Triggered costs

[Zinch]

Is the "cost" of a triggered ability payed when it triggers or when it resolves??

For example: I'm playing against landstill and he has a standstill in play. I play a spell and the standstill triggers. It is sacrified right away or in resolution??
Or, can I then play an instant without it triggering again??

[Skeggi]

To use your example: Standstill's trigger says "When a player plays a spell, sacrifice Standstill".

So, if Standstill is in play, and I play, for instance an Armageddon. Standstill triggers. The stack is as follows:

"Sacrifice Standstill"
"Destroy all Lands"

Now we're going to resolve the stack, taking the effect thay lays on top first. So first we sacrifice Standstill; now all my opponents (I played the Armageddon) draw three cards. Now we're going to resolve the Armageddon and destroy all lands.

Here's a little extra ruling on Standstill to clarify some things:


It only works once. If someone plays another spell after it triggers, but before that trigger resolves, then it will trigger again. The first time one of these triggers resolves, it will be sacrificed for the full effect. Any additional triggers on the stack will do nothing when they resolve because you will be unable to sacrifice it additional times. [Odyssey FAQ 2001/10/04]


Scenario 2:

Standstill is in play, and I play an Armageddon. You don't want all your Mishra's Factories to die, so you play Force of Will. Here is what the stack looks like:

"Sacrifice Standstill"
"Counter target spell"
"Sacrifice Standstill"
"Destroy all lands"

Let's start resolving. The first effect that resolves is "Sacrifice Standstill". The card it triggered on is Force of Will. Therefor all the opponents of the person who played Force of Will get to draw three cards. Now Counter target spell resolves; removing "Destroy all lands" from the stack (and incidentally, moves Armageddon to the graveyard). The only thing left now, is "Sacrifice Standstill" but this cannot happen since it has already been done. No cards for the opponents of the player who tried to cast Armageddon.

So in short: I get 3 cards, you keep your Factories (and other lands).

[Zinch]

It only works once. If someone plays another spell after it triggers, but before that trigger resolves, then it will trigger again. The first time one of these triggers resolves, it will be sacrificed for the full effect. Any additional triggers on the stack will do nothing when they resolve because you will be unable to sacrifice it additional times. [Odyssey FAQ 2001/10/04]

Well, this is what i was asking. Thank you

[thefreakaccident]

To use your example: Standstill's trigger says "When a player plays a spell, sacrifice Standstill".

So, if Standstill is in play, and I play, for instance an Armageddon. Standstill triggers. The stack is as follows:

"Sacrifice Standstill"
"Destroy all Lands"

Now we're going to resolve the stack, taking the effect thay lays on top first. So first we sacrifice Standstill; now all my opponents (I played the Armageddon) draw three cards. Now we're going to resolve the Armageddon and destroy all lands.

Here's a little extra ruling on Standstill to clarify some things:



Scenario 2:

Standstill is in play, and I play an Armageddon. You don't want all your Mishra's Factories to die, so you play Force of Will. Here is what the stack looks like:

"Sacrifice Standstill"
"Counter target spell"
"Sacrifice Standstill"
"Destroy all lands"

Let's start resolving. The first effect that resolves is "Sacrifice Standstill". The card it triggered on is Force of Will. Therefor all the opponents of the person who played Force of Will get to draw three cards. Now Counter target spell resolves; removing "Destroy all lands" from the stack (and incidentally, moves Armageddon to the graveyard). The only thing left now, is "Sacrifice Standstill" but this cannot happen since it has already been done. No cards for the opponents of the player who tried to cast Armageddon.

So in short: I get 3 cards, you keep your Factories (and other lands).



Why would anyone ever do that?!

This scenario makes no sense, as you would want to let the standstill trigger resolve, then counter...

Reading you say that you would play a FoW before the SS trigger resolved totally fucked my mind.

[Pinder]

Incidentally, for triggered abilities that require you to pay mana (a la Iron Star or Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale or something), you pay the mana as the triggered ability resolves.

[quicksilver]

Triggered abilities do not and cannot have costs. Everything happens during the resolution of the trigger.

[Anusien]

So for something like Lightning Rift, you don't choose whether to pay or not until the trigger resolves, but you do choose the target when it's put on the stack.

[Metaknight]

Why would anyone ever do that?!

This scenario makes no sense, as you would want to let the standstill trigger resolve, then counter...

Reading you say that you would play a FoW before the SS trigger resolved totally fucked my mind.

happened at Gen con. A player was playing landstill and the other was playing black thresh. the landstill player had a standstill in play. The thresh player played a Mr. T and tryed to stifle the Standstills triggered ability. the Landstill player counterspelled the stifle...