Feral Animist vs Pit Fight

[Bilygote]

Situation: Player A attacks with {Feral Animist}

Player B has {Ruric Thar, the Unbowed} and {Zhur-Taa Druid} on the BF. Declares no blockers.

Player A activates {Feral Animist} 's ability 4X

In response Player B plays {Pit Fight} then selects {Zhur-Taa Druid} and {Feral Animist} to fight

How does this resolve?

Player a contends 2 things
1. He is activating {Feral Animist} 'a ability during the combat damage step
2. {Pit Fight} can not be played since it is the combat damage step

Player B contends that abilities and instants cannot be used in the combat damage step so Player A's actions had to occur during the declare blockers step and can be responded to by Player B and that  {Pit Fight} is a legal response

[MisterJH]

If feral animist can be activated pit fight can be cast, i dont understand player As argument..? Why would he get priority without player B getting to respond?

[Bilygote]

Player A has it in his head that "fighting" can not occur during the combat phase

[MisterJH]

..? Fighting has nothing to do with combat, it can happen during main phase 2 if youd like, or even the end step. Tell player A hes wrong, i dont feel a need to go into detail. An instant speed effect can happen at instant speed(pit fight)

[Pleeb]

Relevant rule:
510.2.: Second, all combat damage that's been assigned is dealt simultaneously. This turn-based action doesn't use the stack. No player has the chance to cast spells or activate abilities between the time combat damage is assigned and the time it's dealt. This is a change from previous rules.

If they are pumping their creature, it isn't during damage resolution.

[MisterJH]

But more importantly player A needs to understand that at no point does he receive priority while the opponent cannot respond. Theres always the chance to respond.

[Bilygote]

I think 510.1 is even more relevant

[Splicer]

Maybe I'm just dumb, but...
Why did you fight with Zhur-ta Druid and not block with Ruric thar?

[particle]

Maybe I'm just dumb, but...
Why did you fight with Zhur-ta Druid and not block with Ruric thar?

because if you block with ruric thar the animlaist pumps and trades with it. but if in response to the pumps you fight the druid and the animalist, theyll trade instead. seems better. plus you let him use all his mana to pump instead of saving it.

edit: just a side note, when players are activating an ability like {feral animalist} it is normally advisable to let each activation resolve before activating it again. there is no real benefit to activating his ability in response, so you might as well activate it and let it resolve. 

[MisterJH]

Because blocking would have allowed him to.pump ridiculously and kill ruric thar, where as pit fight allows him to trump those pumps using the stack, wasting all the mana spent of feral animist while killing it with a measly zhur taa druid, ruining a hugely huge creaturecreach

[Splicer]

Ah... Didn't read closely enough

[Stolen711]

If player A was pumping during combat damage step, player B would have already taken 2 points of damage from animist. Damage happens before any player gets priority in that step so pumping during that step does no additional damage to player.