Can I tap to tap in response to an opponent's artifact's tap ability?
Asked by Skybre4ker 12 years ago
Ok so here's the field (in short):
I have a Vedalken Certarch on the field, untapped. My opponent has a Magistrate's Scepter on the field, untapped, with two charge counters on it and an Energy Chamber . It's my turn.
I end my turn.
My opponent untaps his permanents. Then moves to the upkeep step:
503. Upkeep Step 503.1. First, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of the upkeep step and any abilities that triggered during the turn's untap step go on the stack. (See rule 603, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") 503.2. Second, the active player gets priority. Players may cast spells and activate abilities.Ok so now, my opponent adds a charge counter on Magistrate's Scepter by the Energy Chamber, giving it three counters. At this point anything that may happen in Rule 503.1 is done.
According to Rule 503.2, my opponent now has priority before the phase change to the Draw step. Can he now tap his Magistrate's Scepter to get another turn after this one (since he has priority)? If so, can I tap my Vedalken Certarch at any time in this phase to counter his Scepter (i.e. tap the Scepter before he taps it so he can't get the extra turn)? Or does tapping my creature to tap his artifact before he taps said artifact to activate said artifact not work?
Sorry if this is confusing. Basically I'm not sure of the priority of tap abilities in this phase...
Absinthman says... #2
You can respond to your opponent's tapping of course, but it will not help you in any way. Tapping the Magistrate's Scepter
is a part of its cost, therefore, at the time you respond to its ability, it is already tapped and its ability is on the stack. Even if you destroy the Scepter in response, the ability will still be there independent on its source and will resolve unless countered by something like Stifle
.
What you can do though, is respond to Energy Chamber
's ability going onto the stack. If you tap the Septer in response to that, it will become tapped before the third counter is placed on it. This will however postpone your opponent's activation of the Scepter only by one turn.
May 30, 2013 12:51 p.m.
GreatSword says... #3
Another example of "cant respond to costs" would be trying to Doom Blade a Doomed Traveler when your opponent sacrifices it to his Falkenrath Aristocrat . You can't do this because the Doomed Traveler is already in the 'yard by the time any player would get priority again.
May 30, 2013 12:51 p.m.
Skybre4ker says... #5
But how can I activate an ability when the Energy Chamber's effect is happening? First off, I don't have priority. Second, the Energy Chamber's effect is not an activated ability, it's a triggered ability right? So according to 503.1 it would happen first (which we said). I can't interrupt anything in this step can I? I thought we had to wait until all upkeep triggered effects were done until activated abilities could be activated (503.2)? Thus follows that my opponent would have priority to tap the Scepter before I had a chance to tap it, since as GreatSword said "Once he pays for the ability of Magistrate's Scepter, it'll go on the stack, and there's nothing you can do."
BUT, are we saying that I CAN activate abilities in response to any of my opponent's abilities that are on the stack (including things that occur in 503.1)? So basically, what you both are telling me is that I can activate the ability of my Certarch in response to the triggered ability of the Energy Chamber activating?
So it would look like this:
Upkeep
Activate Energy Chamber--> Stack
(in response) Tap Certarch (target Scepter) --> Stack
Certarch ability goes first (on top of stack) --> taps Scepter
Energy Chamber's effect goes second (below Certarch on stack) --> adds a charge counter to the tapped Scepter.
Is this right?
May 30, 2013 1:11 p.m.
GreatSword says... #6
You have to remember that triggered abilities (which always begin with "when", "whenever, or "at") go on the stack before they resolve, just like a spell or activated ability. You and your opponent both have a round of priority before it resolves, just like any other object on the stack.
May 30, 2013 1:14 p.m.
GreatSword says... #7
Yes, that is how it would play out. However, Energy Chamber s effect is a triggered ability (which always begin with "when", "whenever', or "at") not an activated one (an ability with a cost).
May 30, 2013 1:19 p.m.
Any time an effect is placed on the stack, there is a round of priority before that effect can resolve. First the active player has priority, then each other player in turn order receives priority.
What everyone else has said is correct. You should activate Vedalken Certarch
in response to the triggered ability of Energy Chamber
going onto the stack.
May 30, 2013 1:28 p.m.
Skybre4ker says... #9
Ok yeah, my fault- I should have said "Trigger Energy Chamber--> Stack" instead. I realize it's a trigger ability, I just typed it wrong.
Thanks to both of you for helping me understand this!
GreatSword says... Accepted answer #1
Everything to the left of the colon in an activated ability is the cost of the ability, this includes tapping anything. Paying costs is part of the process of putting an object on the stack, just like choosing targets, IE: it can't be "interrupted". Once he pays for the ability of Magistrate's Scepter , it'll go on the stack, and there's nothing you can do.
But! in the scenario you describe above, you can still tap down the Scepter before he activates it. You simply have to tap it down while the Energy Chamber trigger is on the stack.
May 30, 2013 12:48 p.m.