Activated

[Yawgmoth85]

What exactly falls under activated abilities? My friend and I believed it to be that a card would have to tap for it's ability to become active. Is thus true? What exactly is the ruling?

[Cender]

112.3b: Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are written as "Cost: Effect. Activation instructions (if any)." A player may activate such an ability whenever he or she has priority. Doing so puts it on the stack, where it remains until it's countered, it resolves, or it otherwise leaves the stack. See rule 602, "Activating Activated Abilities."

[mickeven]

some examples are tap to do this, pay mana to do this, pay life to do this, sacrifice a permanent, or itself to do this, discard a card to do this, etc.. like the rule said, anything that has a cost and an effect

[Yawgmoth85]

Much appreciated

[Yawgmoth85]

Do planeswalkers fall under this ability?

[Cender]

Do planeswalkers fall under this ability?

Yes, planeswalkers have activated abilities that can be responded to just like any other activated ability.

[Cender]

107.7.: Each activated ability of a planeswalker has a loyalty symbol in its cost. Positive loyalty symbols point upward and feature a plus sign followed by a number. Negative loyalty symbols point downward and feature a minus sign followed by a number or an X. Neutral loyalty symbols don't point in either direction and feature a 0. [+N] means "Put N loyalty counters on this permanent," [- N] means "Remove N loyalty counters from this permanent," and

• means "Put zero loyalty counters on this permanent."

[Yawgmoth85]

Well this completely changed things for me, thx a lot even though it made me feel like s beginner lol

[Cender]

Well this completely changed things for me, thx a lot even though it made me feel like s beginner lol

No worries, we all have those moments!

[Kaylesh]

Do planeswalkers fall under this ability?

Yes, planeswalkers have activated abilities that can be responded to just like any other activated ability.

But you still get to do his ability, right?  Example: Play {Elspeth, Sun Champion} do +1 in response {Heroes Downfall}. You still get the 3 tokens, right?

When you respond to activating an ability, unless you counter the ability, it still happens. So yes, you get the tokens

[rarehuntertay]

Do planeswalkers fall under this ability?

Yes, planeswalkers have activated abilities that can be responded to just like any other activated ability.

But you still get to do his ability, right?  Example: Play {Elspeth, Sun Champion} do +1 in response {Heroes Downfall}. You still get the 3 tokens, right?

When you respond to activating an ability, unless you counter the ability, it still happens. So yes, you get the tokens

Thank you

Wrong. In example stated, he asked if he could activate a PW in response to something. As a PW ability is at sorcery speed, it cannot be activated in response to anything.
606.3. A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her turn, but only if no player has previously activated a loyalty ability of that permanent that turn.
Edit: NVM. My brain automatically added the word "to" between "in response" and "Heros downfall".

[DylanW18]

To clarify about Planeswalkers!


If you cast a Planeswalker and it resolves, you hold priority. This means your opponent CANNOT cast any spells or activate any abilities at this time. Then you may activate an ability of the planeswalker. This passes priority and your opponent may respond with a spell or ability, in this case {Hero's Downfall}, then the Walkers ability STILL WORKS. This means if your opponent casted {Hero's Downfall}, Elspeth will die and still produce the 3 1/1 creatures.


Just want to clarify on that small tidbit