6

I run vampire tribal and have a stack related question. I have a Bloodlord of Vaasgoth and Warstorm Surge in play, my main phase I cast a Vampire Nighthawk from my hand, here is my issue, how does the order resolve. In my knowledge I believe this is the proper scenario or I hope it is at least.

  1. Cast Vampire Nighthawk.

  2. Bloodlord triggers and gives it bloodthirst 3.

  3. As Nighthawk enters Warstorm Surge puts its trigger onto the stack dealing 2 damage to a target I choose (an opponent).

  4. Warstorm Surge resolves and my opponent takes 2 damage.

  5. Vampire Nighthawk resolves entering the battlefield, bloodthirst 3 activates due my opponent taking damage and gives the Vampire Nighthawk 3 +1/+1 counters.

Again this is only my understanding and my hope of how it goes and just using sense of how things trigger and react to one another.

Improve this question
1
  • 3
    Note that Bloodthirst looks for an opponent being dealt damage, which is different than an opponent losing life. In your question you refer to loss of life, and indeed your opponent has lost life, but what matters is the damage. See this question for details. Welcome to the site!
    – GendoIkari
    Feb 16, 2019 at 4:01

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
9

This is incorrect; the damage will be dealt too late for Bloodthirst.

You were right up to a point... but Warstorm Surge triggers on a creature entering the battlefield, meaning that it will not trigger until after Vampire Nighthawk is on the battlefield, completely done resolving.

Note that Bloodthirst creates a replacement effect, that changes how a creature enters the battlefield. It does not do anything once the creature is on the battlefield.

The actual order of events, assuming that both players pass priority when they can.

  1. Cast Vampire Nighthawk.
  2. Bloodlord of Vaasgoth's ability triggers.
  3. Bloodlord of Vaasgoth's ability resolves, giving Nighthawk Bloodthirst.
  4. Vampire Nighthawk resolves; entering the battlefield - its bloodthirst doesn't do anything because an opponent was not dealt damage.
  5. Warstorm Surge triggers.
  6. Warstorm Surge resolves, dealing 2 damage to your opponent (or any target).

Bloodthirst rules:

702.53a Bloodthirst is a static ability. "Bloodthirst N" means "If an opponent was dealt damage this turn, this permanent enters the battlefield with N +1/+1 counters on it."

We know this is a replacement effect because of:

614.1c Effects that read "[This permanent] enters the battlefield with . . . ," "As [this permanent] enters the battlefield . . . ," or "[This permanent] enters the battlefield as . . . " are replacement effects.

To do what you want, Bloodthirst would need to be a triggered ability instead of a replacement effect; and it would also have to be worded in such a way as to avoid having an intervening if clause so that the condition would only be checked when it resolves (rule 603.4).

Improve this answer
4
  • 1
    So, the good news is that is damage has been dealt, then 5 more damage will be dealt?
    – Acccumulation
    Feb 16, 2019 at 4:56
  • 1
    @Acccumulation correct. If bloodthirst's trigger condition is met, then the Nighthawk will be a 5/5 when Warstorm Surge checks its power.
    – Andrew
    Feb 19, 2019 at 18:20
  • "Bloodlord of Vaasgoth resolves" Not quite Gendo, the bloodlord had already resolved, it's the ability that triggers and resolves on cast of a vampire, written this way it would be the bloodlord that was just cast.
    – Andrew
    Feb 19, 2019 at 18:27
  • 1
    @Andrew You are technically correct (the best kind of correct). I was using shortcut language, which normally I would avoid, but thought it was ok here because it was established that Bloodlord of Vaasgoth was already on the battlefield before any of this began. But still, your correction is correct.
    – GendoIkari
    Feb 19, 2019 at 20:17

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .