Can Meren of Clan Nel Toth's 2nd Ablitity be Countered?
Asked by Dray119 8 years ago
My question is about an interaction in commander with Meren of Clan Nel Toth and her second ability. Can her second ability (At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in your graveyard. If that card's converted mana cost is less than or equal to the number of experience counters you have, return it to the battlefield. Otherwise, put it into your hand.) be countered by a counter target spell.
I was bringing a creature at my end step back to the battlefield since I had enough experience counters, he went to Counterspell it and this is where my problem lies. We just want to know 100% how this works, my friend says the creature is being cast from the graveyard using Meren's ability and therefore can counter spell it. Since it doesn't say cast in the text and "return it to the battlefield" and it doesn't look like any cost is being paid for, I'm assuming it is not being cast and is a result of an ability being triggered at the endstep.
So is a creature being cast and something that can be countered by a counter target spell?
Sorry for this being long, I'm new to forums and just couldn't find a concrete answer online about this as it could be a simple thing.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2
You have the right idea. Meren of Clan Nel Toth's ability doesn't specifically tell you to "cast" the creature, so that means it isn't being cast as a spell. It's just being moved directly from the graveyard to either your hand or the battlefield. There's no spell to counter with an effect like Counterspell.
It is possible to counter the ability, but only with either an effect that specifically says it can counter a triggered ability (Stifle, Voidslime, etc.) or an effect that can remove the creature card from the graveyard before the ability resolves (Tormod's Crypt, Learn from the Past, etc.).
July 24, 2016 9:34 a.m.
Dray119,
Hallowed Moonlight, Ground Seal, and Grafdigger's Cage work too. Or your friend could always just Rest in Peace the whole 'yard.
UpsetYoMama says... #1
It is a triggered ability and Counterspell only targets a spell on the stack. Therefore, it cannot be countered in that way. The creature from the graveyard is not actually being cast (therefore you wouldn't get the draw 4 cards on a card like Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, for example)
You would need a card like Stifle to disrupt it.
July 24, 2016 9:30 a.m.