So, let's say I have {Shaman of the Great Hunt} on the board. My opponent throws a burn spell at him ({Lightning Strike} for sake of argument). I respond with his draw ability and get a counter.
Can I use that counter to keep M. Night Shaman from getting burned?
Sure.
The burn spell is still on the stack and has not resolved yet. If you draw let's say a {Stubborn Denial}, you can absolutely counter it.
Quote from: CbStrad on April 21, 2015, 11:08:47 AM
Awesome. That's what I figured, but I'd heard something to the effect of "once you respond with his ability and not a counter, you're letting the whole stack resolve."
Whoever said that was wrong. Priority has to pass successfully in order for a spell to resolve - by using an ability in response, once that ability resolves, priority still has not successfully passed, so everyone still has a chance to respond to the original spell.
Another big concept to grasp is that the stack does not resolve all at once. Rather, Objects on the stack resolve one at a time, with players getting priority after each object resolves.
Quote from: CbStrad on April 21, 2015, 11:08:47 AM
Awesome. That's what I figured, but I'd heard something to the effect of "once you respond with his ability and not a counter, you're letting the whole stack resolve."
That's really oldskool. Before the stack, you had something else. Not a clue what it was called anymore, but basically you could respond on a spell with an interrupt or instant, in the case of an instant the active player would get to respond again. If no player responded, the pile would resolve. Meaning you could either do the ability or counter, but not both, unless the other player responds on the ability.
History class dismissed.
Somewhere within my collection I believe I still have a 5th edition rule book. Back in the day it was fitted in the so called starter sets, which had basics in them.
Quote from: Kaylesh on April 21, 2015, 03:50:52 PM
Somewhere within my collection I believe I still have a 5th edition rule book. Back in the day it was fitted in the so called starter sets, which had basics in them.
I've got at least 6 revised, a tempest, and ice age rule booklets
Quote from: Avnger345 on April 21, 2015, 08:26:39 PM
Quote from: Kaylesh on April 21, 2015, 03:50:52 PM
Somewhere within my collection I believe I still have a 5th edition rule book. Back in the day it was fitted in the so called starter sets, which had basics in them.
I've got at least 6 revised, a tempest, and ice age rule booklets
Since everything revised has a big price tag, you might wanna get those sealed ;)
Quote from: Kaylesh on April 21, 2015, 01:27:14 PM
Quote from: CbStrad on April 21, 2015, 11:08:47 AM
Awesome. That's what I figured, but I'd heard something to the effect of "once you respond with his ability and not a counter, you're letting the whole stack resolve."
That's really oldskool. Before the stack, you had something else. Not a clue what it was called anymore, but basically you could respond on a spell with an interrupt or instant, in the case of an instant the active player would get to respond again. If no player responded, the pile would resolve. Meaning you could either do the ability or counter, but not both, unless the other player responds on the ability.
History class dismissed.
It was called the batch. This was from when I started playing. Similar to today's stack, but different. Instants to could respond to instants and sorcerers. Interrupts could respond to anything. Once an interrupt was played, nothing could be used in response except another interrupt. Once nothing else was played, you resolved the batch. First you resolved the interrupts. Once those finished resolving, you resolved everything else in LIFO order (last in, first out)
Quote from: rarehuntertay on April 22, 2015, 05:25:11 PM
Quote from: Kaylesh on April 21, 2015, 01:27:14 PM
Quote from: CbStrad on April 21, 2015, 11:08:47 AM
Awesome. That's what I figured, but I'd heard something to the effect of "once you respond with his ability and not a counter, you're letting the whole stack resolve."
That's really oldskool. Before the stack, you had something else. Not a clue what it was called anymore, but basically you could respond on a spell with an interrupt or instant, in the case of an instant the active player would get to respond again. If no player responded, the pile would resolve. Meaning you could either do the ability or counter, but not both, unless the other player responds on the ability.
History class dismissed.
It was called the batch. This was from when I started playing. Similar to today's stack, but different. Instants to could respond to instants and sorcerers. Interrupts could respond to anything. Once an interrupt was played, nothing could be used in response except another interrupt. Once nothing else was played, you resolved the batch. First you resolved the interrupts. Once those finished resolving, you resolved everything else in LIFO order (last in, first out)
Tx. That's what you get when you've been out from the Urza block until Theros... And cases of beer a day prolly didn't help...