I'm having trouble figuring this out (I'm a bit new to replacement effects, and the game in general).
If I have a Esix, Fractal Bloom on the battlefield, and I attempt to cast Saproling Migration, and want Esix to turn those tokens into some other creature on the battlefield, but my opponent responds by casting Path to Exile targeting my Esix, Fractal Bloom, does Esix's replacement effect still happen? I know replacement effects happen automatically and can't be responded to but I'm not sure if that happens on the stack or once the spell resolves. Thanks for helping! : )
Replacement effects happen at the time the thing they replace happens. So replacing an effect of a spell means, that they happen during the resolution of that spell. If your opponent removes Esix in response to your Saproling Migration, then it is gone before any tokens are created, and its replacement effect is gone with it, since it comes from a static ability. Static abilities only function as long as the object that has them is in the appropriate zone, usually the batlefield. So you only get some Saproling tokens, since there is nothing left trying to replace that.
No. Once Esix leaves the battlefield, its second ability (which is a static ability) will no longer affect how you create tokens anymore; notably, for the ability to work, Esix must be on the battlefield at the moment you would create one or more tokens for the first time during a turn of yours (C.R. 113.6, 611.3b, 604.1). (This differs from activated abilities and triggered abilities that have triggered, which get to resolve, in general, regardless of what happens to their source [C.R. 112.7a]).
EDIT (Jan. 5): Edited, including to correct a rule citation.
Hi Rezzahan, thanks for replying so quickly and clearing that up for me. I suspected that was the case but wanted to be sure. I guess I'll need some more protection for my Esix! Thanks : )
If I have a Esix, Fractal Bloom on the battlefield, and I attempt to cast Saproling Migration, and want Esix to turn those tokens into some other creature on the battlefield, but my opponent responds by casting Path to Exile targeting my Esix, Fractal Bloom, does Esix's replacement effect still happen? I know replacement effects happen automatically and can't be responded to but I'm not sure if that happens on the stack or once the spell resolves. Thanks for helping! : )
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EDIT (Jan. 5): Edited, including to correct a rule citation.