Interactions between Brainstorm and Miracles

Question

Suppose I'm playing UW Miracles in Legacy. During my opponent's turn, I cast Brainstorm, and the first card that I draw is Entreat the Angels. If I choose to cast the card for its miracle cost, what order do the triggers resolve in?

Does the Miracle trigger go on the stack immediately, before Brainstorm finishes resolving (ie. before I draw my other cards and then put cards back on my library)? Am I then able to pay the cost and create my angels in the middle of the Brainstorm? Or does the trigger wait until Brainstorm has finished resolving? What if I chose to put Entreat back on top of my library?

Answer 1

• You must reveal the card as you draw it in order to claim the miracle trigger.
• The trigger will go on the stack when Brainstorm finishes resolving.
• You can only cast the miracle card if it never left your hand before the trigger resolves.

Here's how and why it works this way:

• You draw cards one at a time.

  120.2. Cards may only be drawn one at a time. If a player is instructed to draw multiple cards, that player performs that many individual card draws.

• You reveal your first card "as you draw it," before putting it in your hand (if it's a miracle card).

  702.93. Miracle

  702.93a Miracle is a static ability linked to a triggered ability (see rule 603.10). “Miracle [cost]” means “You may reveal this card from your hand as you draw it if it’s the first card you’ve drawn this turn. When you reveal this card this way, you may cast it by paying [cost] rather than its mana cost.”

  702.93b If a player chooses to reveal a card using its miracle ability, he or she plays with that card revealed until that card leaves his or her hand, that ability resolves, or that ability otherwise leaves the stack.

• Nothing else happens yet. Just keep the card revealed in your hand.

  603.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability’s trigger event, that ability automatically triggers. The ability doesn’t do anything at this point.

• Then you draw the rest of your cards and put some card from your hand back, as Brainstorm tells you to do.

• Once you're done with the Brainstorm actions, the miracle trigger actually goes on the stack.

  603.3. Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that’s not a card the next time a player would receive priority...

• Now you wait for the trigger to resolve. Players pass priority.

• After the miracle trigger resolves, you may cast the miracle card. If it has left your hand at all, you can't cast it for its miracle cost (even if you manage to put it back somehow).

  400.7. An object that moves from one zone to another becomes a new object with no memory of, or relation to, its previous existence. There are seven exceptions to this rule [none of which apply.]

So, in short:

• Draw card 1
• Reveal miracle
• Draw card 2
• Draw card 3
• Put back two cards
• Brainstorm finishes resolving (and is in the graveyard now)
• Stack miracle trigger
• Players get priority and can do stuff
• Miracle trigger resolves: now you get to decide whether to cast the spell

Here's the same interpretation from a level 2 judge.

Answer 2

The ability triggers while Brainstorm is resolving, but it will only go on the stack after Brainstorm finishes resolving.

603.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability’s trigger event, that ability automatically triggers. The ability doesn’t do anything at this point.

603.3. Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that’s not a card the next time a player would receive priority. [...]

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If you chose to put Entreat back on top of your library, you won't be able to cast it. The object the Miracle ability tries to cast ceased to exist when it left your hand.

400.7. An object that moves from one zone to another becomes a new object with no memory of, or relation to, its previous existence. There are seven exceptions to this rule:

This is confirmed by the Avacyn Restored FAQ.

If the card with miracle leaves your hand before the triggered ability resolves, you won't be able to cast it using its miracle ability.

Answer 3

The miracle trigger goes on the stack after the brain storm resolves but you have to reveal the card as soon as you draw it.

After brain storm resolves, the miracle trigger would resolve giving you the opportunity to cast the spell revealed when the trigger happened for it's miracle cost.

if you put it back on the top of your library you get the chance to use the miracle on your following turn if it is the first card you draw.

Just because it triggered and you revealed it, does not mean it can not be put back.

See rule 702.93 all parts but most in particular this part:

702.93b If a player chooses to reveal a card using its miracle ability, he or she plays with that card revealed until that card leaves his or her hand, that ability resolves, or that ability otherwise leaves the stack.