Diabolic Intent and Sacrifice timing

Asked by K4nkato 1 year ago

If I cast Diabolic Intent and sacrifice my only creature, then my opponent responds with Fatal Push, targeting the creature I chose to sacrifice, what happens?

Caerwyn says... Accepted answer #1

They will not be able to do this. The sacrifice text on Diabolic Intent is an additional cost, to be paid during the casting of the spell itself.

No player gains priority while someone is in the middle of casting a spell--"priority" being the official term for "the ability to cast a spell". You will pay all costs before Diabolic Intent is put on the stack--including the cost of sacrificing a creature--and it will not be until Diabolic Intent is fully cast that your opponent can respond. By that time, you will have already paid the cost of sacrificing the creature, which means that creature will already have been removed from the battlefield and no longer can be a target for Fatal Push. This also means they cannot use Fatal Push to disrupt your casting of Diabolic Intent.

November 19, 2022 4:26 p.m.