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Dauthi Voidwalker

Reyhan, Last of the Abzan

The answer you got from the judge's chat is correct.

Activating mana abilities (such as those on the altars)can be done while casting a spell or activating an ability. So, if the judge simply said "you can't do that" to activating the mana ability they were mistaken. There is a specific time when you can activate them though. And it is before costs are paid. So you can not take a counter off of a creature and sacrifice the same creature for mana to pay for a single Tayam activation.

In the explanations of my engines the "requires X mana to start" is in addition to the casting cost of the pieces and should allow you to sacrifice for mana and sill have enough counters. If you need to use the counter from the creature you are returning you sacrifice and float the mana after the activation goes on the stack but before it resolves.

This thread from 2 months ago answers your question.

303.4m An ability of a permanent that refers to the “enchanted [object or player]” refers to whatever object or player that permanent is attached to, even if the permanent with the ability isn’t an Aura.

Go for it, and you are very welcome.

Damn, I was hoping to say "looks good" and be off.

When there are three counters (initially) you have to use 1 to do damage, and 2 to hit Triskelion. Each time after that you use 2 of the four to do damage and 2 on Triskelion. Native 1/1 plus Mikey buff means that he will be a 2/2 unless there are other things modifying the P/T. This is the same reason that the Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista combo needs a sacrifice outlet that many people don't mention.

As a tip, you also want to do the damage one point at a time and make the first two damage go to Triskelion. Then use the ones after that to kill opponents/opponents' creatures. This will negate instant speed exile unless your opponents have two sources initially or three sources after Triskelion has 4 counters. Once you have the two damage marked you can kill it in response to a Path to Exile by removing counters. If they try to Path in response to the first or second (after the first resolves) one targeting Trike, you can remove more counters to ping it down in response. If you do your damage to opponents first a Path can successfully exile Triskelion ending the combo.

I realize that most people will just scoop when they see the combo. In case someone doesn't, it is good to know the optimal play pattern so that they don't trip you up on minutiae and can't be tricky with instant speed exile.

There is a minor issue with the way you described your combo. Triskelion is a 1/1 and Mikaeus, the Unhallowed buffs it another +1/+1, so the Mike/Trike combo does 1 damage on the first iteration and 2 damage on each iteration after that since the first two activations are always pointed at Triskelion. I only mention this because if there are death triggers going on it may change some calculations.

Here you go, legendofa.

gemmillion- Ah, I didn't look that closely to notice that all of the free sac outlets I am used to and the redundant Zulaport Cutthroat effects were not there. I noticed that you didn't run as much redundancy on these effects, but didn't register that all of them were gone. I wasn't even going to comment since I figured the lowered redundancy was like the tutors and just a concession to keep the power level appropriate. I did comment though, when I saw there was some confusion from another commenter about Mikey's role.

I did see I line I hadn't thought about with Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and activating Devoted Druid's untap ability just to remove the +1/+1 counter and then kill her off. That is a cool line. It also works with Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons, or one of the Hapatra-likes, instead of the Blood Artist effects. I really like it.

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed isn't used for the lord effect. It is used for the undying. It is a combo piece. Two combos are explained in the deck description and then it also goes infinite with a sacrifice outlet and Carnifex Demon or a sacrifice outlet, Ivy Lane Denizen, and Soul Snuffers.

You can absolutely cast another spell in response to a spell or ability you have put on the stack. It is called "holding priority", you can hold priority for any number of spells/abilities you would like to add.

However; Awaken the Erstwhile is a sorcery. So, unless you have something allowing you to cast it at instant speed, you will not be able to cast it in response to anything.

It must be cast immediately as part of the resolution of Garth's ability.

I think their point is that Xytheria has no way to destroy creatures, and no easy way to give her a way to. Your intent is clear, but MTG templating is very precise and has no way to parse your intent. Damage dealt never destroys anything, it is either CR 704.5g, CR 704.5h, or effects that specifically say "destroy" (Avatar of Woe, Doom Blade, Wrath of God etc).

To fulfil your intent you would need to template the ability like Sengir Vampire. If you want the destruction to have to be a result of specifically the damage Xytheria deals, you are going to have to find a creative way to template it to make it work. Every effect that I can find specifies "dealt damage ... dies this turn" for added benefit triggers.

120.5. Damage dealt to a creature or planeswalker doesn’t destroy it. Likewise, the source of that damage doesn’t destroy it. Rather, state-based actions may destroy a creature or planeswalker, or otherwise put it into its owner’s graveyard, due to the results of the damage dealt to that permanent. See rule 704

701.7b The only ways a permanent can be destroyed are as a result of an effect that uses the word “destroy” or as a result of the state-based actions that check for lethal damage (see rule 704.5g) or damage from a source with deathtouch (see rule 704.5h). If a permanent is put into its owner’s graveyard for any other reason, it hasn’t been “destroyed.”

704.5g If a creature has toughness greater than 0, it has damage marked on it, and the total damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed. Regeneration can replace this event.

704.5h If a creature has toughness greater than 0, and it’s been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch since the last time state-based actions were checked, that creature is destroyed. Regeneration can replace this event.