his or her hand if the stack is empty, if the player has priority, and if he or she hasnt yet taken this special action this turn. (See rule 212.6, Lands.) This action doesnt use the stack and it isnt a spell or ability of any kind. It cant be countered, and players cant respond to it with instants or activated abilities.
April 5, 2011 11:18 a.m.
AegairEtapa says... #8
Epochalyptik, you pass priority to give your opponent a chance to respond. Then the stack begins to resolves.
Also it's perfectly legal, if basically a jerk ass move. Ask to respond to a land. If they say yes they've passed priority with nothing on the stack, you then pass back. You can't respond to the land being played, but that doesn't stop tricking new players into passing priority in the first place.
April 5, 2011 11:20 a.m.
π_is_the_word says... #10
Good, I wasn't sure what I was saying as you can probably tell from what I said after my answer. I had just woken up from a power nap when I said whatever I said, I'm just not going to read it. Please ignore what I said.
Thank you, to everyone who attempted to correct me.
April 5, 2011 6:23 p.m.
π_is_the_word says... #11
Is this question going to get officially answered? I'm surprised it hasn't been labeled as answered.
oulani says... Accepted answer #1
You certainly can, but don't need create a token in response, since you still retain priority after you cast the Blunt the Assault .
"The player with priority may put as many spells or abilities on the stack as he/she she wishes to, but before anything can resolve all players must "pass priority" without adding anything further to the stack."
April 5, 2011 7:14 a.m.