Krosan grip, and Willbreaker
Asked by mountainturtle93 8 years ago
Alright so I just want to double check a play that was made a couple of days ago. I have Derevi, Empyrial Tactician, and Willbreaker on board. I go to combat deal combat damage to an opponent targeting his Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger. I believe as the ability goes on the stack for the tap trigger Willbreaker's then immediately goes on after. So here is where the issue comes my opponent plays Krosan Grip to "stop" the stack. Regardless Willbreaker's trigger will happen because the creature has already been targeted. I just want to clarify so I won't have to sit there for 20 minutes arguing this ruling in future games.
Also if this is in the wrong forum.I apologize in advance.
PhotogenicParasympathetic says... #2
And rules questions should be asked in the Rules Q&A section, linked in the header bar.
February 17, 2017 4:06 a.m.
PhotogenicParasympathetic says... #3
To be more clear:
If Split Second DID say you can't trigger abilities... it still couldn't prevent them. Let's say you're going to attack, in the situation above. Your opponent can cast Krosan Grip before damage... but Grip resolves, and Split Second comes off the stack, THEN damage is dealt, and your triggers go on the stack. Alternatively, they can wait for Derevi to hit, and trigger, and THEN cast Krosan Grip, but then even though you can't put more abilities on the stack, your triggers are already on the stack before your opponent gets priority to cast a spell.
That's WHY Split Second doesn't do anything to triggered abilities - there's no way to functionally make it work, except in the very niche case of something like Norin the Wary which triggers WHEN you cast the spell... but even then, special rules would need to be created to make it clear what happens when, and it would be a horribly confusing mess. For that reason, Split Second specifically says you can't cast spells or activate abilities, but says nothing about triggered abilities.
February 17, 2017 4:11 a.m.
PhotogenicParasympathetic says... #4
TL;DR: Krosan Grip is not a Counterspell or in this case a Disallow. It stops you from responding to it, but doesn't prevent you from doing anything OTHER than responding to it.
February 17, 2017 4:13 a.m.
While everything above is mostly correct or has been clarified, I feel like I can provide a better explanation in terms of convincing other players:
Split Second simply does what it states: While a spell with Split Second is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilites that aren't mana abilities. None of this interacts in any way with the existing stack, the board state or anything else - it simply prevents players to activate their Aetherflux Reservoir before it gets destroyed, or use a Counterspell to counter Krosan Grip, and only as long as Krosan Grip is on the stack.
There are some interesting niche cases, where you can counter a spell with Split Second with a Stratus Dancer, for example, as Morph is not an activated ability - it's a special ability, and Split Second doesn't specifically prevent that either.
PhotogenicParasympathetic says... #1
Krosan Grip has no effect on that interaction.
Split Second cannot prevent triggered abilities.
Even if it could, it would have to be cast somehow before the trigger goes off, and remain on the stack while the trigger activates, which it cannot do.
February 17, 2017 4:05 a.m.