If you are going to answer a question, please be 100% sure that your answer is correct. If you are just guessing or *think* you know the answer, keep it to yourself. There are plenty of judges and people who will know it correctly, and if multiple answers are given, it just confuses the person who asked.

This thread is a flame-free zone. If you can't be civil, don't respond. New players shouldn't be worried about being made fun of when they're trying to learn.

Some information for ya...

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Originally posted by enduringideal:
If you use Body Double and copy a persist creature in a graveyard then when your body double dies and comes back will it have the -1/-1 counter on it? I've been told by a few people that it gets the counter and then a few others that since it isn't that creature when it enters that it doesn't get the counter, which is correct?

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Originally posted by Devonin:
Regardless of the REL, Counterbalance is NEVER going to "trigger automatically"

It is a 'May' not a 'Must' and so will always need to be explicitly triggered by the player who controls it.

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With the way the new competitive REL+ triggers work, you must acknowledge your trigger in order for it to go on the stack. When counterbalance trigger resolves you MAY use it, but it must first go on the stack. The "may" refers to the ability resolving only, not going on the stack. New tournament rules changed things a bit.

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Originally posted by caquaa:
felt this needed clarification from the previous thread

With the way the new competitive REL+ triggers work, you must acknowledge your trigger in order for it to go on the stack. When counterbalance trigger resolves you MAY use it, but it must first go on the stack. The "may" refers to the ability resolving only, not going on the stack. New tournament rules changed things a bit.

from the tournament rules:
4.4 Triggered Abilities
Players are expected to remember their own triggered abilities; intentionally ignoring one is Cheating. At Competitive and Professional REL, players are not required to point out the existence of triggered abilities that they do not control, though they may do so within a turn if they wish.
Triggered abilities are considered to be forgotten by their controller once they have taken an action past the point where the triggered ability would be expected to resolve. Triggered abilities that are forgotten are not considered to have gone onto the stack.

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That doesn't actually contradict what I said. The change to the competitive REL basically said that if someone forgets a MUST trigger, and then moves past it, and their opponent elects to not bring it to their attention, it is considered forgotten and doesn't happen.

Counterbalance is a MAY effect. You can ALWAYS forget about it, and it will NEVER trigger without you explicitly acknowledging the trigger and putting it on the stack.

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Originally posted by Devonin:
That doesn't actually contradict what I said. The change to the competitive REL basically said that if someone forgets a MUST trigger, and then moves past it, and their opponent elects to not bring it to their attention, it is considered forgotten and doesn't happen.

Counterbalance is a MAY effect. You can ALWAYS forget about it, and it will NEVER trigger without you explicitly acknowledging the trigger and putting it on the stack.

I mean...the condition for it activating happens, that is true, but you would still need to choose to activate the effect and put it on the stack.

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that is not correct. You are assuming that the "may" means that the ability "may" trigger, but that is not the case. Assuming that you don't forget to place triggers on the stack (or casual REL or such), whenever an opponent casts a spell counterbalance will trigger and go on the stack. The "may" only matters when the ability resolves.

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Originally posted by mattw:
I have a Pyromancer's Ascension in play and just 1 Faithless Looting in my graveyard. If I flash it back do I get to put a counter on my Ascension?

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No.

"Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell that has the same name as a card in your graveyard, you may put a quest counter on Pyromancer Ascension."

A spell isnt 'cast' until it is actually put on the stack. Once 'cast', the looting isnt in your graveyard any more, so it cant 'see' itself and give your ascension a counter.

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

[16:17] <@BrassMan> what do you need new tech for?
[16:18] <@BrassMan> gush is unrestricted

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Comprehensive Rules:

6. Spells, Abilities, and Effects

600. General

601. Casting Spells

...

601.2h Once the steps described in 601.2a-g 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.

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(601.2a-g are to put a spell on the stack and pay its costs.)

While Recurring Nightmare is on the stack, it is not a legal target for Disenchant. After it resolves, the person who cast RN gets priority again. If he uses Recurring Nightmare's ability immediately, he pays all costs (including returning it to his owner's hand) and declares all targets before EITHER player gets priority. He must pass priority to his opponent before the ability resolves, but Recurring Nightmare will no longer be on the battlefield and no longer be a legal target for the spell.

Both after RN is on the stack and after RN's ability is played, the other player has the opportunity to cast Disenchant. The only prohibition here is that at neither time is RN a legal target for the spell. Only if RN's controller passes priority (without playing the ability) or plays another ability or spell will the other player have a chance to Disenchant it.

Edit to add - this will also help:

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Comprehensive Rules:

602. Activating Activated Abilities

602.1. Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are written as "[Cost]: [Effect.] [Activation instructions (if any).]"

602.1a The activation cost is everything before the colon (.

602.2. To activate an ability is to put it onto the stack and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect.

602.2a The player announces that he or she is activating the ability.

602.2b The remainder of the process for activating an ability is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2b-h. Those rules apply to activating an ability just as they apply to casting a spell. An activated ability's analog to a spell's mana cost (as referenced in rule 601.2e) is its activation cost.

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Only after the ability is announced, costs are paid (returning it to its hand) and the ability is on the stack does he get priority to do anything. He can no more Disenchant in response to returning it to your hand than he can respond to a creature being tapped for an ability before it becomes tapped, or interrupt you while you're tapping lands to cast a spell.

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Originally posted by oneofchaos:
If I supreme judgement and my opponent restoration angel's his dude, they still die right?

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First, I have Mikaeus out, and bring out Vexing Devil. He comes in as a 5/4 with his bonus from Mikaeus. Player pays 4 life to have me sacrifice him. So would he come back in with a +1/+1 counter on him making him a 6/5? And can player pay an additional 4 life to make me sacrifice him again? I believe so, but am not sure.

Also, with Mikaeus out, and Geralf's Messenger...

Since Geralf's Messenger already has undying, would it only get +1/+1, or would he get a bonus from Mikaeus undying as well? I'm not sure if it would compound or not.

Thanks for the help, and responses!

__________________
1. siml send is the preferred method for trading/sending, but I'm new to the site and will send first if you have a good bit of references.
2. all cards are nm/m i expect the same.
3. make intial offer and we'll take it from there, I try to respond to everyone if not don't take it personally,

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Originally posted by luka4050:
First, I have Mikaeus out, and bring out Vexing Devil. He comes in as a 5/4 with his bonus from Mikaeus. Player pays 4 life to have me sacrifice him. So would he come back in with a +1/+1 counter on him making him a 6/5? And can player pay an additional 4 life to make me sacrifice him again? I believe so, but am not sure.

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Yes this is right.

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Originally posted by luka4050:
Also, with Mikaeus out, and Geralf's Messenger...

Since Geralf's Messenger already has undying, would it only get +1/+1, or would he get a bonus from Mikaeus undying as well? I'm not sure if it would compound or not.

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702.91a Undying is a triggered ability. "Undying" means "When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it."

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If the creature didn't come back because of the undying trigger it won't get the counter. A creature that somehow had two undying abilities would come back when the first one resolves and the second one to resolve would do nothing because the creature is no longer in the graveyard.

I am confused as to the lifelink rule during combat as it has varied at the different fnm's I have attended.

For example, my opponent is at 5 life, I attack with 6 trample, they block with a 1/1 with lifelink. Are they dead before the lifelink triggers or are they at 1 after combat?

Thank you.

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Originally posted by hufa97:
Lifelink during combat or post-combat?

I am confused as to the lifelink rule during combat as it has varied at the different fnm's I have attended.

For example, my opponent is at 5 life, I attack with 6 trample, they block with a 1/1 with lifelink. Are they dead before the lifelink triggers or are they at 1 after combat?

Thank you.

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Lifelink doesnt 'trigger'/'go on the stack' anymore. "Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)" Combat damage all gets dealt at once, and lifelink happens then too.

So, your 6/6 deals 1 damage to their creature, 5 to them, their guy deals 1 to your creature, they gain 1 life. All at once. They end combat at 1 life.

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

[16:17] <@BrassMan> what do you need new tech for?
[16:18] <@BrassMan> gush is unrestricted

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Originally posted by Marvin Austria:
Situation in EDH, never had that before
Me: Urabrask
My bro casted thraximundar (haste)

Can or can't he attack?

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When opponent casts Angel of Serenity, they have to target up to 3 creatures. Then it ETB and the "may exile" trigger goes on the stack. Then, if I cast Ultimate Price and there's no responses to it, UP resolves first and the Angel dies, the Angel's LTB effect goes on the stack, resolves and nothing is returned to anyone's hand, and finally the Angel's ETB goes off, and my opponent can choose whether to exile the creatures that he's already targeted.

End result is that Angel dies and the targeted creatures either (a) are exiled permanently or (b) stay where they currently are if opponent chose not to exile.

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Originally posted by Bagbokk:
Is the following correct?:

When opponent casts Angel of Serenity, they have to target up to 3 creatures. Then it ETB and the "may exile" trigger goes on the stack. Then, if I cast Ultimate Price and there's no responses to it, UP resolves first and the Angel dies, the Angel's LTB effect goes on the stack, resolves and nothing is returned to anyone's hand, and finally the Angel's ETB goes off, and my opponent can choose whether to exile the creatures that he's already targeted.

End result is that Angel dies and the targeted creatures either (a) are exiled permanently or (b) stay where they currently are if opponent chose not to exile.

?

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Originally posted by choco man:
If Abrupt Decay targets Pestermite, does Mizzium Skin save it?

Abrupt can't be countered by spells/effects but still by rule (shroud/protection/etc.), correct?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Bagbokk:
Is the following correct?:

When opponent casts Angel of Serenity, they have to target up to 3 creatures. Then it ETB and the "may exile" trigger goes on the stack. Then, if I cast Ultimate Price and there's no responses to it, UP resolves first and the Angel dies, the Angel's LTB effect goes on the stack, resolves and nothing is returned to anyone's hand, and finally the Angel's ETB goes off, and my opponent can choose whether to exile the creatures that he's already targeted.

End result is that Angel dies and the targeted creatures either (a) are exiled permanently or (b) stay where they currently are if opponent chose not to exile.

?

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