Combat stack.

iameleet · Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Posts: 7

Can someone maybe explain the combat stack before I go embarrass myself at a FNM which I plan on doing, Someone flashes a fairies that gave shroud to all fairies in play as I was trying to mind control it. Now does those abilities instantly come into play or are they resolved at the end?

Sorry if this makes no sense.

Hovertical · Joined: 09 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

You play mind control targeting a faerie.
He flashes in Scion of Oona
Mind Control no longer has a legal target and is put into the graveyard.

Basically

Mind Control targets [Faerie]
Scion of Oona is cast
Scion of Oona enters the battlefield
Mind Control is countered from lack of a legal target (fizzles)

if that makes anymore sense...

HuDat · Joined: 16 Jul 2008 Posts: 103

this is a pretty confusing concept to get as it was the most confusing for me when I started playing magic soooo..

Basically whatever is played LAST comes FIRST on the stack.

So you played mind control targeting a faerie and in response he played scion of oona. His scion of oona resolves first because it was played last.
Mind control's target is now illegal so the spell is countered (fizzles).

Mr_Eko · Joined: 15 Aug 2009 Posts: 28

Matthew Chpt 20 Verse 16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." NIV Holy Bible

That says it all. Whatever is cast first happens last, so if Oon is cast 2nd, then all his creatures receive the shroud. Now that they have shroud, pretend like they had it all along.....would you be able to cast a spell on them now?

Can be confusing and God knows I don't understand all the rules, but this one is easy once you know how it is done.

IberianWolf · Joined: 17 Nov 2006 Posts: 153

iameleet · Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Posts: 7

So what are my options against shroud?

Delicious · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 818

non targeting removal or damage

alvaro202 · Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Posts: 88

volcanic fallout

IberianWolf · Joined: 17 Nov 2006 Posts: 153

wrath/damnation, for example.

six · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 68

1st Corinthians 6:9 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God."

which is to say the Scion's effeminate and fornicating ways will visit a swift demise to the fae force in the form of the ineffable Stag.

DoomBring3r · Joined: 30 Apr 2009 Posts: 436

Note that the spell will only fizzle on resolution, not immediately when Scion resolves and enters play.

Meaning, if you got a trick like Unsummon or Lightning Bolt, you can kill the Scion, and have your Mind Control resolve while still on the stack.

Ogle · Joined: 06 Aug 2009 Posts: 71

ACM · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 153

Everytime the topmost object on the stack resolves, both players receive priority, and a spell is not countered upon resolution before it actually tries to resolve and finds out its targets are illegal.
This means that you can let the Scion resolve, and with Mind Control still on the stack, play Lightning Bolt targetting the Scion. If it dies from this, the faerie you were originally targetting with Mind Control will no longer have shroud, and Mind Control will resolve as normal.

Ogle · Joined: 06 Aug 2009 Posts: 71

Vedrfolner · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 2146

And for the record, combat has nothing to do with this, and M10 made it so that combat damage does not use the stack.

If you want to make the stack easier to understand, make a physical stack of the spells and abilities you use.

1. Take a sheet and write STACK on it with big letters.
2. When you tap the mana and announce the spell or activated ability, place the actual card on the STACK.
3. Say "your priority - do you have any fast effects to play?"
4. If not, take the card from the STACK and put it into the graveyard if it was an instant or sorcery, put it onto the battlefield if it was an artifact, creature, enchantment or planeswalker, or back to its previous place if it was an activated ability of a permanent.
5. The spell or activated ability has now resolved.
6. If, however, the opponent DO have a fast effect to play, he taps the mana and announce the spell or activated ability and places the actual card on the STACK.
7. Now HE says "your priority - do you have any fast effects to play?".
8. If not, repeat stage 4-5. If you do, repeat stage 6-7.

maybe this helps