The Stack

[BlackJester]

Other tricky situations arise when a creatures with abilities leave the battlefield.  During prerelease I tap {beguiler of wills} to take his creature he used something like {vapor snag} to send it back my hand I told him I still take over his creature because the ability is still on the stack and is going to resolve he and the group next to us said I was wrong until I called the judge over to
Clarify

Abilities on the stack exist separately from their creator. Removing the creature that put the ability on the stack doesn't stop the ability. You would gain control of a creature as long as its power is less than or equal to the number off creatures you have after the beguiled is gone.

[BlackJester]

Let's say I have priority and cast a spell now my opponent has priority and cast a spell or as many he wants before priority is given back to me right?  I can't interrupt one of his spells if he was still going to cast another? So when hes done priority returns to me and I have nothing to play.  Does he get priority back and have to pass before anything resolves?  After the first spell resolves off the top I get priority then him before the next spell resolves?

CR116.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.

116.3c If a player has priority when he or she casts a spell, activates an ability, or takes a special action, that player receives priority afterward.

[Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker]

Other tricky situations arise when a creatures with abilities leave the battlefield.  During prerelease I tap {beguiler of wills} to take his creature he used something like {vapor snag} to send it back my hand I told him I still take over his creature because the ability is still on the stack and is going to resolve he and the group next to us said I was wrong until I called the judge over to
Clarify

Abilities on the stack exist separately from their creator. Removing the creature that put the ability on the stack doesn't stop the ability. You would gain control of a creature as long as its power is less than or equal to the number off creatures you have after the beguiled is gone.

Now if he vapor snagged his own creature, he could keep it, yes?

[BlackJester]

Yes Kiki.  When his creature changes zones, the game loses track of it, and the
Ability is countered on resolution.

[NillaWafers]

The assumption is that he cast each one in response to the first. Your ability to play {Dismember} is because your opponent didnt specify that he was letting each one resolve before casting the next.

So what is proper protocol there anyways? Do you have to ask every time you play something if it resolves? Or is it okay just to pause for a few seconds? What would a judge say is "proper etiquette" when playing a spell (or multiple) to signify each resolving separately?

[BlackJester]

Well, there is CR716 - Taking Shortcuts

As long as each player has a mutually understood shortcuts, then this is okay.  However, a spell is put into the graveyard when it resolves.  So if you want to respond, either to your own play or someone else's, then do it while the spell is still on the stack.

Now, technically, if you cast a spell or activate an ability, then you indicate you are passing priority and your opponent does nothing, the spell resolves.  You can't cast something, wait to see if they respond, and if they don't then you respond to it.  If you cast three spells one after another without pause, it's generally assumed that you are holding priority and none of them have resolved.  Avoid this unless you have a good reason.

If I were to play in a Pro tour, I would make everything as explicit as possible, an let everything resolve before moving on.  You don't want to cast three {Mutagenic Growth}s in a row, only to have your opponent {Doom Blade} your guy.  T_T

I like to think of The Stack as an actual place, like the Command Zone, next to the battlefield.  When things get crazy, I've been know to use pieces of paper to represent abilities on the stack so that everyone can follow along.

[NillaWafers]

So complicated you have to use paper!? I mean I've been in a game with several strong Dimir decks and nothing ever got that haywire!

That just sounds horrifying!!

[BlackJester]

More like I need to demonstrate how abilities don't just "happen" and that triggered abilities can still be responded to.  I remember one time had to do with dealing damage with a {Triskelion} to kill a {Fungal Sliver} before it got its own +1/+1 counters.

Edit: Well that and {Eye of the Storm} shenanigans. They won't let me play that anymore. 😂

[Tetsomori]

Lol (eye of the storm) + (grapeshot) is fun stuff

[Greg54js]

Lol {eye of the storm} + {grapeshot} is fun stuff

Curly brackets please

[Tetsomori]

(? [? {? which one? I keep doing the wrong ones >_<

[TBNL]

(? [? {? which one? I keep doing the wrong ones >_<

{{{}}}

[BlackJester]

Curly brackets are on "under" the 3 and 4 on the second page.

[Spikepit]

Man! BJ, you're like the Transporter in one of his him-vs-the rest battle in this thread!

[BlackJester]

😂 Haven't you already made that reference?  😄