just to be clear on activated abilities
Asked by expmky 12 years ago
with Griselbrand , if i pay 7 life to draw seven card and in response, my opponent casts Murder or Unsummon ; which will go on the stack. once their spell resolves and Griselbrand is removed, i still lose seven life and draw seven cards, correct? because i already paid the cost, the effect is on the stack regardless of what happens to Griselbrand ... am i right?
Absinthman says... Accepted answer #2
Essentially you're right with only one slight difference. You don't lose 7 life after Griselbrand leaves the battlefield, because its the cost of his ability. You first pay 7 life, then your opponent casts his or her removal spell, Griselbrand leaves the battlefield, and then you draw seven cards. This is because once an activated ability has been put onto the stack (paid for), it is independent on its source.
February 4, 2013 2:12 p.m.
Absinthman says... #3
Yes, now that I read your comment, you are entirely correct.
February 4, 2013 2:13 p.m.
You are correct on both counts. An activated ability exists independently of its source as an "object" on the stack once it's costs have been paid and it has been activated. Since Griselbrand s ability has no timing restrictions you may, in response to his removal, activate his ability again.
In that scenario you would draw 7 cards, Griselbrand would die to Murder , then you would draw 7 more cards. Note: The life loss has already happened for both activations before you draw any cards and before Murder resolves.
February 4, 2013 2:15 p.m.
In short yes. Once you announce you are activating Griselbrand 's ability then you will pay the 7 life and the ability goes on the stack. If an opponent was to cast Murder in response to that you may activate the ability again by paying another 7 life (as many times as you want to as long as you have the life to pay) and the new ability(s) will go onto the stack. You would then draw the 7 cards from the second activation and as long as you didn't have a counter or something to counter the Murder it would resolve and Griselbrand would get destroyed. You would then draw another 7 cards even though he is no longer on the field once the first activation resolves since abilities once on the stack are independent of their source and will resolve regardless on what happens to the source card.
February 4, 2013 2:18 p.m.
If you need to explain this to someone.
If a soldier throws a grenade, and is shot afterwards, the grenade still explodes.
expmky says... #1
sorry... i mean, since i already paid the seven life... which is the cost... i will draw the cards, even if griselbrand dies.... and then in response to his removal i could still pay another seven life and draw seven more cards... correct?
February 4, 2013 2:10 p.m.