If a player activates an ability of a creature he/ she controls, can another player respond to it? Specifically my opponent activated an ability to give his creatures +3+3 and trample. I played dismember on the activating creature. Which happens first? The dismember or the activated ability? Also, if the dismember happens first, is it possible for the activated ability to still trigger once the card is in the graveyard? Thanks.
You can respond to activated abilities. In your scenario, {Dismember} would resolve first. The stack doesn't function any differently with activated abilities; its last in, first out. Activated abilities still try to trigger when their source(s) dies, but in this case it would just fizzle.
Quote from: Tonygrabowski4 on June 30, 2013, 08:34:30 AM
If a player activates an ability of a creature he/ she controls, can another player respond to it? Specifically my opponent activated an ability to give his creatures +3+3 and trample. I played dismember on the activating creature. Which happens first? The dismember or the activated ability? Also, if the dismember happens first, is it possible for the activated ability to still trigger once the card is in the graveyard? Thanks.
The dismember will activate first, but playing it on the activating creature won't prevent it from resolving. Once the arrow leaves the bow, it doesn't matter what you do to the archer.
Quote from: Pleeb on June 30, 2013, 03:23:24 PM
Quote from: Tonygrabowski4 on June 30, 2013, 08:34:30 AM
If a player activates an ability of a creature he/ she controls, can another player respond to it? Specifically my opponent activated an ability to give his creatures +3+3 and trample. I played dismember on the activating creature. Which happens first? The dismember or the activated ability? Also, if the dismember happens first, is it possible for the activated ability to still trigger once the card is in the graveyard? Thanks.
The dismember will activate first, but playing it on the activating creature won't prevent it from resolving. Once the arrow leaves the bow, it doesn't matter what you do to the archer.
So I don't get an opportunity to respond to the activation. If I kill the archer while he is drawing the bow...it would influence the arrow.?
Dismember will debuff before the buff is applied, if the debuff brings it to 0 or less the creature will then die before the buff is applied.
Quote from: scarsabrex on June 30, 2013, 09:00:26 PM
Dismember will debuff before the buff is applied, if the debuff brings it to 0 or less the creature will then die before the buff is applied.
But if the creature trying to do the buff is dead, does the buff still happen?
I think there's some confusion here in the wording if the question.
Yes you may respond to activated abilities with any instant-speed action once priority is passed to you, just like a spell.
If you cast {Dismember} on a creature, then your opponent responds with an activated ability to give it +3/+3 and trample which makes it large enough to survive, you may respond. Your response will resolve before the ability, and the ability will resolve before the dismember.
If you activate an ability, your opponent is able to respond with his {Dismember}. If he does, his dismember will resolve before your activated ability, likely killing your creature before your +3 ability finishes resolving.
I hope that clears things up. I think everyone is giving the same, correct answer, but is understanding the question as a different one of these two scenarios ;)
Quote from: Gorzo on June 30, 2013, 10:03:06 PM
I think there's some confusion here in the wording if the question.
Yes you may respond to activated abilities with any instant-speed action once priority is passed to you, just like a spell.
If you cast {Dismember} on a creature, then your opponent responds with an activated ability to give it +3/+3 and trample which makes it large enough to survive, you may respond. Your response will resolve before the ability, and the ability will resolve before the dismember.
If you activate an ability, your opponent is able to respond with his {Dismember}. If he does, his dismember will resolve before your activated ability, likely killing your creature before your +3 ability finishes resolving.
I hope that clears things up. I think everyone is giving the same, correct answer, but is understanding the question as a different one of these two scenarios ;)
So it depends on who initiates the action. If the ability is activated first the instant spell resolves first. If the instant spell is played first the ability is resolved first. Right?
Whichever goes onto the stack first will resolve last when things are added to the stack on top of them, correct. First in, last out! See: CV's Pancake analogy of the stack in the FAQ for more details!
Quote from: Gorzo on July 01, 2013, 01:23:33 AM
Whichever goes onto the stack first will resolve last when things are added to the stack on top of them, correct. First in, last out! See: CV's Pancake analogy of the stack in the FAQ for more details!
Nice. Thanks.