How does maintaining priority work?

Asked by HushwingGryff 9 years ago

For example, if i have a perilous vault in play, can I activate it and with the trigger on the stack, cast repeal and still manage to exile everything? Thanks.

Slycne says... Accepted answer #1

Be sure to link the cards in question.

Perilous Vault

Repeal

Let me split this up into two parts. Whenever a player adds something to the stack priority returns to that player. "Retaining priority" is the act of further adding spells or abilities to the stack. Note that both players must still pass priority for anything to resolve.

As for the question. I'm assuming you mean to ask about Repeal Perilous Vault back to hand. It wouldn't work, but not because of a priority issue. Perilous Vault exiles itself as part of the activation. Everything before the : is part of the cost, everything after that is the effect. So by the time the ability is on the stack, Perilous Vault is removed from the game.

November 6, 2015 1:43 a.m.

Epochalyptik says... #2

Of note: When you are playing in an event, if you do not explicitly state that you are retaining priority, you're assumed to pass priority after casting a spell or activating an ability. You still have the right to retain priority and continue taking actions; you simply need to state that you're doing so.

Another nitpick: spells and activated abilities go onto the stack as soon as they are announced. The payment of costs is the final step in the casting/activation process. So Perilous Vault won't be exiled until the end of the activation process, but it'll still be gone before any players receive priority.

November 6, 2015 7:22 a.m.