Gain life triggers.
Asked by Faiths_Guide 8 years ago
If a card read "Whenever you gain life, if your life total is..."
Would it check the life total before or after the life was gained?
e.g., Let's assume your starting life total was 20. Your life total is 19 and you gain 3 life. If a permanent in play read "Whenever you gain life, if your life total is greater than your starting life total, [effect]" would the effect happen or not?
Faiths_Guide says... #3
Rhadamanthus, is there a way to word "Whenever you gain life, if your life total is..." so that it only references your life total before you gained the life?
June 22, 2016 3:02 p.m.
Faiths_Guide says... #4
Perhaps: "If you would gain life, if your life total is greater than your starting life total, you may first [effect]"?
June 22, 2016 3:05 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #5
Yes, I think you'll have to use a replacement effect if you want to apply your hypothetical ability before the lifegain actually happens. "If you would gain life while your life total is greater than your starting life total, you may gain that much life and [do other effect] instead."
June 22, 2016 8:28 p.m.
Faiths_Guide says... #8
In the end I dropped most of that idea anyway. Check it out? http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/soulraise-angel
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
A triggered ability triggers right after the given event happens. Your hypothetical ability with the "intervening 'if' clause" will use the player's life total from right after the life is gained to determine whether it actually triggers and is put onto the stack. Keep in mind that it will check again as the ability starts to resolve to see if the condition is still true.
June 22, 2016 1:29 p.m.