legendary rule vs. ability

Half · Joined: 26 Dec 2007 Posts: 1

Howdy all!

i've come across with an unusuall situation, at least for me. Picture this:

my side:
Liliana Vess 8 counters
10 SnowCovIslands

opponent's side:
1x Korlash
12 B lands (w/ Urborg)

I play Liliana's ability and come into play 1 Korlash, 2 Big Game Hunter, 2 Draining Whelk and 1 Rimefeather Owl.

Question: Can i trigger the Hunter's ability on my opponent's Korlash or, as soon as the one in the gy comes into play, is the legendary rule applied?

Thnx for reading,
Cheers

lennin · Guest

hte big game hunters will go on stack but bth korlash will die

Conkisstador · Joined: 08 Sep 2004 Posts: 222

there's a label for that called pre-priority processing.

anyways... here's how it acts out. all guys come into play simultaneously. before priority windows open, the game state checks for inadequacies. it sees big game hunter in play and so he triggers. it also sees 2x korlash in play so it will clean that up. before it does tho, u can select all targets of killing to go at korlash.
draining whelks try to go on stack too but find no targets.

now the BGH effect goes on the stack, but korlash x2 die with it on stack from legend rule. big game hunter's ability no longer has a valid target so it fizzles.

aka yes u get to keep your rimefeather owl and whelks and both korlash's die.

ronjeremyjr · Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 40

Actually, that's not quite right. All the creatures come into play at the same time and the Big Game Hunters ability triggers. However, this ability is not put on the stack until after state based effects are checked. Technically you do not choose a target until the triggered ability is put on the stack. Since state based effects will have resolved the Korlashes won't be in play. Meaning you would have to choose your Rhime Feather Owl as a target. So in short you wouldn't actually get to keep your owl.

To be more focused to your question, any time a player would receive priority state based effects are checked first, then once no more state based effects are generated players receive priority. Hence the korlash die before you get a chance to target them.

Hardtrack · Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 234

ronjeremyjr is right.

Triggered abilities go on the stack only after SBE's are checked. You can not choose the Korlashes as target for the ability of the Big Game Hunters.

Gorbadoc · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 56

Hard and Ron are right. For anyone who cares enough to read it but not enough to look it up, here's the rule (I've emboldened the crucial bits):