Activated Abilities?

[An Angry Fatman]

{Duskmantle Guildmage} activates his first ability. Can I respond with an {Unsummon}? Or if the ability is activated, and later in the turn I {lightning bolt} it would the bolt still trigger that?

[Mr_Fahrenheit]

Activating the ability puts it on the stack. If you respond with an instant before it resolves then it wont trigger it. Once it resolves however, every time after that will trigger it until the end of turn, whether the guildmage is still on the field or not

[An Angry Fatman]

That's what I thought, thanks. Just double checking and was having trouble explaining that earlier

[DaxosReturned]

Ok this thread has made me question everything I know...

So

Are you saying if there's an activated ability that has been activated on the stack and in response a lightning bolt is cast that kills that creature(doing the activation) the result is that the creature goes to the graveyard and the ability never resolves (exiled from stack?) ??

[Mr_Fahrenheit]

No, once an ability is on the stack it will resolve when its turn to resolve arrives, unless it is countered by another spell or ability, exiled by another spell or ability, or all of its targets become invalid (causing it to fizzle).

[Kaylesh]

To add to what Mr Fahrenheit said, the thing here is, once the Mage ability resolves, any card going to the graveyard (from anywhere) cause you lose life. If you bolt the Mage in response, the ability will not have resolved yet, so you will not lose a life over that bolt.

[DaxosReturned]

Oh phewww okay!!
The world makes sense again,

Thank you guys