Casting in responce to Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx tapping
Asked by lysixa 10 years ago
Can I cast a card like hero's downfall to destroy a creature that gives devotion without it providing any devotion?Or more accurately can any instant card be cast in response to a Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx tapping?
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #2
Link all cards in your question.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Hero's Downfall
No. Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx 's abilities are both mana abilities.
Mana abilities are any activated abilities that (1) do not have a target, (2) are not loyalty abilities, and (3) add mana to a player's mana pool when they resolve. They are also any triggered abilities that trigger from other mana abilities. Mana abilities can only be activated when you have priority or when you are prompted to pay a cost, but they do not use the stack, and you can't respond to them.
Because they don't use the stack, there's no way to preempt or respond to your opponent activating a mana ability. In this case, you could try to force your opponent's play by casting Hero's Downfall at a time that's inconvenient for him or her and hoping he or she activates Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx 's ability in response and therefore at a time he or she may not use the mana effectively, but that's about it.
BlueScope says... #1
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx 's second ability (well, both it's abilities really) are mana abilities, and mana abilities cannot be responded to. So no, you cannot "reduce" the amount of mana your opponent gets from the shrine in that manner. You could of course do it at an earlier point in time, keeping in mind that mana pools are emptied at the end of steps and phases.
October 11, 2014 5:16 a.m.