Nether Spirit Questions

[Melman]

I've got a couple of nether spirit questions that I think I've answered but would like to double check:

Situation 1: I have a smokestack/braids/contamination in play, and a nether spirit in the graveyard. I can bring back the spirit and then sac it to the effect, correct? Does this work with Abyss (I was thinking no, due to the targeting nature)

Situation 2: I have one of the above in play (Stack/braids/contam/abyss) and a spirit in play. Can I sac the spirit and get the spirit back in the same turn? I'm thinking no, but am unsure because I didn't know if the spirit's ability triggered even if it wasn't in your gy, and then didn't do anything, unless you get it to your gy before it resolved. Sounds a little convoluted though.

Situation 3: Not directly spirit related, but assuming I have an abyss and a smokestack out, during my opponents upkeep, I can stack the triggers (because I control the cards) so that they have to sac creatures first (from abyss) and then the permaments (From stack/braids), right? I don't see why this wouldn't work but it has been the source of many disputes.

Thanks

[cdr]

1: You are correct. Both abilities trigger "at the beginning of your upkeep" and you control both, so you choose the order they go on the stack. If you stack Braids/etc first, the Nether Spirit's will resolve first and will be in play for you to sacrifice for the Braids/etc.

For abilities that target, like Abyss's, you choose the target as part of putting the ability on the stack, and Nether Spirit's ability will at best be on the stack at that point.

2: Nether Spirit has what's called an "intervening if" clause, and its ability will not trigger unless this condition is completely met. ", if Nether Spirit is the only creature card in your graveyard," - so if it's not both in the graveyard and the only creature in the graveyard, the ability will not trigger at all.

3: Yes, that's how it works. Again, you control both abilities (because you control both cards) and they trigger at the same time, so you choose the order they go on the stack. It doesn't matter whose turn it is.

Then on your turn you put Abyss on the stack first, and then sacrifice what you targeted with Abyss to the Smokestack. Tricky!


410. Handling Triggered Abilities

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410.3. If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, each player, in APNAP order, puts triggered abilities he or she controls on the stack in any order he or she chooses. (See rule 103.4.) Then players once again check for and resolve state-based effects until none are generated, then abilities that triggered during this process go on the stack. This process repeats until no new state-based effects are generated and no abilities trigger. Then the appropriate player gets priority.

...

410.8. Triggered abilities with a condition directly following the trigger event (for example, "When/Whenever/At [trigger], if [condition], [effect]"), check for the condition to be true as part of the trigger event; if it isn't, the ability doesn't trigger. The ability checks the condition again on resolution. If it's not satisfied, the ability does nothing. Note that this mirrors the check for legal targets. Note that this rule doesn't apply to any triggered ability with an "if" condition elsewhere within its text. This rule is referred to as the "intervening 'if' clause" rule.


Nether Spirit 1BB
Creature - Spirit
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Nether Spirit is the only creature card in your graveyard, you may return Nether Spirit to play.
2/2


Smokestack 4
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a soot counter on Smokestack.
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices a permanent for each soot counter on Smokestack.


Braids, Cabal Minion 2BB
Legendary Creature - Human Minion
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices an artifact, creature, or land.
2/2


The Abyss 3B
World Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, destroy target nonartifact creature that player controls of his or her choice. It can't be regenerated.