So this came up in a game last night, and I hoped I informed everyone correctly.
A group of players at my house were dueling, and the defender had Royal Assassin. The attacker choose attackers, and they asked me for a ruling to see if he could use the Royal Assassin's ability to destroy an attacker before combat damage was assigned. I said no, but he could do it after combat even during the attackers turn. Then in another game, the attacker was facing me, and he ended his turn. I said "End of your turn" and activated Reassembling Skeleton's ability to return to the field. He debates that counted as using the ability as an instant (which prevented the Royal Assassin trick) and I said it didn't, there was nothing on the stack and he declared his intention to end the turn so in the "dead space" between his second main phase and ending his turn I activated his ability, much like you could do with a character like Gideon's Lawkeeper.
Is what I said/did correct?
Well I believe the assassin couldve tapped during the declare blockers step and killed one of the creatures. As for the skeleton, you were right
Activated abilities are instant speed. I'm not sure if you thought they weren't it seems like it but that would mean you couldn't use royal assassin on another players turn or use reassembling skeleton during his end step because u can't use sorceries during another players turn only on your own.
So as long as royal assassin didn't have summoning sickness he could tap anytime including during declare attacker step or declare blocker step before combat damage is even dealt same with skeleton can be used anytime
Quote from: Embroysia on March 31, 2012, 09:04:39 AM
So this came up in a game last night, and I hoped I informed everyone correctly.
A group of players at my house were dueling, and the defender had Royal Assassin. The attacker choose attackers, and they asked me for a ruling to see if he could use the Royal Assassin's ability to destroy an attacker before combat damage was assigned. I said no, but he could do it after combat even during the attackers turn. Then in another game, the attacker was facing me, and he ended his turn. I said "End of your turn" and activated Reassembling Skeleton's ability to return to the field. He debates that counted as using the ability as an instant (which prevented the Royal Assassin trick) and I said it didn't, there was nothing on the stack and he declared his intention to end the turn so in the "dead space" between his second main phase and ending his turn I activated his ability, much like you could do with a character like Gideon's Lawkeeper.
Is what I said/did correct?
Looks like you... *Puts on glasses* Royally screwed your friend.
"YEEEAAAHHH!!!!"
8)Thought you could use these.
~BlackJester
Looks like I got some apologizing to do. Thanks everyone for the answers.