I just want to make sure I understand the timing of some common Ephemerate interactions (and how my opponent can respond):
Mulldrifter + Ephemerate: Cast Mulldrifter for its evoke cost, before passing priority, cast Ephemerate targeting Mulldrifter with the sacrifice trigger on the stack, Ephemerate resolves first, blinking it, sacrifice trigger does nothing, then draw four cards? How/when can opponent interact? Counterspell, Lightning Bolt, etc.
Spellstutter Sprite + Ephemerate: If there are two Spellstutter Sprites on the battlefield under my control and my opponent casts a spell with converted mana cost 2, can I cast Ephemerate on one of my Spellstutter Sprites in response to counter that spell?
Mnemonic Wall + Ephemerate: If there is a Mnemonic Wall on the battlefield under my control and Ephemerate is exiled (because I successfully cast it on my last turn), can I cast Ephemerate from exile at the beginning of my upkeep targeting the Mnemonic Wall and return the same Ephemerate from my graveyard to my hand?
Thanks!
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Assume it's your main phase and nothing is on the stack. You cast Mulldrifter for its evoke cost.
Since Mulldrifter is still a creature spell, you can't target it with Ephemerate yet. You pass.
At this point, the player now with priority can, say, cast Cancel targeting Mulldrifter. Assume that player doesn't, however.
All players other than you pass, then Mulldrifter resolves and enters the battlefield. Its second ability and its evoke triggered ability will trigger.
Those abilities then go on the stack and you choose the order in which they go on the stack. Note that other players couldn't know that order while Mulldrifter was still a creature spell.
Now you (the player whose turn it is) get priority. You can cast a spell like Ephemerate targeting Mulldrifter at this moment. However, in general, you have to do so without knowing whether an opponent or any other player will cast an instant spell (including, say, Lightning Bolt or Counterspell) or activate an ability in response to Ephemerate (C.R. 117.1a-b, 117.7). That's because if you pass right after casting Ephemerate, then every other player can decide to pass as well, resulting in Ephemerate resolving and thus leaving the stack (C.R. 117.4, 117.3d; C.R. 608.2, especially 608.2k). See also this thread and this thread. Likewise, if you pass rather than cast Ephemerate, you likewise have to do so without knowing whether an opponent or any other player will cast an instant spell or activate an ability in response to the abilities that were just put on the stack. See also this thread.
For Spellstutter Sprite: You can cast Ephemerate in response to the spell your opponent cast this way. In this case, when Ephemerate resolves, the Spellstutter Sprite in question will be exiled and return to the battlefield, making its ability trigger, while the spell your opponent cast is still on the stack. You can then target that spell once that ability goes on the stack provided you control two or more Faeries at that time.
For Mnemonic Wall: If you cast Ephemerate from exile this way, then when it resolves, you exile and return Mnemonic Wall, making its enters-the-battlefield ability trigger, then Ephemerate goes to the graveyard (not exile), then you put that ability on the stack. At this point, Ephemerate is in the graveyard so you can target it with that ability.
EDIT (Aug. 31, 2020): Correctness edit. Some rules were renumbered in the meantime.
For the fifth bullet point, should I put the evoke triggered ability on the stack first and the "When Mulldrifter enters the battlefield, draw two cards" ability on the stack second? (LIFO) At what point do I draw two cards? At what point do I draw the additional two cards? Please illustrate as you did above.
For the fifth bullet point, should I put the evoke triggered ability on the stack first and the "When Mulldrifter enters the battlefield, draw two cards" ability on the stack second? (LIFO) At what point do I draw two cards? At what point do I draw the additional two cards? Please illustrate as you did above.
Thanks!
You will draw at least two cards no matter what happens to Mulldrifter, because a triggered ability is independent from its source once triggered. What you can do that could help is put the draw trigger on top of the sacrifice trigger so it resolves first, so you'll draw 2 before you even have to cast Ephemerate. It'll still be possible to do it then, since spells and abilities on the stack resolve one at a time and players get priority between each. Those 2 cards could be counterspells, another Ephemerate, who knows. At that point, if you want to cast Ephemerate on Mulldrifter before it gets sacrificed, it's now or never, and if you do it and your opponent has something to remove the Mulldrifter in response and make Ephemerate fizzle, you'll need another card to stop them.
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For the fifth bullet point, should I put the evoke triggered ability on the stack first and the "When Mulldrifter enters the battlefield, draw two cards" ability on the stack second? (LIFO) At what point do I draw two cards? At what point do I draw the additional two cards? Please illustrate as you did above.
Thanks!
It's your choice how to order the two abilities on the stack. The ability you put second on the stack this way will get to resolve before the other. You draw two cards or its controller sacrifices Mulldrifter, as the case may be, when the corresponding ability resolves, not immediately when Mulldrifter enters the battlefield and not when that ability goes on the stack. (A triggered ability has no effect unless and until it resolves.) The order in which the two abilities go on the stack, and which one will get to resolve first, will be known to all players before either one of them resolves.
The order doesnt change what each ability does. It depends on whether you want to draw cards before Mulldrifter leaves the battlefield or after, I suppose.
If the opponent wants to interfere, it doesn't matter what order they're on the Stack unless you want to make it impossible for them to do something after one but before the other.
You, on the other hand, just have to cast Ephemerate before the 'sacrifice' one resolves. You draw two cards when that draw two cards ability resolves. If Ephemerate puts Mulldrifter onto the battlefield, it just repeats this situation except evoke won't trigger (CR702.73a).
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Mulldrifter + Ephemerate: Cast Mulldrifter for its evoke cost, before passing priority, cast Ephemerate targeting Mulldrifter with the sacrifice trigger on the stack, Ephemerate resolves first, blinking it, sacrifice trigger does nothing, then draw four cards? How/when can opponent interact? Counterspell, Lightning Bolt, etc.
Spellstutter Sprite + Ephemerate: If there are two Spellstutter Sprites on the battlefield under my control and my opponent casts a spell with converted mana cost 2, can I cast Ephemerate on one of my Spellstutter Sprites in response to counter that spell?
Mnemonic Wall + Ephemerate: If there is a Mnemonic Wall on the battlefield under my control and Ephemerate is exiled (because I successfully cast it on my last turn), can I cast Ephemerate from exile at the beginning of my upkeep targeting the Mnemonic Wall and return the same Ephemerate from my graveyard to my hand?
Thanks!
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For Spellstutter Sprite: You can cast Ephemerate in response to the spell your opponent cast this way. In this case, when Ephemerate resolves, the Spellstutter Sprite in question will be exiled and return to the battlefield, making its ability trigger, while the spell your opponent cast is still on the stack. You can then target that spell once that ability goes on the stack provided you control two or more Faeries at that time.
For Mnemonic Wall: If you cast Ephemerate from exile this way, then when it resolves, you exile and return Mnemonic Wall, making its enters-the-battlefield ability trigger, then Ephemerate goes to the graveyard (not exile), then you put that ability on the stack. At this point, Ephemerate is in the graveyard so you can target it with that ability.
EDIT (Aug. 31, 2020): Correctness edit. Some rules were renumbered in the meantime.
For the fifth bullet point, should I put the evoke triggered ability on the stack first and the "When Mulldrifter enters the battlefield, draw two cards" ability on the stack second? (LIFO) At what point do I draw two cards? At what point do I draw the additional two cards? Please illustrate as you did above.
Thanks!
If the opponent wants to interfere, it doesn't matter what order they're on the Stack unless you want to make it impossible for them to do something after one but before the other.
You, on the other hand, just have to cast Ephemerate before the 'sacrifice' one resolves. You draw two cards when that draw two cards ability resolves. If Ephemerate puts Mulldrifter onto the battlefield, it just repeats this situation except evoke won't trigger (CR702.73a).
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