Stoneforge Mystic
Asked by Wbg1415 3 years ago
When Stoneforge Mystic enters the battlefield it's controller can search their library for an equipment card and reveal it. Can an opponent use Lightning Strike as an instant and destroy Stoneforge Mystic before it's search ability activates?
Tyrant-Thanatos says... #2
Yes and no. To clarify, Stoneforge Mystic's equipment tutor effect is a triggered ability, not an activated one. Activated abilities are always formatted as “[Cost]: [Effect] [Activation instructions (if any)]”, such as the Mystic's own second ability. Triggered abilities are triggered by certain conditions and then go onto the stack the next time a player gains priority.
603.1. Triggered abilities have a trigger condition and an effect. They are written as “[When/Whenever/At] [trigger condition or event], [effect]. [Instructions (if any).]”
The easiest way to put this is that yes, technically an opponent can Lightning Strike the Mystic before this ability resolves, however, this will not prevent it from happening. By the time the opponent can cast Lightning Strike targeting the Mystic, the triggered ability is already on the stack, and will resolve unless it is removed from the stack (usually by countering it or killing its controller).
Edit: Neotrup beat me to it.
Neotrup says... Accepted answer #1
Stoneforge Mystic's search ability is a triggered ability, not an activated ability (the ability that puts an equipment onto the battlefield is activated). As soon as the Stoneforge Mystic enters the battlefield, it's ability is put onto the stack before any player can respond (but they don't search yet, there is an opportunity to respond). You can at this point cast Lightning Strike to deal lethal damage to Stoneforge Mystic, which will cause it to be destroyed by the game rules. The triggered ability of Stoneforge Mystic will still be on the stack though, and it will still resolve normally, allowing it's controller to locate an equipment.
Typically, you'll want to allow they controller to search before you kill the Stoneforge Mystic, so that they choose the equipment thinking they'll be able to cheat it into play. In some cases, such as the controller also having a Thousand-Year Elixir, you'll want to kill Stoneforge Mystic before they search, so that they can't activate it's ability as well to put the equipment into play.
January 28, 2021 10:30 p.m.