Does Bond Beetle Trigger Phalanx Leader?
Asked by WaggyTheGeek 4 years ago
If I cast a Bond Beetle while Phalanx Leader is out, and target phalanx leader, would leader's effect trigger? I'm worried about how beetle's ability activates on ETB rather than on cast.
The only spells casts with a target are instants and sorceries that have the word "target" on them and auras always target the relevant permanent when cast. There might be exceptions to this general rule, but none I can think of right now.
Even if Bond Beetle's ability were an on cast ability like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger's ability, it would still be an ability, not a spell, which Phalanx Leader is looking for.
March 27, 2020 10:50 a.m.
As others have mentioned, Phalanx Leader triggers off of a spell you cast targeting it. This means the object targeting it must be a spell on the stack. It can't be an ability.
Bond Beetle has an ability that triggers when it enters the battlefield, and it's this ability that targets a creature. Since it's an ability and not a spell, it won't trigger Phalanx Leader.
Something that would trigger Phalanx Leader would be an instant like Colossal Heroics, a sorcery like Desperate Stand, or an Aura like Flickering Ward (since Auras always target while they're on the stack).
One way to tell if something is a spell targeting a creature or not for the purposes of the Heroic ability is to look at the wording. Triggered abilities always start with (or contain, in the case of delayed triggered abilities) "When," "Whenever," or "At" (like the Heroic ability on Phalanx Leader and the ETB on Bond Beetle). Triggered abilities will not trigger Heroic. This is also why Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger's first ability doesn't work, because it is an ability that triggers on casting; it's not part of a spell resolution.
SwiftDeath says... #1
When Bond beetle enters the battlefield it is no longer considered a spell on the stack. If you target the Phalanx Leader then it gets the counter from the Beetle but that is it.
A creature spell is only considered a spell when it is on the stack. On the battlefield it is referred to as a creature permanent and if it is not on the stack or on the battlefield it is a creature card. This is true for other cards as well. IE planeswalker spell / permanent / card.
It is also noted an instant/sorcery is never considered a permanent.
March 27, 2020 5:53 a.m.