How do the ETBs stack and resolve with Restoration Angel and Mistbind Clique?
Asked by JasonMB 8 years ago
Ok, scenario.
I have a Mistbind Clique on the field that championed a Spellstutter Sprite. Let's say I also have a Bitterblossom and a faerie token just to brighten the stage.
My opponent casts something I don't like, let's say Blood Moon.
I respond with a Restoration Angel.
It resolves (leaving the Blood Moon on the stack), and I get an ETB trigger. I target my Mistbind with the flicker effect.
Both pass priority, flicker trigger resolves. The full resolution of the ability has me remove the Mistbind and return it to play. However, as soon as it leaves play, the Spellstutter returns to play.
So here is where I am a bit confused on the interaction. I know once an ability starts to resolve, it fully resolves before anything else can happen. So, with that in mind, I almost wonder if this is how the story ends:
Mistbind leaves the field (causing Spellstutter to return and adding an ETB trigger) and Mistbind comes back to the field adding an ETB trigger.
So the stack is now Bloodmoon, Spellstutter ETB, Mistbind ETB.
I resolve the Mistbind and champion the Spellstutter again (or a token, w/e) which now adds that trigger to tap my opponent's lands. That resolves. Then the Spellstutter ETB resolves to counter bloodmoon (checking that I have 3+ faeries on the field).
Is this the proper resolution? Or does something else or a different order occur?
Does the Mistbind leave and come back before the Spellstutter comes back? Which would give me the option to have 4 faeries on the field for spellstutter's effect and then I get to re-champion?
Reading the rulings, Champion ability has 2 connected triggers. One of which is When this permanent leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owners control.
So.. if resto angel flickers the Mistbind, it causes that 2nd champion ability to trigger when mistbind leaves. But it still has to fully resolve, so Mistbind comes back to the field and adds an ETB trigger to the stack. So spellstutter wouldn't even be back on the field by this time as its trigger to return it to the field is still on the stack now buried by a new mistbind champion ETB trigger?
Hmmm, now I'm getting more confused, because I've definitely championed a Mistbind with a Mistbind and gotten back the creature under for an ETB effect and I am completely confusing myself at this point.
So, I am now thinking this is an awkward situation... and that neither of my above play outs are what happen. I think Mistbind returns to the field and has to champion a new target before his old championed creature even gets to return.
Ugg, some clarification would be much appreciated here, thank you!
First things first: "as soon as it leaves play, the Spellstutter returns to play." - that's not quite correct, as you said yourself later in the post: Mistbind's ability to bring back the creature it championed is also a triggered ability, so it doesn't return to play at the same time at all.
That being said, what might be the part confusing you is what happens when two abilities are put on the stack at the same time, which is the case because - as you correctly observed - Restoration Angel's triggered ability has to resolve completely before anything else happens.
So, at some point, Restoration Angel's trigger has finished resolving, and you have both the ability to return your Spellstutter Sprite from exile to the battlefield, as well as the ETB of the flickered Mistbind Clique to put on the stack.
Since you control both abilities, you decide the order in which they are put on the stack. Which way you order those triggers would normally be irrelevant, as abilities exist independant of their sources, and exiling Spellstutter Sprite with Mistbind Clique wouldn't "disable" to counter ETB from that - however, if you do that, the number of Faeries you control will be 2, and the ability will be countered for having an illegal target (Blood Moon, with a CMC of 3).
In short: You want to put the Mistbind's champion trigger on the spell first, the Spellstutter Sprite last. Spellstutter resolves and counters Blood Moon, then Mistbind exiles Spellstutter Sprite once again.
September 23, 2015 3:15 p.m.
Awesome, ok, that was the part hanging me up. The triggers were "waiting" to be put on the stack. I assumed it would be as they happened during the flicker effect, as it does seem somewhat odd to think you can flicker your mistbind, and resolve its new ETB before even addressing its LTB trigger.
I'm guessing that it's similar then if I have a Vendilion Clique exiled under a Mistbind Clique and I cast a 2nd Mistbind. I have it champion the 1st Mindbind. Now as soon as I resolve that exile champion trigger, I get 2 triggers from it that I can place on the stack as I see fit - #2 mistbind's tap land trigger and #1 mistbind's LTB trigger (to return Vendi to play (and then get that ETB trigger)).
Similarly, I just always assumed that triggers were added in the order they get triggered (and I guess they still do), but I mean during the execution of an effect.
Like for instance if I were to cast Wheel of Fortune and I had Waste Not and Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind in play, previously, I would have thought all the Waste Not triggers would hit the stack first as you discard and then draw adding Niv-Mizzet's triggers. But now I know, you discard and draw and just track any triggers that are a result of this process. At the end of that, players look at all the new triggers to be placed and in order of active player first, starts adding triggers as they see fit and then non-active player triggers, then response or resolving. And I could intermix in this situation for whatever reason if I wanted to (if they discarded 5 cards and I drew 7 from Wheel) then I could interweave those triggers or do all of one at once then the other etc.
Like I dunno... maybe I have Night Dealings and want to stack my triggers so I get the 2 black mana per discarded land card from opponents, then I want to put all my Niv-Mizzet triggers to deal 1 dmg to opp to add counters 1 at a time to Night Dealings and then activate it to go grab a card etc etc.
This just opens passages in my mind for what can be done now, as previously, I would have just added all the Waste Not triggers then the Niv-Mizzet triggers, and go from there...
Sorry, I'm mostly brainstorming and stewing through this, you've been most helpful!
Boza says... Accepted answer #1
Ok, several things happen. Resto trigger resolves, during its resolution 2 things happen - Clique LTB trigger and Clique ETB trigger. Note that nothing else can happen whilst a spell or ability is resolving - those triggers are waiting.
When the Resto trigger resolves, you choose in which order to put those on the stack. I recommend putting the LTB trigger on the stack last, so that it resolves first.
After the LTB trigger resolves, the S.S. Sprite (that is the name of my future yacht) returns to the battlefield and adds its trigger on top of the ETB Clique trigger. After the S.S. Sprite trigger resolves, Blood Moon is countered.
The only thing left on the stack is now ETB Champion ability and you exile the S.S. Faerie right back.
If you put the triggers in the other order, you will have to champion either the token or the Bitterblossom or sacrifice the Clique. This will have no effect on the triggers put on the LTB trigger and you will still control 3 faeries permanents for the S.S. Faerie effect to work versus Blood Moon.
September 23, 2015 3:05 p.m.