Transmute Artifact and Sensei's Diving Top

[Black Rain]

Can you sac top to pay the cost for transmute and then as the sacrifice is on the stack tap it to draw a card , thus "saving" the top?

[Koby]

Can you sac top to pay the cost for transmute and then as the sacrifice is on the stack tap it to draw a card , thus "saving" the top?

Transmute Artifact currently reads:

Sacrifice an artifact. If you do, search your library for an artifact card. If that card's converted mana cost is less than or equal to the sacrificed artifact's converted mana cost, put it onto the battlefield. If it's greater, you may pay {X}, where X is the difference. If you do, put it onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard. Then shuffle your library.

Since the card's effect asks to a sacrifice an artifact during its resolution, there is no opportunity to "save the top" and still sacrifice it. You cannot activate abilities during the resolution of spells. Sacrificing is a specific game action that immediately puts the card into the graveyard. If during the resolution of Transmute Artifact you cannot sacrifice an artifact (because none exist on the battlefield for you to sacrifice for instance), then Transmute Artifact has no effect.


no sac is apart of the cost for transmute artifact

This is no longer the case.

[Fade]

Transmute Artifact currently reads:

Sacrifice an artifact. If you do, search your library for an artifact card. If that card's converted mana cost is less than or equal to the sacrificed artifact's converted mana cost, put it onto the battlefield. If it's greater, you may pay {X}, where X is the difference. If you do, put it onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard. Then shuffle your library.

Since the card's effect asks to a sacrifice an artifact during its resolution, there is no opportunity to "save the top" and still sacrifice it. You cannot activate abilities during the resolution of spells.



This is no longer the case.

Thanks for the clarification