I tried looking up the rulings for Malevolent Noble's Sacrifice Ability to see if it gets the counter when I target a food token and sacrifice the token on the Stack to get 3 life, but is was a bit blurry. Do both triggers resolve as normal?
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-MadMage
Although the ability "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life" and Malevolent Noble's ability both involve sacrificing a permanent as a cost, you can't sacrifice the same permanent to pay for both abilities (C.R. 118.10). Note also that although a "Food token", as defined by C.R. 111.10b, is a "colorless Food artifact token with" the first activated ability just mentioned, the Food artifact type itself (C.R. 205.3g) has no abilities or game mechanics inherent to that type, including that activated ability.
In any case, Malevolent Noble's ability doesn't target anything (note that it lacks the word "target") (C.R. 115.1c).
Malevolent Noble's ability doesn't target, and is not a trigger. A food token's "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice: You gain 3 life" is also not a trigger.
Both are activated abilities. To activate the ability, you announce it, put it on the stack, and pay its cost (everything before the colon). The ability's effect (what comes after the colon) happens when the ability resolves, but the cost is paid beforehand.
So to activate the Noble's ability, you pay two mana and sacrifice an artifact or creature. You don't "choose an artifact/creature that you will sacrifice later", you just straight up take one artifact or creature you control and put it on the graveyard, as part of the Noble's ability's activation.
You can't sacrifice the Food for its own ability, because the Food is already on the graveyard.
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-MadMage
In any case, Malevolent Noble's ability doesn't target anything (note that it lacks the word "target") (C.R. 115.1c).
Both are activated abilities. To activate the ability, you announce it, put it on the stack, and pay its cost (everything before the colon). The ability's effect (what comes after the colon) happens when the ability resolves, but the cost is paid beforehand.
So to activate the Noble's ability, you pay two mana and sacrifice an artifact or creature. You don't "choose an artifact/creature that you will sacrifice later", you just straight up take one artifact or creature you control and put it on the graveyard, as part of the Noble's ability's activation.
You can't sacrifice the Food for its own ability, because the Food is already on the graveyard.
Have a look at rules 602 & 603 for details:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/rules
RULES OF MAGIC :
http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/rules