When do replacment effects occur?
Asked by Ojallday 2 years ago
I've had different opinions expressed on this, but the question is when do replacement effects apply? Do they happen after the priority of what they are replacing happens or can they happen any time an event they could replace occurs? For example I have a Dakmor Salvage in hand, a Putrid Imp and The Gitrog Monster in play I discard dakmor triggering The Gitrog Monster's ability to draw a card. Does the draw trigger go though priority then the dredge? Or can dredge occur any time a draw is on the stack?
Oh, and if you have multiple dredge, cards in your graveyard, all of their replacement effects will apply. Once you choose to dredge one, however, you can't dredge any of the others for that draw because the draw event has been replaced. The remaining ones will apply again the next time you would draw a card, of course.
August 9, 2021 1:42 a.m.
Quickspell says... #3
Polaris In a related matter, if I cast i. e. Thrill of Possibility and discard Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, do I first shuffle back and then draw cards because his graveyard effect is a replacement effect and takes place right away and before the instants effect on the stack?
August 11, 2021 4:39 p.m. Edited.
Gidgetimer says... #4
The graveyard effect of the Eldrazi Titans is not a replacement effect. It is a triggered ability. It goes on the stack and can be responded to. It will go on the stack above Thrill of Possibility and will resolve before it since it is an additional cost. If you instead cast something that discards and draws as a single effect (Wheel of Fortune, Windfall, et. al.) then your graveyard will not be shuffled in until after the draw.
If you instead were discarding Blightsteel Colossus, then it will be shuffled into the library before the draw in all cases.
August 11, 2021 5:14 p.m.
A quick guide to different effects:
- Activated abilities are written "cost: effect." You activate them similarly to casting an instant, and they go on the stack and resolve the same way.
- Triggered abilities have a trigger condition (usually a time; when, whenever, at the beginning of, etc) and an effect. When their trigger condition happens, they go on the stack (unless they're triggered by something resolving, in which case they wait until that thing finishes and then go on the stack). They then resolve the same way spells and activated abilities do.
- Static abilities make a statement, like "creatures you control get +1/+1" or "you may look at the top card of your library at any time." These abilities don't use the stack; they just add an extra rule to the game as long as the card with the ability is in play.
- Replacement effects can be part of spells and abilities and are often part of static abilities, but they're not abilities themselves. They're written "if X, Y instead" and don't use the stack.
Polaris says... Accepted answer #1
Replacement effects don't use priority, triggers, or the stack at all. When a relevant event would happen, the replacement effect replaces it then and there. My favorite way to explain it is to think of it as modifying the event with parentheses: "Whenever one or more lands are put into your graveyard, from anywhere, draw a card (actually, you may choose whether to draw a card or instead dredge Dakmor Salvage)." The replacement effect will happen every time you draw a card as long as Dakmor Salvage is in your graveyard (if you draw three cards, you'll get to choose whether to dredge each time until you actually do).
You'll discard the land, trigger The Gitrog Monster, and when the trigger resolves and you go to draw a card, the replacement effect will apply and let you dredge instead. No one (including you) can respond to your decision before you proceed to draw or dredge, and any triggers that happen from you drawing or milling will depend on your decision. If you choose to dredge, no draw will have happened. Anything that does trigger will wait and go on the stack after the The Gitrog Monster's trigger finishes resolving.
(Sorry for paraphrasing above, but I'm not up to writing out the full text of dredge here...)
August 9, 2021 1:38 a.m.