Does Trail of Mystery or Secret Plans use the stack?
Asked by piebandit 9 years ago
I have Trail of Mystery & Secret Plans in play,and a morphed Icefeather Aven. If I flip the Aven, it gains +2/+2 from the Trail and I draw a card from the plans. I want to understand if these use the stack, and if they can be responded to.
For example, can the Icefeather Aven be targeted with a Bile Blight before the +2/+2 from trail resolves (assuming the flip has already occurred)? Can Hero's Downfall kill the Aven before the draw ability of Secret Plans triggers?
So, just to clarify, the spell put on the stack would resolve before the +2/+2?
November 21, 2014 12:46 p.m.
billpasdmf says... #3
If Bile Blight is cast in response to the +2 trigger from Trail of Mystery, then Bile Blight will resolve first and Icefeather Aven will die.
November 21, 2014 12:50 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #4
Turning a face-down creature face-up and paying the morph cost is a special action that doesn't use the stack. Triggered abilities - abilities that start with "when", "whenever", or "at" - always use the stack, and can be responded to.
The +2/+2 from Trail of Mystery and the card draw from Secret Plans come from triggered abilities. They trigger when Icefeather Aven is turned face up, and killing the Aven in response won't go back and remove the triggers from the stack. If the Aven does get killed then the Trail trigger will end up doing nothing, but the Plans trigger will still give you a card.
November 21, 2014 12:51 p.m.
GreatSword says... #5
Yes. The +2/+2 bonus from Trail of Mystery is a triggered ability (uses the words "when/whenever/at") so it uses the stack to resolve.
nighthawk101 says... #1
Morphing a creature face up does not use the stack and cannot be responded to. However, the triggered abilitis will then be placed on the stack and can be responded to.
It's worth noting that you will draw a card from Secret Plans even if Icefeather Aven is killed.
November 21, 2014 11:46 a.m.