Smallpox and when things can respond.
Asked by Pheardemons 8 years ago
So Smallpox is a great card that is seriously underplayed, but my question is more zoning in on the sacrificing a land aspect. If my opponents only land in play is a fetchland and he lets Smallpox resolve, can my opponent "target" his fetchland to sacrifice then fetch it to try and keep one land on the field? I know cards like Boom/Bust you can target the fetchland, hold priority, then fetch the land to negate the sacrificing of your own land, but when Smallpox resolves technically everything happens at once. So can my opponent respond inbetween the actions once it resolves?
I looked at gatherer and it says that everything happens in the order the card says (simultaneously with multiple players), but it doesn't mention when/if someone can respond.
Pheardemons says... #2
I put the quotations around target for lack of a better word because knew Smallpox didn't target anything. Thanks you for answering. That is what I thought I just couldn't find confirmation online.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
Smallpox doesn't target anything. Each player chooses which land to sacrifice as the sacrifice instruction is reached. The choice must be made from among the lands the player controls at that time.
Because no player has priority in the middle of the resolution process, no player can choose to sacrifice a fetchland and then activate the fetchland's ability in response. Once the resolutoin process begins, you have to complete it before you can activate any abilities or cast any spells.
If you activate the ability before Smallpox resolves, then you'll just have to sacrifice the new land instead.
January 30, 2016 10:11 a.m.