Hey Guys!!! I have a question about taking damage and the stack. I think I know what would happen but I just want make sure. Here is the situation:
Let's say I attack with a Kiln Fiend and my opponent says they will take the damage. So in response to him saying he will take the damage, I cast a lightning bolt and a incinerate. I tell my opponent that he takes 7 damage from the Kiln Fiend plus 6 from the two instants for a total of 13 damage. They then tell me that they will only take the 6 because they will kill the Kiln Fiend. Since I did cast two instants, I do have to give them priority of the stack; however I only cast the instants because they said they was taking the damage. Can my opponent kill my creature before it deals the 7 damage to them?
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Keep up the good work guys!!
The combat damage won't happen until the Bolt and Incinerate resolve.
Your opponent saying 'they'll take the damage' is a shortcut for them saying 'no, I don't want to block'. But you still get priority in the declare blocker step (after they chose not to block) to cast the spells. You'll cast your two instants, and two Kiln Fiend triggers will go on the stack on top of them. Your opponent can certainly respond to your two spells by casting something that'll kill your Fiend either in response to your spells OR the Kiln Fiend triggers.
If they do nothing, then by the time the dust settles, you'll have dealt 6 direct damage to your opponent, and a 7/2 Kiln Fiend will then pummel your foe. But they can certainly gank your creature in response.
Declaring attackers and declaring blockers are turn-based actions that don't use the stack. The combat phase is divided into many steps, and at the start of each combat step, first the turn-based action(s) of that step is performed, and then players gain priority to cast spells.
So, what is actually happening is that, after you declared attackers and passed, your opponent saying "I take the damage" is an offering of a shortcut to not declaring any blockers and skip to the combat damage step. You interrupted this shortcut by casting your spells; that means you moved to after their declaration of no blockers and you gaining priority, where you cast your instants. Your opponent can then let your spells resolve and, still on the declare blockers step, remove your Kiln Fiend.
Hey Guys!!! I have a question about taking damage and the stack. I think I know what would happen but I just want make sure. Here is the situation:
Let's say I attack with a Kiln Fiend and my opponent says they will take the damage. So in response to him saying he will take the damage, I cast a lightning bolt and a incinerate. I tell my opponent that he takes 7 damage from the Kiln Fiend plus 6 from the two instants for a total of 13 damage. They then tell me that they will only take the 6 because they will kill the Kiln Fiend. Since I did cast two instants, I do have to give them priority of the stack; however I only cast the instants because they said they was taking the damage. Can my opponent kill my creature before it deals the 7 damage to them?
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Keep up the good work guys!!
It sounds like an issue of communication and understanding priority. Basically, when your opponent said they would take the damage, they meant "no blocks" and they skipped ahead to the Combat Damage step. You have the opportunity to cast spells during the declare blockers step to pump up the Kiln Fiend and you did so. By doing so, you have "stopped" the game at the Declare Blockers step. Since your opponent gets priority in this step as well, they still have the opportunity to kill the Kiln Fiend before damage is actually dealt.
Everything sounds like it played out right and your opponent had the opportunity to kill the Kiln Fiend before taking damage after you cast the 2 instants even though they said they would take damage. You can't force them to take the 6 damage because they were going to take the original 1 damage.
On a side note, no one "takes priority" of the stack. The stack is simply a zone and priority is just passed between players during each step of the game.
Thanks! That was kinda what I was thinking but just wanted to make sure. Since I put something on the stack then that would have given my opponent the opportunity to put something on the stack as well. It kinda sucks because I wanted them to take the 13 and not just the 6, but I also understand why. Thanks for the quick response!
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Let's say I attack with a Kiln Fiend and my opponent says they will take the damage. So in response to him saying he will take the damage, I cast a lightning bolt and a incinerate. I tell my opponent that he takes 7 damage from the Kiln Fiend plus 6 from the two instants for a total of 13 damage. They then tell me that they will only take the 6 because they will kill the Kiln Fiend. Since I did cast two instants, I do have to give them priority of the stack; however I only cast the instants because they said they was taking the damage. Can my opponent kill my creature before it deals the 7 damage to them?
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Keep up the good work guys!!
Your opponent saying 'they'll take the damage' is a shortcut for them saying 'no, I don't want to block'. But you still get priority in the declare blocker step (after they chose not to block) to cast the spells. You'll cast your two instants, and two Kiln Fiend triggers will go on the stack on top of them. Your opponent can certainly respond to your two spells by casting something that'll kill your Fiend either in response to your spells OR the Kiln Fiend triggers.
If they do nothing, then by the time the dust settles, you'll have dealt 6 direct damage to your opponent, and a 7/2 Kiln Fiend will then pummel your foe. But they can certainly gank your creature in response.
So, what is actually happening is that, after you declared attackers and passed, your opponent saying "I take the damage" is an offering of a shortcut to not declaring any blockers and skip to the combat damage step. You interrupted this shortcut by casting your spells; that means you moved to after their declaration of no blockers and you gaining priority, where you cast your instants. Your opponent can then let your spells resolve and, still on the declare blockers step, remove your Kiln Fiend.
It sounds like an issue of communication and understanding priority. Basically, when your opponent said they would take the damage, they meant "no blocks" and they skipped ahead to the Combat Damage step. You have the opportunity to cast spells during the declare blockers step to pump up the Kiln Fiend and you did so. By doing so, you have "stopped" the game at the Declare Blockers step. Since your opponent gets priority in this step as well, they still have the opportunity to kill the Kiln Fiend before damage is actually dealt.
Everything sounds like it played out right and your opponent had the opportunity to kill the Kiln Fiend before taking damage after you cast the 2 instants even though they said they would take damage. You can't force them to take the 6 damage because they were going to take the original 1 damage.
On a side note, no one "takes priority" of the stack. The stack is simply a zone and priority is just passed between players during each step of the game.