EPlague question...

[Peter_Rotten]

Here's the situation that I hope to get some clearing up on:

I have Putrid Imp (a Zombie Imp) in play. The opponent casts Engineered Plague and "let" it into play. He names Zombies and I think my Imp is safe because I'm a dumb-ass. However, realizing that Imp is a Zombie, I kick my self repeatedly and bury it. Another player said that I could have still used the Imp's discard ability in response to my opponent naming Zombie. I wasn't sure but didn't think so. Can anyone clear up the ruling?

We were particulary confused since the opponent had the old Plagues with the older wording of "when it comes into play." The newer wording is "as it comes into play" if that makes any difference.

[Media314r8]

You cannot, just as you cannot brainstorm after someone names the card they are cabal therapy-ing you for, or blow deed after needle comes down and they name deed. Naming is part of the resolution of the spell, and thus you do not receive priority until the permanent is in play, and in this case, your zombie imp in the bin. Any responses to such cards must be made with the spell still on the stack.

You cannot have your cake and eat it to, no matter how delicious it may be.

EDIT: the oracle text is what matters, not what is printed on the card. (unless you can cheaty-face R&D's Secret Lair into play) The oracle wording is 'AS,' which signifies a static ability, which, again, cannot be responded to.

EDIT2: Ew, delicious zombie imp cake? Has anyone else been listening to the 'Nightmare (before christmas) Revisited' CD?

[darkalucard]

Yeah I knew you couldn't respond but when I re-read it I was confused b/c it's was worded as a "come-into-play" ability. Obviously now that we all checked oracle text it's a "static" ability. And obviously static abilities do not use the stack so you don't receive priority.

[Jaiminho]

Even if it was worded "when it comes into play", the naming would only happen when that trigger was resolving and, after the name was chosen, nothing could've been done. Since that's not how it is worded, nevermind.

That "as it comes into play" ability is a static ability that defines a replacement effect for that permanent coming into play. It means that will happen as part of the effect that put it into play.

Yeah I knew you couldn't respond but when I re-read it I was confused b/c it's was worded as a "come-into-play" ability. Obviously now that we all checked oracle text it's a "static" ability. And obviously static abilities do not use the stack so you don't receive priority.

There's no such thing as "static abilities do not use the stack". It's more like replacement effects don't use the stack to replace events.

[darkalucard]

Obviously but if it was a triggered ability since he never said "ok" to pass priority for it to resolve oh well that he named it b/c it would be his fault for moving ahead without making sure his opponent didn't have a response. (Just like people that play cabal therapy and name a card before it resolves. And I'm not saying that they couldn't take it back if he did respond.)

But static abilities still don't use the stack and a replacement ability is still a static ability that doesn't use the stack...

[Anusien]

There's no such thing as "static abilities do not use the stack". It's more like replacement effects don't use the stack to replace events.

Well static abilities don't use the stack, it's true. But they don't "resolve" in the same way activated or triggered abilities do. They're just characteristics of objects.

Media314r8 and Jaiminho got it right; you can't respond by the time the thing is named, much in the same way you have to respond before your opponent names your fetchland with Pithing Needle.