Does a creature without an ETB ability still cause an ETB trigger?
Asked by thewiredmind 12 years ago
When Fiend Hunter enters the battlefield, his ETB trigger is added to the stack and my opponent can respond. What if a creature without an ETB ability is cast, does an ETB trigger still happen that my opponent can respond to?
Scenario: I have a Gravecrawler in my graveyard. I cast a Slitherhead from my hand with the intention to get a zombie on the board for my Gravecrawler . Can my opponent respond to the ETB trigger of the Slitherhead and unsummon him thus denying me my Gravecrawler cast? Or is there not an ETB trigger, and I retain priority and am able to get my Gravecrawler out?
This question is a bit larger than just ETB triggers, but pertains to all potential triggers.
Rules text is always appreciated from all wise mages.
In this case, your opponent would wait for your zombie to be cast, the priority would pass on both of you and the creature would be summoned. Then if you tried to use Gravecrawler's ability, he would unsummon your slitherhead and your gravecrawler could not be cast because you don't control a zombie. He isn't responding as such to your slitherhead cast because until it resolves, it isn't a creature yet, just a spell.
October 12, 2012 6:17 p.m.
GoblinsInc says... #3
Land. If there was an ETB ability trigger when slitherhead entered the field, his opponent could respond before he could cast the gravecrawler as he can't normally cast a creature with something on the stack.
October 12, 2012 6:24 p.m.
This is similar to nuking Planeswalkers before they receive priority.
If I cast Nissa Revane , she resolves, and my opponent then wants to use Shock on her, he/she must wait until I do something else that uses the stack in order to cast Shock . Just because a permanent entered the battlefield doesn't mean priority has passed.
This is also why you should always use your Planeswalkers immediately after casting them. If I would've cast Nissa Revane then declared attackers, my opponent would then have priority to kill Nissa before I did anything with her. Had I used her immediately, her Loyalty would've gone up before my opponent had the chance to kill her with 2 damage.
October 12, 2012 6:51 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #5
abdulbaqr is incorrect. zandl has the right concept.
An ETB ability is a triggered ability that triggers when something enters the battlefield. If a resolving creature spell doesn't have an ETB ability and no abilities of existing permanents would trigger when that creature enters the battlefield, then there will be no ability going onto the stack when that creature ETBs.
Once Slitherhead resolves, you regain priority as the active player. Once you cast Gravecrawler from your graveyard, it moves to the stack. Assuming you have no other spells to cast or abilities to activate, priority will pass to your opponent. Now that he or she has priority, he or she may cast Unsummon . However, Unsummon ing your Slitherhead won't retroactively remove Gravecrawler from the stack.
October 12, 2012 7:08 p.m.
Exactly. Gravecrawler needs a Zombie to be on the battlefield only when it is cast. Beyond that, Gravecrawler doesn't check if a Zombie is present.
October 12, 2012 7:10 p.m.
In the case of ETB triggers, creatures without ETB abilities can activate ETB triggers of other permanents as Epochalyptik alluded to. So for instance, Slitherhead entering the battlefield would trigger other ETB effects such as Champion of Lambholt , card:Cathars' Crusade, Suture Priest , etc.
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #1
There is no ETB trigger in this case because there is no ETB ability. Even if there was an ETB trigger, however, you, as the active player, are still able to hold priority and cast your Gravecrawler.
Basically, regardless of the situation, your opponent isn't allowed to respond to anything until you pass priority to them. You are allowed to hold priority and cast multiple spells consecutively in this way.
October 12, 2012 6:06 p.m.