I'm just starting to learn this game (I haven't even played a round yet). I was going over the offical rules and reading about the stack and how it resolves. The example that was given was that a player cast a damage dealing instant on my creature and I counted with a card that increased its toughness. Since my counter (the card on top of the stack) resolves first, it increased my creatures toughness before the damage spell resolved, thus saving my creature. While this does makes sense (it's a mechanism that allows you to defend on a reactionary basis), the mechanics don't appear to let you be proactive. For example, being proactive a beginner (not knowing any better) might cast the spell that increases his creature's toughness before anything is cast against the creature (anticipiating that it will get attacked at some point). But this would not be good, since a more experienced player would cast a damage spell on the creature knowing his spell would resolve first (thus you lose both the creature and the toughness spell). I haven't fully thought about this yet since I'm still learning, but doesn't this mechanic make this aspect of the game completely (or at least primarily) reactionary (as opposed to anticipatory or proactive)?
Suppose that your opponent is at 4 life, and you have a 1/1.
You also have a giant growth in hand. Your opponent has 1 card in hand.
If you want to attack and deal 4 damage this turn, you can't just wait for your opponent to play lightning bolt he might not even have a lightning bolt.
In that case, you have to be proactive and cast your giant growth on your creature.
Well, you see, instant cards that you can play that way tend to work on a reactionary basis. They are meant to be the part of the game that lets you keep things in your hand secret from your opponent, and then you can do things they don't expect.
But, instants are the only cards that work that way. Sorcery cards, creatures, enchantments, artifacts, all those can't be used in reaction to anything, they have to be played on your turn when the stack is empty.
Combat is something else entirely also, deciding how to attack and how to defend, then trying to figure what cards your opponent might have to counter what you can do.
So there is a reactionary aspect to keep you on your toes, but it is mainly strategy. You'll learn more once you really start playing.
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Whats the big deal about black lotus you ask? Well you see, there is no big deal about it. It IS the big deal.
Would say your permanents are the proactive aspect of the game, while your instants and activated abilities are the reactive aspect. A nearly total reactive deck like control is extremely powerful, while in game theory a completely proactive deck full of creatures (aggro) should trump a completely reactive control deck. Most decks are a delicate balance of the two, even control decks need a proactive card to win the game with, and even proactive decks at the least have reactive cards in their sideboard to deal with other decks.
I haven't fully thought about this yet since I'm still learning, but doesn't this mechanic make this aspect of the game completely (or at least primarily) reactionary (as opposed to anticipatory or proactive)?
Thanks!
In the case of instants, yes. But that's what instants are for.
But most spells are not instants/flash. You play creatures, for instance, in anticipation of attacking or defending.
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"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
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I'm just starting to learn this game (I haven't even played a round yet). I was going over the offical rules and reading about the stack and how it resolves. The example that was given was that a player cast a damage dealing instant on my creature and I counted with a card that increased its toughness. Since my counter (the card on top of the stack) resolves first, it increased my creatures toughness before the damage spell resolved, thus saving my creature. While this does makes sense (it's a mechanism that allows you to defend on a reactionary basis), the mechanics don't appear to let you be proactive. For example, being proactive a beginner (not knowing any better) might cast the spell that increases his creature's toughness before anything is cast against the creature (anticipiating that it will get attacked at some point). But this would not be good, since a more experienced player would cast a damage spell on the creature knowing his spell would resolve first (thus you lose both the creature and the toughness spell). I haven't fully thought about this yet since I'm still learning, but doesn't this mechanic make this aspect of the game completely (or at least primarily) reactionary (as opposed to anticipatory or proactive)?
Thanks!
You also have a giant growth in hand. Your opponent has 1 card in hand.
If you want to attack and deal 4 damage this turn, you can't just wait for your opponent to play lightning bolt he might not even have a lightning bolt.
In that case, you have to be proactive and cast your giant growth on your creature.
But, instants are the only cards that work that way. Sorcery cards, creatures, enchantments, artifacts, all those can't be used in reaction to anything, they have to be played on your turn when the stack is empty.
Combat is something else entirely also, deciding how to attack and how to defend, then trying to figure what cards your opponent might have to counter what you can do.
So there is a reactionary aspect to keep you on your toes, but it is mainly strategy. You'll learn more once you really start playing.
In the case of instants, yes. But that's what instants are for.
But most spells are not instants/flash. You play creatures, for instance, in anticipation of attacking or defending.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn