I play MTG with my family and we've almost always used creature heavy decks. I recently made a more spell heavy deck and a question came up about the Stack.
I came under attack by Ridgescale Tusker and I countered with an instant that did 5 damage, my opponent then used Dragon Blood to make the creature a 6/6 and not die from the damage of my spell. I'm not sure if this is how it would work with the stack as I've only touched upon that mechanic in Magic. Thanks in advance for the tips!
Spells and abilities on the stack resolve last-in, first-out. When a player casts a spell or puts an ability on the stack, other players can "respond" to that object on the stack by casting instants, spells with flash or activating abilities. The spell or ability put on the stack in response to the first spell or ability resolves before it. That is how, for example, a card like Cancel works: you cast a spell, putting it on the stack; in response, I cast Cancel targeting your spell, Cancel resolves before your spell, countering and sending it to your graveyard before it can resolve. In your example, Dragon Blood's ability resolves before your spell that deals damage, so the Tusker has 6 toughness at the time it gets dealt 5 damage and thus it survives.
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In a two-player game, your opponent attacks you with Ridgescale Tusker with no damage marked on it. Then, your opponent gets priority and passes (C.R. 508.2, 117.3d).
You cast Command the Storm, putting it on the stack and targeting Ridgescale Tusker. Note that the spell doesn't do anything at the moment; rather you get priority. You pass.
Your opponent activates Dragon Blood's ability, putting that ability on the stack above Command the Storm and targeting Ridgescale Tusker. Note that this is an activated ability, which your opponent can activate any time they could cast an instant (C.R. 117.1a-b).
All players pass, then that ability resolves, Your opponent puts a +1/+1 counter on Ridgescale Tusker, so that Ridgescale Tusker is now 6/6. The ability now leaves the stack, so that Command the Storm is now on top of it.
All players pass, then Command the Storm resolves and deals 5 damage to Ridgescale Tusker. This is not enough damage to destroy Ridgescale Tusker, though, since Ridgescale Tusker's toughness is now 6 (C.R. 704.5g). Command the Storm now leaves the stack.
Thank you so much I was wondering if we did it right since spell heavy decks haven't been a thing I wanted to double check! Again thank you so much I'll be back if I have any more questions!
Thank you so much I was wondering if we did it right since spell heavy decks haven't been a thing I wanted to double check! Again thank you so much I'll be back if I have any more questions!
Your thread's title is Stack Abilities Instant vs Sorcery.
Where's the sorcery?
I was in the understanding that artifact abilities counted as a sorcery thus could only be used on your turn.
A player can activate an activated ability even if it isn't their turn (C.R. 117.1b, 117.1, 117.3), unless the ability states otherwise (for example, if it says "Activate this ability only during your turn" or "Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery" [C.R. 307.5]; examples include Humble Defector and Defiant Salvager) (C.R. 602.1b). This is true regardless of whether the ability appears on an artifact or not.
Note, however, that abilities don't count as sorcery spells, instant spells, or spells of any other kind (compare C.R. 113.1, abilities, with C.R. 112.1, spells).
I came under attack by Ridgescale Tusker and I countered with an instant that did 5 damage, my opponent then used Dragon Blood to make the creature a 6/6 and not die from the damage of my spell. I'm not sure if this is how it would work with the stack as I've only touched upon that mechanic in Magic. Thanks in advance for the tips!
Fixed a card name for card tags to work. -MadMage
Where's the sorcery?
RULES OF MAGIC :
http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/rules
Note, however, that abilities don't count as sorcery spells, instant spells, or spells of any other kind (compare C.R. 113.1, abilities, with C.R. 112.1, spells).
See also this thread and this thread.