I have one experience from a game, i happen to have an aether vial with 2 counters, it's my opponent's turn and he's trying to destroy my aether vial using smash to smithereens, so i responded and activated my vial to pull out thalia, in response to my activation, he casted a lightning bolt, so that he would still be able to cast it using 1mana, and then he said he was wrong because it was my priority and thalia would resolve and his bolt will have additional casting cost. Is he correct?
Quote from: jude.dionisio24 on December 07, 2013, 03:23:01 AM
I have one experience from a game, i happen to have an {æther vial} with 2 counters, it's my opponent's turn and he's trying to destroy my aether vial using {smash to smithereens}, so i responded and activated my vial to pull out {Thalia, Guardian of Thraben}, in response to my activation, he casted a {lightning bolt}, so that he would still be able to cast it using 1mana, and then he said he was wrong because it was my priority and thalia would resolve and his bolt will have additional casting cost. Is he correct?
Long story short, he is correct.
Once Æther Vial's ability starts to resolve, it cannot be interrupted until it finishes and the selected creature is officially on the battlefield. So he would have no point in time where he would receive priority between the time you choose Thalia (the first part of the ability) and when she's on the battlefield (ability finished). His last chance to have cast the lightning bolt for 1 mana would have been in response to you activating Æther Vial (but before the ability starts to happen, including the selection of which creature), but once he passed priority at that point, Thalia will be in effect before he can do anything again.
Well put.
Thanks guys :)