So I was at an FNM last night playing Burn against Eldrazi and Taxes. On my turn, I suspend two Rift Bolt and ship the turn. My opponent does his thing, but of importance plays a Thalia, Guardian of Thraben.
It goes back to my upkeep. I have to take the time counters off my Rift Bolts and cast them. I sequence them so that the first one to resolve kills Thalia and the second one gets pointed at my opponent.
The question we had for the judge was this: does the second Rift Bolt get taxed and if so, why? I figured the answer was "yes" since both Bolts try to get on the stack at the same time and hence I've cast them by that point. That's the conclusion the judge arrived at as well, but I thought I'd ask here to make sure.
Thanks in advance!
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MTGO Decks
Modern Humans || Modern Infect || Legacy Elves || Legacy Burn Paper Decks
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When your upkeep comes, the suspend upkeep abilities from both Rift Bolts will trigger and go on the stack (C.R. 702.61a, 503.1, 116.5). When one of them resolves, you remove a time counter from the corresponding Rift Bolt and, if no time counters are left, another triggered ability will trigger (C.R. 702.61a). When that ability resolves you cast that Rift Bolt if able (with an additional cost of 1 if Thalia is on the battlefield) (C.R. 702.61a). The Rift Bolt you cast this way will go on the stack above any spells and abilities already there, including the suspend upkeep ability from the other Rift Bolt (C.R. 405.2). And if Thalia leaves the battlefield before that suspend ability resolves, it won't be there anymore to add to the cost of any noncreature spells (including the other Rift Bolt) (C.R. 611.3b, 112.6).
No, you and the judge got it wrong. The Bolts do not go on the stack at the same time, rather it is the two suspend triggers that remove a time counter from the suspended cards that go on the stack at the same time. Those do not resolve at the same time. The top one resolves first, having you remove the time counter, and if it is the last then that triggers the other suspend trigger for that card, the one that instructs you to cast it. This trigger goes on top of the other time counter removing trigger. So there is only one spell and one trigger on the stack. And the spell resolves before the trigger that removes the time counter. So one spell is already dealt with completely before the other even gets to be cast, long after Thalia is dead.
I take a time counter off one Bolt, cast it with tax, point it at Thalia
The Bolt resolves, Thalia gets binned
While all that is going on, the second Bolt is waiting to get its time counter removed. So when it's finally its turn, I can cast it taxless since the Thalia is off the board by the time that happens.
Am I interpreting this correctly?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
MTGO Decks
Modern Humans || Modern Infect || Legacy Elves || Legacy Burn Paper Decks
Modern Burn || Modern Gifts Storm || EDH Angry Omnath
It goes back to my upkeep. I have to take the time counters off my Rift Bolts and cast them. I sequence them so that the first one to resolve kills Thalia and the second one gets pointed at my opponent.
The question we had for the judge was this: does the second Rift Bolt get taxed and if so, why? I figured the answer was "yes" since both Bolts try to get on the stack at the same time and hence I've cast them by that point. That's the conclusion the judge arrived at as well, but I thought I'd ask here to make sure.
Thanks in advance!
Modern Humans || Modern Infect || Legacy Elves || Legacy Burn
Paper Decks
Modern Burn || Modern Gifts Storm || EDH Angry Omnath
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
Am I interpreting this correctly?
Modern Humans || Modern Infect || Legacy Elves || Legacy Burn
Paper Decks
Modern Burn || Modern Gifts Storm || EDH Angry Omnath
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
Modern Humans || Modern Infect || Legacy Elves || Legacy Burn
Paper Decks
Modern Burn || Modern Gifts Storm || EDH Angry Omnath