Triskelion : To be or not to be

Gravolt · Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 2

It's my turn's main precombat phase now. I and my opponent are both at (to be more exciting, let's say 3, but actually it was...) 4 lifes. He have my 4/4 tapped creature under controll with Confiscate. I'm casting a Triskelion and opponent lets it resolve. As it resolves and as it is my priority now (i think) i'm willing to activate it's Remove a +1/+1 counter from Triskelion: Triskelion deals 1 damage to target creature or player. abbility 3 times to take my opponent down. He declares an instant "Enchantment Alteration" to move confiscate from my 4/4 creature onto Triskelion. Here is the question : when (most early) he got a priority to do so?

I Think it's after first activation of a triskelion (playing Enchantment Alteration in response to activated ability) so opponent gets 1 dmg and a triskelion with 2 +1/+1 counters on it. Am i right ?

Excuse me for my English, not a native language.
Excuse me for posting in an existing topic, please notice me if i should create a new topic for each question

Thanks

shadow483 · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 62

You can deal him 3 damage before the spell resolves in two ways. Since its your turn, you get priority after triskelion resolves. You can then remove a counter and without passing priority remove the other 2. Your opponent can then cast the spell. You can also remove 1 counter, and then in response to the spell, remove the other 2 dealing 3 total.

LordLink · Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 73

You remove a counter, its a cost so the counter is removed and the ability goes on the stack.
In response he tries to take Triskelion. Goes on the stack.
In response to that YOU remove 2 more counters. They go on the stack respectively.

At this time Triskelion has lost its 3 counters, is a 1/1 and all these abilities are waiting to resolve.

Now things resolve.

You ping for 2.
He takes Triskelion.
You ping for 1.

He ends up with a 1/1 Triskelion.

okk_45 · Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

or you can just dealt 2 dmg to your opp and dealt 1 to Triskelion and end up whyt you deal 2 and he spend a spell

Gravolt · Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 2

Excelent !!!
*sigh*
So i could probably win those game.
Thanks to all of you! Hope on your futher assistance (with my forecoming questions) Smile

Hardtrack · Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 505

Note that you can also play the ability of Triskelion three times in a row. After you play something you get priority back. You can play hundreds of abilities without passing priority if you want to.

GnikXela · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 102

I could be wrong on this, but I always thought that priority passed after each ability/spell was played.

Hardtrack · Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 505

I think you misunderstand what 'passing priority' means. You pass priority if you have priority and decide not to use it. So you have to have priority to pass it. If you have it, you could use it to play something (like the ability of Triskelion) and thus not pass it.

If you have priority and you play something you get priority again. You could pass it then, but you could also keep playing things.

To have them resolve, you will have to pass priority at some point of course, but you can play as much as you want without passing priority.

Do note that the default shortcut when you play several things at once is that you pass priority after playing each ability (and thus only play the second one after the first has resolved), so you do have to specifically mention that you keep priority to play all abilities at once.

GnikXela · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 102

I do undestand what passing priority is. It's just that I believe I was taught that priority automatically passes after each thing is played. I guess I was taugh incorrectly (it happens).

Hardtrack · Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 505

But that's what I'm getting at. Automatic priority passing makes no sense. You would get priority, but would be forced to pass it. This would mean that you can't respond to something, because if your opponent passes too, both of you passed and the top item of the stack resolves. This would in effect mean it would be impossible for you to respond to your own spells, since they would resolve 'automatically' if your opponent passed too.

GnikXela · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 102

Well, how I understood it was like this:
1.) Play spell/ability
2.) Opp. gains priority
3.) Opp. responds/chooses to do nothing
4.) Gain priority back, giving you the opportunity to respond to your own spell
5.) If you choose not to respond, spell/ability resolves

GnikXela · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 102

I just looked it up in the comprehensive rules, and you sir are correct. I would like to thank you for pointing that out to me. For anyone else who was in the same state of think as I:

408.1c The active player gets priority at the beginning of most phases and steps, after any game actions are dealt with and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase or step go on the stack. No player gets priority during the untap step and players usually don't get priority during the cleanup step (see rule 314.3). The player with priority may play a spell or ability, take a special action, or pass. If he or she plays a spell or ability, or takes a special action, the player again receives priority; otherwise, the next player in turn order receives priority. If all players pass in succession (that is, if all players pass without taking any actions in between passing), the top object on the stack resolves, then the active player receives priority. If the stack is empty when all players pass in succession, the phase or step ends and the next one begins.