quote:

---

Originally posted by TinCup2:
ok so there was an arguement at the SoM prerelease that "guy 1" has contagion clasp out "guy 2" has vedalken certarch with metalcraft ability working, guy 1 taps contagion clasp to proliferate adn guy2 tell him in response ill tap it with vedalken..... so not sure here but would this not stack up and the vedalken tap the clasp before the proliferate activates??

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TinCup2:
ok so there was an arguement at the SoM prerelease that "guy 1" has contagion clasp out "guy 2" has vedalken certarch with metalcraft ability working, guy 1 taps contagion clasp to proliferate adn guy2 tell him in response ill tap it with vedalken..... so not sure here but would this not stack up and the vedalken tap the clasp before the proliferate activates??

---

No. everything before the Colon : is a cost. Those are paid (and happen) as you activate the ability and can't be responded too.

quote:

---

Originally posted by DeMoNiC DuNcE:
If I put a livewire lash on my blight mamba and regenerate it, does that signify it as a target from an ability and trigger the lash?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eatatjoes:
Can i voalition reigns or mind control an emrakul?

---

Normally, no. When you cast an aura spell, it targets and you cannot target Emrakul with a spell. If you have a Mind Control in your graveyard and cast Replenish, you can return Mind Control to the battlefield, enchanting Emrakul, since it is not a spell and Emrakul doesn't have protection from enchantments.

This brought up a broader conversation on the stack and priority. Which brings me to the following questions:

If i play one spell and if i want to play another spell (instant or ability) i have to play it right away or does priority get passed first to the other players? What if i want to play more than one other spell?

Once the stack begins to resolve, there is no chance to put anything else on the stack correct? It was my understanding that the whole stack has to resolve before anything else can be played. What about with morph cards? Can a morph be used in between two spells resolving?

quote:

---

Originally posted by JackSpade:
This came up in a discussion yesterday and I was wondering if you guys could help me out with some definitive answers. If someone plays Ad Nauseam (instant) and then they play an Angel's grace (instant with split second): Is there a chance to counter the Ad Nauseam?

---

Yes. Objects on the stack resolve one at a time and after each item resolves, both players receive a chance to play spells and abilities. While Angel's Grace is on the stack, no one can counter Ad Nauseum, but a player can wait for Angel's Grace to resolve, which includes removing it from the stack and then counter Ad Nauseum.

quote:

---

If i play one spell and if i want to play another spell (instant or ability) i have to play it right away or does priority get passed first to the other players? What if i want to play more than one other spell?

---

After playing a spell or ability, you get priority again. If you pass priority and all other players pass priority, the topmost object on the stack will resolve. If you want to play more than one spell, you must retain priority and play more than one. You can simply verbalize this, "I play Spell1. While Spell1 is still on the stack, I also play Spell2."

quote:

---

Once the stack begins to resolve, there is no chance to put anything else on the stack correct?

---

That is incorrect. Since the stack was created that hasn't been the case. (It's a different story for batches, which existed pre-Sixth Edition). After each item on the stack resolves, all players get a chance to play another spell or ability.

What you can't do is do something like this:

Player1: "I play Fireball. Do you wish to counter?"
Player2: "No."
Player1: "Okay, then I want to play Fork, targetting Fireball."

Player1 has passed priority to Player2, who has also passed priority, so the Fireball resolves and Player1 loses his chance to play something else while Fireball is on the stack.

quote:

---

It was my understanding that the whole stack has to resolve before anything else can be played.

---

That is incorrect. However, there are certain spells such as artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers, and creatures that normally can only be played during their controller's main phase while the stack is empty. In those cases, the player must let all spells and abilities on the stack resolve before playing one of these spells, or before playing a land.

quote:

---

What about with morph cards? Can a morph be used in between two spells resolving?

---

You can turn a permanent with Morph face up any time you have priority, including between two spells resolving.

Or if someone could just direct me to a good explanation of the stack that would be great too. Thanks in advance.

quote:

---

Originally posted by JackSpade:
This came up in a discussion yesterday and I was wondering if you guys could help me out with some definitive answers. If someone plays Ad Nauseam (instant) and then they play an Angel's grace (instant with split second): Is there a chance to counter the Ad Nauseam?

This brought up a broader conversation on the stack and priority. Which brings me to the following questions:

If i play one spell and if i want to play another spell (instant or ability) i have to play it right away or does priority get passed first to the other players? What if i want to play more than one other spell?

Once the stack begins to resolve, there is no chance to put anything else on the stack correct? It was my understanding that the whole stack has to resolve before anything else can be played. What about with morph cards? Can a morph be used in between two spells resolving?

Or if someone could just direct me to a good explanation of the stack that would be great too. Thanks in advance.

---

Once a spell is placed on the stack both players get priority starting with the player who cast the spell. Spells don't resolve until all players pass priority then the top spell or ability on the stack resolve.

If you cast a spell, if you want to cast another one before the first one resolves you have to cast it before your opponents gets a chance respond. If you don't and the pass, then the spell will resolve (important when it comes to forking a spell. If you don't fork it right away, they can pass it will resolve and you've lost your chance.)

After a spell resolves all players get another round of priority, and the next spell will not resolve till all players pass. So in the case of Ad Nauseam, you can counter it before they cast angels grace, but you can can after angels grace resolves but before Ad Nauseam does.

quote:

---

Originally posted by sagabegin:
Does tapping an artifact still "turn it off" i.e. eldrazi monument?

Thanks,
sagabegin

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TimeBeing:
Once a spell is placed on the stack both players get priority starting with the active player.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TimeBeing:
If you cast a spell and its your turn, if you want to cast another one before the first one resolves you have to cast it before your opponents gets a chance respond.

---

The difference is:

After adding an item to the stack, priority always goes to the player who put the item on the stack.

quote:

---

Originally posted by AlmostGrown:
For Dread Return, if I sacrifice Sphinx of Lost Truths as part of it's flashback cost, can I target the same Sphinx to bring back with Dread Return?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by yakusoku:
After playing a spell or ability, you get priority again. If you pass priority and all other players pass priority, the topmost object on the stack will resolve. If you want to play more than one spell, you must retain priority and play more than one. You can simply verbalize this, "I play Spell1. While Spell1 is still on the stack, I also play Spell2."

---

I want to expound on this note a bit, specifically the italicized part. Section 4.2 of the Magic Tournament Rules deals with tournament Shortcuts. The purpose of these is to "allow players to play in a clear fashion without getting bogged down in the minutia of the rules." Basic stuff like "I'm done" are considered shortcuts.

One such shortcut is this: "Whenever a player adds an object to the stack, he or she is assumed to be passing priority unless he or she explicitly announces that that he or she intends to retain it."

I played a deck based around Sanity Grinding at a regional tournament a couple years ago. Sometimes it was imperative to retain priority while I was casting my spells (like when Twincasting Sanity Grinding-- otherwise my opponent would just let it resolve and I couldn't copy it.) Knowing this rule actually almost helped me pull out a match against a deck that was supposed to beat mine. He played Earthquake or something similar, and I let it resolve. My opponent then attempted to sacrifice his Mogg Fanatics to deal two damage to me, which would put me at 4 for the Flame Javellin he was certainly holding to finish me off. The problem was, he forgot to retain priority, so those fanatics died when the spell resolved. I had to call a judge over because he'd been out of Magic for a while and did not know of this rule change (I believe it changed with Lorwyn, but I could be wrong). The first judge got the call wrong, so I appealed, and the head judge made the right call. I lost anyway, but I would have been dead immediately had I not caught that.

the questions obviously go hand in hand.

1. what can you play during your upkeep? what spells can you play during your upkeep?

2. can you play a sorcery during your upkeep?

3. when can you play a sorcery?

You can normally only play lands and cast sorceries, planeswalkers, enchantments, artifacts, and creatures only during your main phase, when the stack is empty. Creatures with Flash and Suspended spells are notable exceptions, allowing you to play them at other times.

Most of the time, you can only play a sorcery during your own main phase and only if there are no other spells on the stack. You can't play a sorcery during your upkeep, unless something specifically allows you to do so.

You can play instants any time you have priority, including during either players upkeep, draw step, combat, or end of turn - times when you aren't usually aren't allowed to play other spells.

Thanks!
Mark

__________________
3rd most references in Kentucky; 3rd most posts in Kentucky

quote:

---

Originally posted by coinmagic45:
How does Necrotic Ooze work with creatures with "Level Up"? For example, if you have a Enclave Chronologist in your graveyard (Level 1-2: tap to draw and discard; level 3+: tap to draw a card) in your graveyard, does Necrotic Ooze have any abilities? If so, which one(s)?

Thanks!
Mark

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by saintjust21:

2. can you play a sorcery during your upkeep?

3. when can you play a sorcery?

---

307. Sorceries

quote:

---

Originally posted by Meddling Pimp:
Necrotic Ooze will have the activated ability to Level Up and add counters, but it won't matter. The levels (and all abilities granted by them) are static abilities that the ooze does not gain.

---

But it says "All activated abilities of all creature cards". Do conditional activated abilities not count? For example, if a creature said "tap to do something only if you have more life than an opponent", would Ooze have that ability if you did or did not meet the condition?

__________________
3rd most references in Kentucky; 3rd most posts in Kentucky

quote:

---

Originally posted by coinmagic45:
But it says "All activated abilities of all creature cards". Do conditional activated abilities not count? For example, if a creature said "tap to do something only if you have more life than an opponent", would Ooze have that ability if you did or did not meet the condition?

---

The wording is where this gets you. Level up creatures have the activated ability 'Pay (x) mana: Level up'. They then have conditions that grant them additional abilities based on levelup counters. Ooze does not get these condition checks, so it can't gain abilities. Lets use Brimstone Mage as an example.
Brimstone Mage {2R}
|Creature -- Human Shaman| 2/2.
Level up 3R
{LEVEL 1-2} 2/3. T: Brimstone Mage deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
{LEVEL 3+} 2/4. T: Brimstone Mage deals 3 damage to target creature or player.

Brimstone mage does not have any abilities beyond leveling unless he is first leveled up. He cannot have level counters in the graveyard. Therefor, the only ability the ooze can gain is the ability to level. Read {Level 1-2} like this: "If this has 1 or 2 level counters, this gains T: deal 1 and becomes 2/3".

__________________
"He fights you not because you have wronged him, but because you are there."

Target player's life total becomes 10

quote:

---

Originally posted by mattw:
If i have wound reflection out and use Sorin Markov's second ability:

Target player's life total becomes 10

And that ability causes a life change of more than 10 (say my opponent had 30 life) would the wound reflection kill him/her?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by thror:
The wording is where this gets you. Level up creatures have the activated ability 'Pay (x) mana: Level up'. They then have conditions that grant them additional abilities based on levelup counters. Ooze does not get these condition checks, so it can't gain abilities.

---

As long as Brimstone Mage has at least 1 level counter on it, but no more than 2 level counters on it, it's 2/3 and has "Tap: Brimstone Mage deals 1 damage to target creature or player."