Murder

[Younghawk]

Can I  {Murder} a  {Cinder Elemental} in response to activating the ability before the tap?

[scarsabrex]

Can I  {Murder} a  {Cinder Elemental} in response to activating the ability before the tap?

Short answer no. You can't respond because the elemental will already be dead, if you go for the murder first he can respond with the ability and your murder will fizzle.

RESOLVED

[MisterJH]

Nope once it hits the field youre out of luck! O.o

[Gorzo]

Nope once it hits the field youre out of luck! O.o

Well, summoning sickness is a factor unless something gives it haste. But yeah, once it's able to tap, you are S-O-L. Your best bet is to remove it before then!

[NyghtHawk]

You more or less can never stop a creature ability from going off unless you can stifle it (or trickbind, etc)

[Bman0121]

Wait what? If you  {Murder} in response to the opponent tapping out and activating the ability the ability doesnt resolve it dies first

[Silent1236]

Wait what? If you  {Murder} in response to the opponent tapping out and activating the ability the ability doesnt resolve it dies first

Sacrificing {Cinder Elemental} is part of the abilities cost, which would give {Murder} no target.

[Keyeto]

Wait what? If you  {Murder} in response to the opponent tapping out and activating the ability the ability doesnt resolve it dies first

Check out the FAQ section stickied above. Dudecore did a great job compiling all the rules, and I covered this subject in the FAQ. Activated abilities use the stack, and are independent from their sources. Killing the source does not stop the ability. Also, in this situation, the creature is already dead by the time it's ability is going off. There's no time to respond.

[NyghtHawk]

Wait what? If you  {Murder} in response to the opponent tapping out and activating the ability the ability doesnt resolve it dies first

That is false. Most people starting out think its that way and could play that way for years, but not true. Once the ability is on the stack, you cant stop it unless you do something like {Stifle} like I said before.

[Gorzo]

Think of it this way. If we were to ignore the fact that cinder elemental is sacrificed, and this an illegal target, for a moment here and say for the sake of learning that he just tapped to throw a {fireball}.

If a man throws a rock at you, and in response you {murder} the man at instant speed by shooting him in the face, the rock does not stop coming at you. The same is true of the Cinder Elemental and his Fireball - even with the thrower dead, the fire is already slung and is on the stack, coming at your face. Regardless of what happens to the thrower after it leaves his hand. Make sense?

[Mothaelon]

But gorzo, what if I don't want to be hit in the face with a fireball

[Double-O-Scotch]

{captains maneuver} or {divine deflection}

[Mothaelon]

I was speaking more of a comical sense, I know there are ways to prohibit the damage. I just literally did not want to be hit in the face with a fireball :p

[NyghtHawk]

I was speaking more of a comical sense, I know there are ways to prohibit the damage. I just literally did not want to be hit in the face with a fireball :p

Carry around a big water gun?

[Mothaelon]

Do they make water guns that big?