Can my opponents respond to Jarad's activated ability?
Asked by GarthaLeBleu 8 years ago
So I have Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord on the battlefield along with a Phyrexian Devourer.
I activate Phyrexian Devourer's ability, exiling the top card of my library and putting a +X/+X counter on it. As I repeat this, it's power reaches 7 and thus triggers it's bury ability, which goes on the stack. I then constantly respond to the bury trigger by exiling more cards from my library until power reaches 40.
At this point, I stop exiling and respond to the bury trigger by sacrificing it to Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord's activated ability. Now my opponent responds by playing Path to Exile, targeting Jarad. My question is: does this stop the combo in it's tracks or does Jarad's activated ability (which is now already on the stack?) resolve independent of whether Jarad/Devourer is still in play?
I know that this would be the only time my opponent would have a chance to disrupt. If they had Path to Exiled in response to me exiling the top card of my library, I could just have continued to exile cards to prevent their spell from ever resolving, then sacrificing it to Jarad.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help clarify this for me. (also if you know what section of the detailed rules this falls into)
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2
An ability on the stack exists independently of its source. Getting rid of the source does nothing to the ability. It will end up resolving unless something specifically counters it (either an effect from another spell/ability or the rules of the game).
September 3, 2015 11:40 a.m.
GarthaLeBleu says... #3
Ok, so the only way an opponent could stop the combo would be to counter the said ability/remove it from the stack, or Path to Exile Jarad in response to Phyrexian Devourer being cast, correct? Thanks!
September 3, 2015 2:30 p.m.
dragonstryke58 says... #4
Just a little side question though: wouldn't you have to sacrifice the Phyrexian Devourer before his power reached 40. You can't keep using his second ability to exile cards if his power is 7 or greater because of the last part of the second ability right? You have to resolve the whole ability before you can activate the second ability again and since part of the resolution of the second ability is to sacrifice it if its power is 7 or greater, you'd lose your creature even before it would reach 40 power.
September 3, 2015 2:44 p.m.
GarthaLeBleu says... #5
dragonstryke58: Phyrexian Devourer's bury ability triggers only once, the first time it's power reaches 7. After that, I'm free to continually exile the top card of my library in response to the bury trigger to keep it from ever resolving. Once Devourer is big enough, I simply sacrifice it to Jarad to nuke my opponents:)
September 3, 2015 2:57 p.m.
dragonstryke58 says... #6
Sorry... I just realized that the oracle changed from the printed card's picture. The "If Phyrexian Devourer's power is 7 or greater, sacrfice it." at the end of its activated ability on the card picture on the hover over got taken away on the oracle.
Boza says... #1
Abilities on the stack exist independently of their sources, so Jarad being path'ed will not affect the ability.
September 3, 2015 11:39 a.m.