Can I exile it before it happens automatically?
Asked by TheMountainLion 7 years ago
Can I have a Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim on the battlefield and cast a second one, then use the first ones exile ability before the legend rule makes me sac it?
No, unfortunately you don't "have time" to do that between actions.
After you resolve casting the Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim, state-based actions are checked and the Legend Rule would trigger before you react to the creature entering the battlefield (after the stack resolves), and one Ayli would be put into the GY.
You could, though, use the sacrifice ability of the first Ayli in response to casting the creature, but using the same stack of the second Ayli.
I will leave the extensive rulings relating state based actions here:
- 704. State-Based Actions
704.1. State-based actions are game actions that happen automatically whenever certain conditions (listed below) are met. State-based actions dont use the stack.
704.2. State-based actions are checked throughout the game and are not controlled by any player.
704.3. Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 116, Timing and Priority), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event. If any state-based actions are performed as a result of a check, the check is repeated; otherwise all triggered abilities that are waiting to be put on the stack are put on the stack, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based actions have been performed as the result of a check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, the appropriate player gets priority. This process also occurs during the cleanup step (see rule 514), except that if no state-based actions are performed as the result of the steps first check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, then no player gets priority and the step ends
July 16, 2016 3:46 p.m. Edited.
Epochalyptik says... #3
@Busse: Just wanted to clear up a few misconceptions I see here.
You don't resolve the casting of something. Casting is just the process of putting a spell onto the stack. You resolve the spell itself.
State-based actions don't trigger, and they don't use the stack. They just happen. If they triggered, they'd go onto the stack like everything else.
The stack doesn't necessarily "resolve." Individual objects on the stack resolve, but players get priority before each object resolves and have the option of casting spells or activating abilities before a certain object resolves.
July 16, 2016 6:16 p.m.
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Epochalyptik: thanks for the tips. As English isn't my main language, a little of precision is sometimes lost during the writing process. I'll pay more attention when dealing with Q&A ;)
And the word we were looking for, relating State Based Actions, is "check". When SBAs are checked, they happen (or not).
Cheers!
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
You should clarify when exactly you want to activate the ability. If you're activating the ability in response to the second Ayli (while that copy is still a spell), then yes, you can do that just fine. If, however, you wanted to activate the ability once both copies are on the battlefield, you're out of luck. The legend rule is performed as a state-based action, meaning it happens before players get priority. Once the second Ayli resolves, the legend rule will kick in before you get priority.
Note also that the legend rule does not cause sacrifice. The extra permanents are just put into their owner's graveyard as a state-based action. This is also not the same thing as destruction.
July 16, 2016 3:35 p.m.