Stack manipulation
Asked by Quadsimotto 12 years ago
I have been reading over a bunch of the QnA here and have seen that on some occasion "depends on which you add to the stack first" has been an acceptable answer. Still trying to wrap my head around stack issues so i am happy for this site and the experts always willing to help. Example: I have out a Consuming Aberration I cast Mind Grind Which goes on to the stack first the trigger from the aberration being that i cast a spell or the spell itself. Or do i have the opportunity to decide?
The stack is a data structure where the last item you put in, is the first item that comes out.
The back button on your browser uses a stack, by bringing you back to the most recent pages in reverse order.
now, the issue at hand:
when you part of the casting process for Mind Grind
means that you put it onto the stack.
AFTER Mind Grind has been cast, players get priority(which means that they can cast spells).
Whenever a player receives priority is when triggered abilities that use like Consuming Aberration
's will go onto the stack.
If multiple abilities have triggered, first the active player(who's turn it is) chooses the order that his abilities go onto the stack, and then the nonactive player puts his abilities on the stack. but in this case there's only one.
So, Consuming Aberration 's ability will be on the stack on top of Mind Grind , and Consuming Aberration 's ability will resolve first.
October 2, 2013 10:33 a.m.
The first part of casting a spell is moving it onto the stack. Then, after all the payments and modes and such have been decided, things that trigger of of spells being cast go on top of the spell on the stack. Consuming Aberration 's trigger (it's a trigger, it starts with the word whenever) will go on the stack on top of whatever spell you cast, and it will resolve before whatever spell you cast.
601.2h Once the steps described in 601.2ag are completed, the spell becomes cast. Any abilities that trigger when a spell is cast or put onto the stack trigger at this time. If the spell's controller had priority before casting it, he or she gets priority.
October 2, 2013 10:33 a.m.
An example of ways you can order abilities on the stack is if you control two triggered abilities that trigger on the same action. Let's say you had a Forced Fruition and a Memory Erosion on the battlefield, and an opponent casts a spell. Their spell goes onto the stack first, and both of your enchantments trigger at the same time. You can then choose which goes on the stack before the other. If you put the Forced Fruition trigger on first, then the Memory Erosion trigger; the Memory Erosion trigger will resolve first, then the Forced Fruition trigger, then the spell. I hope this clears some things up.
October 2, 2013 10:41 a.m.
As you cast Mind Grind, the Aberration's ability triggers. Since they do not happen at the same time, but one as the consequence of the other, you do not get to choose which goes on to the stack before the other.
In resolution order:
1st Consuming Aberration trigger
2nd Mind Grind
3rd lulz :)
October 2, 2013 10:54 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #7
When people talk about "it depends on which one is put onto the stack first", they're talking about situations where multiple triggered abilities are trying to go onto the stack at the same time (usually because a single event triggered all of them at the same time). In a situation like this the active player puts the ones he controls on the stack in the order of his choice, then the inactive player does the same. If there are more than 2 players in the game then you start with the active player and go around the table in turn order.
In your example there's no choices to be made about what goes onto the stack in what order. When you cast Mind Grind the ability of Consuming Aberration triggers. The ability is put onto the stack on top of Mind Grind, and it will resolve before Mind Grind does.
October 2, 2013 11 a.m.
just remember if a situation occurs where you get to decide the order that, the last thing put on the stack is the first to resolve. That's very important important and something very easy to forget for people new to the game or having problems understanding the stack concept.
October 2, 2013 11:13 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #9
To post #1, Quadsimotto: Static abilities don't use the stack. Consuming Aberration 's mill ability is a triggered ability.
Quadsimotto says... #1
Again i am probably wrong in my terminology this one is probably a static ability?
October 2, 2013 10:24 a.m.