I have a question about how the timing of a defending player's priority applies at the end of the main phase.
Here's a scenario I encountered in a recent game. I was the defending player, had an untapped Mountain in the battlefield and a Shock in hand. It is the main phase of my opponent's turn. A Legion Warboss is summonsed, which resolves. I wish to destroy the Legion Warboss before the combat phase begins so that the opponent cannot get a 1/1 goblin creature token generated by Legion Warboss's "At the beginning of combat on your turn" ability. Is it legal for me to play my Shock and thus destroy Legion Warboss before Legion Warboss's ability is placed on the stack?
I ran into this situation in an MTG Arena match. After I resolved the Legion Warboss spell, the game client did not pass priority to me and thus allow me to target Legion Warboss with Shock before its ability goes onto the stack. I was forced to respond to the ability with Shock, thus resolving the summon of the 1/1 goblin creature token. I want to check whether my understanding of the rules are correct here and thus whether this is a bug in MTG Arena. Thank you.
Here's a scenario I encountered in a recent game. I was the defending player, had an untapped Mountain in the battlefield and a Shock in hand. It is the main phase of my opponent's turn. A Legion Warboss is summonsed, which resolves. I wish to destroy the Legion Warboss before the combat phase begins so that the opponent cannot get a 1/1 goblin creature token generated by Legion Warboss's "At the beginning of combat on your turn" ability. Is it legal for me to play my Shock and thus destroy Legion Warboss before Legion Warboss's ability is placed on the stack?
Absolutely. The sequence would be something like this.
Opponent's pre-combat main phase begins.
Opponent gets priority and cast Legion Warboss. Opponent pays the cost of 2R using mana obtained in an unspecified way.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
The top object on the stack (the spell cast in step 2) resolves. Opponent puts Legion Warboss onto the battlefield.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
You get priority and cast Shock. You choose Legion Warboss as the target, and pay the cost using R obtained in an unspecified way.
You get priority and pass.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
The top object on the stack (the spell cast in step 7) resolves. Shock deals 2 damage to Legion Warboss. Shock goes to your graeyard.
Opponent would get priority, but there is a state-based action to process. Legion Warboss has lethal damage and is destroyed.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
Main phase ends.
Combat phase begins. Beginning of combat step begins. (If Legion Warboss were still on the battlefield, this is when its "At the beginning of combat on your turn," ability would trigger.)
I ran into this situation in an MTG Arena match. After I resolved the Legion Warboss spell, the game client did not pass priority to me and thus allow me to target Legion Warboss with Shock before its ability goes onto the stack. I was forced to respond to the ability with Shock, thus resolving the summon of the 1/1 goblin creature token. I want to check whether my understanding of the rules are correct here and thus whether this is a bug in MTG Arena. Thank you.
Apparently, that software has some settings for Stops and such, due to the tedium of going through each and every pass of priority.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Why bother with mere rulings when so many answers can be found in the Rules?
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Here's a scenario I encountered in a recent game. I was the defending player, had an untapped Mountain in the battlefield and a Shock in hand. It is the main phase of my opponent's turn. A Legion Warboss is summonsed, which resolves. I wish to destroy the Legion Warboss before the combat phase begins so that the opponent cannot get a 1/1 goblin creature token generated by Legion Warboss's "At the beginning of combat on your turn" ability. Is it legal for me to play my Shock and thus destroy Legion Warboss before Legion Warboss's ability is placed on the stack?
I ran into this situation in an MTG Arena match. After I resolved the Legion Warboss spell, the game client did not pass priority to me and thus allow me to target Legion Warboss with Shock before its ability goes onto the stack. I was forced to respond to the ability with Shock, thus resolving the summon of the 1/1 goblin creature token. I want to check whether my understanding of the rules are correct here and thus whether this is a bug in MTG Arena. Thank you.
Absolutely. The sequence would be something like this.
Apparently, that software has some settings for Stops and such, due to the tedium of going through each and every pass of priority.