Need help with a ruling that happened at the Kaladesh prerelease.
I attacked with a thriving rhino and paid the energy cost to pump it. My opponent in response played it impeccable timing targeting it. We agreed that the spell could've be played before the triggered ability resolved, killing the rhino. But we argued regarding the energy cost payment. I thought that since the triggered ability didnt resolved, I wouldnt have spent the energy. But my opponent said that I lost the energy since I announced I wanted to pay it to pump after attacking.
The judge ruled in favour of my opponent, saying that after attacking with the rhino and paying the energy cost, my opponent had a time window to respond and kill the rhino.
Anyone could confirm and/or clarify this question?
You choose to pay the cost as the trigger resolves, so there is not any time between you paying the energy cost and the +1/+1 counter being put on the creature. If the ability was "EE: Put a +1/+1 counter on ~. Only use this ability once per turn and only if ~ is attacking." (Or how ever WotC would properly word it) then there is a time between the energy payment and the counter being put on to respond.
Thriving Rhino has a triggered ability that allows you to pay a cost in order to get an effect. Unlike activated abilities, this cost is paid during the resolution of the ability. Since no one gets priority during the resolution of an ability, your opponent cannot act in between paying the energy and getting the counter. They have to either cast the spell before the ability resolves (and before you have paid energy) or after it does (and is then too big to be destroyed by 3 damage.)
If you announce your intention to pay the cost early, you're basically proposing a shortcut to the effect of: "The trigger goes onto the stack, we pass priority until it resolves, and I choose to pay the cost." If your opponent chooses to respond in a different way somewhere in this sequence, you are not bound to make the same decisions after that point that you otherwise would have made.
In general, any triggered ability that includes "you may..." (and in particular "you may pay...") expresses an optional choice which is made only when the ability resolves, not when it's put on the stack (C.R. 603.5), so without any other player knowing whether you will exercise that choice before the ability resolves.
I attacked with a thriving rhino and paid the energy cost to pump it. My opponent in response played it impeccable timing targeting it. We agreed that the spell could've be played before the triggered ability resolved, killing the rhino. But we argued regarding the energy cost payment. I thought that since the triggered ability didnt resolved, I wouldnt have spent the energy. But my opponent said that I lost the energy since I announced I wanted to pay it to pump after attacking.
The judge ruled in favour of my opponent, saying that after attacking with the rhino and paying the energy cost, my opponent had a time window to respond and kill the rhino.
Anyone could confirm and/or clarify this question?
Thanks
GRUAnimar, Soul of CreaturesGRU
GWGW Tokens: Rhys,Tolsimir, or Trostani GW
BMarrow-GnawerB
BGSkullbriar, All's fun in the GraveBG
RWBAlesha, Who Smiles at DeathRWB
Thriving Rhino has a triggered ability that allows you to pay a cost in order to get an effect. Unlike activated abilities, this cost is paid during the resolution of the ability. Since no one gets priority during the resolution of an ability, your opponent cannot act in between paying the energy and getting the counter. They have to either cast the spell before the ability resolves (and before you have paid energy) or after it does (and is then too big to be destroyed by 3 damage.)
If you announce your intention to pay the cost early, you're basically proposing a shortcut to the effect of: "The trigger goes onto the stack, we pass priority until it resolves, and I choose to pay the cost." If your opponent chooses to respond in a different way somewhere in this sequence, you are not bound to make the same decisions after that point that you otherwise would have made.