How does the stack and sacrificing creatures work?
Asked by ogglas 3 years ago
I attempt to activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing "Creature A". Is it possible for another player to target the creature I am sacrificing? With a removal spell for example.
If that is true, could I then in response sacrifice "Creature A"?
But what happens if my initial Viscera Seer activation gets countered by Disallow , does "Creature A" still die, because it is part of the activation cost?
This is true of any cost to cast or activate, by the way. Activated abilities are written "cost: effect" (like Viscera Seer ), and paying the costs is part of the process of activating the ability. The same applies for a spell like Fling . By the time players can respond, you've already paid any costs. Sacrificed creatures are in the graveyard, lands are tapped, etc. In most situations, no one can interfere with you paying a cost.
Neotrup says... Accepted answer #1
Sacrificing a creature is the cost of activating the ability, as such it's already in the graveyard before opponents have a chance to respond and won't be able to target it as a creature. If they do target it with something like Extirpate (as it is in the graveyard now) that won't stop you from scrying. If they counter the ability, it won't return the creature to the battlefield as it only counters the ability, not the cost.
June 19, 2021 7:21 a.m.