Does Scryb Ranger save the forest that would be sacrificed from Scythe Tiger?
Asked by PerfectDisguise 9 years ago
Does Scryb Ranger bring my forest back to my hand instead of sacrifice it if I cast it directly after I play Scythe Tiger?
PerfectDisguise says... #2
But something like Cloudshift would save Scythe Tiger from being sacrificed?
February 14, 2015 9:31 p.m.
PerfectDisguise says... #3
I just realized Scryb Rangers ability wasn't any ETB effect. My bad. It would work if that was the case though, correct?
February 14, 2015 9:33 p.m.
When you cast the Scythe Tiger, if it enters on the battlefield, it's ability will go on the stack. If before that ability resolves, you Cloudshift him, the Scythe Tiger will enter the battlefield again, creating a new trigger of it's ability. Now you'll need to resolve just the latest ability.
February 14, 2015 9:37 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
No. See my above response. You don't have priority to do anything while you're resolving Scythe Tiger's ability.
And Cloudshift doesn't do anything because you'll just retrigger the sacrifice ability. There's no way to cheat it unless you manifest Scythe Tiger, and that doesn't seem worthwhile.
February 14, 2015 9:45 p.m.
PerfectDisguise says... #6
So what you're saying is I can't pay scythe tigers cost by sacrificing a land, and then use scrybs ability before the land hits the graveyard?
February 14, 2015 10:23 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #7
Yes, that's exactly what he's saying. There's no "before it hits the graveyard". To sacrifice something is to take it from the battlefield and put it into the graveyard. Once you choose to sacrifice the land, that's what happens.
February 15, 2015 12:18 a.m.
PerfectDisguise says... #8
Can you explain to me how this is different from someone evoking a Mulldrifter and then cloud shifting it to save it?
February 15, 2015 7:40 a.m.
Because the sacrificing of a Mulldrifter is not part of the cost of the ability, 2
is. Once you pay 2 it will try to enter the battlefield. If the spell resolves, he'll enter the battlefield and the two abilities (the draw and the sacrifice) will trigger and be placed on the stack. Now you can bounce him, let the draw resolve and let the sacrifice resolve with no target.
February 15, 2015 8:42 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #10
Evoke creates a delayed triggered ability that triggers when Mulldrifter enters the battlefield after it was cast for its evoke cost. When you Cloudshift Mulldrifter, Mulldrifter becomes a new object that reenters the battlefield from exile. There's no evoke DTA to apply to this new instance of Mulldrifter because it wasn't cast for its evoke cost, and the old instance of the DTA doesn't apply because the instance of Mulldrifter for which it triggered no longer exists.
Scythe Tiger has a triggered ability that triggers when Scythe Tiger enters the battlefield. You can Cloudshift Scythe Tiger, but the ability will just retrigger when Scythe Tiger enters the battlefield.
February 15, 2015 12:15 p.m.
PerfectDisguise says... #11
Ok I think I got it. Now, new question:
Say I have Scryb Ranger and Knight of the Reliquary on the field. My opponent targets KOTR with Path to Exile while she is tapped. Can I use scrybs ability to untap KOTR, then tap KOTR again, then search for Sejiri Steppe, put it into play, and protect KOTR from the path to exile?
February 15, 2015 12:23 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #14
I think you're missing one of the nuances here: Scryb Ranger can be cast in response to spells and abilities, and you can activate its ability in response to spells and abilities. The reason it doesn't work with Scythe Tiger is that you can't do anything in the middle of something else resolving. You can't respond to just the sacrifice because the sacrifice is made during the resolution of Scythe Tiger's ability (and you can't respond to costs anyway).
In all situations involving responding to entire spells or abilities before they begin to resolve, Scryb Ranger and its ability function properly.
February 15, 2015 12:27 p.m.
PerfectDisguise says... #15
Ok awesome! Thanks for the info everybody. Very helpful.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
No.
When Scythe Tiger's ability resolves, you are given the option to sacrifice a land or to sacrifice Scythe Tiger. You can't respond to the payment of a cost, and you don't have priority while something is resolving.
You can activate Scryb Ranger's ability before or after Scythe Tiger's ability resolves. If you do it before, you'll still have to sacrifice a land or sacrifice Scythe Tiger. If you do it afterward, then the land you sacrificed will already be in your graveyard.
February 14, 2015 9:19 p.m.