Do counter spells stop activated abilities?
Asked by PrototypeViktor 12 years ago
I just tried to use Vizkopa Guildmages activated ability. My opponent used a counter spell, does this stop it?
Absinthman says... #2
I'll follow up with an example. Take pyrewild shaman
.
1. If your opponent decides to cast the Shaman (put it onto the stack and pay its mana cost with the intention of having it as a creature on the battlefield), he or she is casting a spell which you can counter with Counterspell
.
2. If your opponent attacks with a creature and then discards the Shaman a pays its bloodrush cost, he or she is activating the Shamans activated ability. This can't be countered by Counterspell
, but it can be done by Voidslime
, Stifle
or Trickbind
.
3. If a creature your opponent controls deals combat damage to you and the Shaman is in that player's graveyard, the Shaman's triggered ability will trigger and ask that player whether he or she wishes to pay the optional 3 mana. This can't be countered by Counterspell
, but it can be done by Voidslime
, Stifle
or Trickbind
. Also note that the payment is a part of that ability's resolution, therefore, if you wish to counter it, you will need to do it without knowing whether your opponent was about to pay or not.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
No. Abilities and spells are different things. A spell is any card or copy of a card on the stack. An ability is any object on the stack, activated or triggered, that is not represented by a card, but the source of which is another object.
That can be a bit confusing, but it's easier to understand when you look at the examples. Counterspell doesn't deal with abilities because abilities are not spells. Cards like Voidslime , Stifle , and Trickbind do deal with abilities because their texts specifically reference abilities.
July 5, 2013 1:14 a.m.