Does Hallowed Moonlight stop enter the battlefield effects from triggering??
Asked by Matador 8 years ago
Lets say my opponent casts See the Unwritten and the only card they can get from it is Dragonlord Atarka. If I cast in response Hallowed Moonlight, does that stop Dragonlord Atarka from entering the battlefield at all to deal 5 damage divided, or does it enter the battlefield, ETB trigger, then it gets exiled?
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #2
At the point at which your opponent has begun resolving See the Unwritten and revealed the eight cards, it's too late for you to do anything. No player has priority while a spell or ability is resolving, so you will have to wait until after the resolution process is complete and you are passed priority. If you cast Hallowed Moonlight at that time, its effect won't do anything to Dragonlord Atarka because Dragonlord Atarka already entered the battlefield.
You would need to cast Hallowed Moonlight in response to See the Unwritten, which means that you won't yet know what your opponent will reveal, and your opponent will know that Hallowed Moonlight's effect will apply to any creature card he or she chooses to put onto the battlefield. And because Hallowed Moonlight's ability defines a replacement effect, Dragonlord Atarka will not actually be put onto the battlefield; it will be exiled instead per that effect. Its ETB ability will never trigger.
November 8, 2015 9:18 p.m.
So as long as I cast Hallowed Moonlight in response and before See the Unwritten resolves, that will stop my opponent from bringing anything from it since they MAY put a creature card to the battlefield and they have the choice not to correct?
November 8, 2015 9:23 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
Correct. Your opponent may choose to "put a creature card onto the battlefield" because that is the choice offered by See the Unwritten, but the actual event will be replaced with putting that creature card into exile, per Hallowed Moonlight's replacement effect. Your opponent will effectively choose between putting the creature into exile or putting it into his or her graveyard.
JWiley129 says... #1
Well, this is a timing issue. In order for Hallowed Moonlight to do its thing, you'll need to cast it before See the Unwritten resolves. Which means that you won't know what cards your opponent can choose from. Once you see Dragonlord Atarka among the revealed cards, it's too late for you to cast Hallowed Moonlight.
Now, if you do cast Hallowed Moonlight before See the Unwritten resolves and your opponent puts Dragonlord Atarka into play. Well, it won't. Hallowed Moonlight will exile it instead and her ETB will not go off.
November 8, 2015 9:18 p.m.