In terms of self pumping creatures, my question is surrounded against the functionality of the cards. As my friend plays dread shade, and he attacks, I declare a block, and my creature dies, after the damage resolves and his end step comes up, if I declare to cast lightning bolt for 3 damage, does it kill it or regardless of being tapped, can he pump the card?
That ability is a normal activated ability. Your opponent can use it to respond to your Lightning Bolt as normal, and if he does, it resolves before the Bolt. Since the activation cost does not include the t symbol, it can be paid regardless of the creature's tapped/untapped status, and even while it's summoning sick.
Activated abilities may be activated any time a player could cast an instant (i.e., any time you could voluntarily do anything). The symbol is the only time when another restriction is coded behind something not explicitly written on some card somewhere.
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That ability is a normal activated ability. Your opponent can use it to respond to your Lightning Bolt as normal, and if he does, it resolves before the Bolt. Since the activation cost does not include the t symbol, it can be paid regardless of the creature's tapped/untapped status, and even while it's summoning sick.
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