I've been reading through this forum and google for this answer for a while now, the closest I have come to my answer is the thread linked above. Specifically this answer here.   Now to the specifics of the question. I'll use  and .  Opponent attacks with Long Tusk without pumping it up, leaving it at 2/2. I do not declare any blockers. Opponent decided to pay energy to make it a 3/3. In response, I cast shock.  Does shock take effect, since its an instant, before Long Tusk becomes a 3/3?  Thanks for the help in advanced.
8772
I'm a relatively new player to Magic: the Gathering. I was reading  to try to understand exactly when it's okay to cast instants (e.g. ) and use some abilities (e.g.  should be tappable sometime during other peoples' turns), but I don't seem to be making much progress: as I come to understand some things, others make less sense.  My confusion is boundless  For instance: to cast  one needs priority. Spells go on the stack, and priority gets passed at some points (I have no idea when), and effects on the stack are resolved when both players have passed priority. But when is that? I can't find any mention of when the other player gets the priority to cast an instant, except on their own turn. Furthermore,  states that during the Main Phase:     505.4. Second, the active player gets priority. Players may cast spells and activate abilities. The active player may play a land.   So players (plural) may cast spells, but only the active player has priority, so only the active player can cast an instant. The turn rules, and the rules on , never mention any point at which the other player gets priority, so when can they possibly Cancel?  In addition, you can only cast a spell when the stack is empty, so the entire stack must be able to be resolved in your turn at some point.  I need an explanation!  I could go on a bit more. There is also  which can be overloaded to "Counter each spell you don't control", which seems like it could only possibly work with an understanding of the stack.  Could someone explain, in simple English:   When can Instants be cast? When can tap abilities be used? What do Instants and abilities have to do with the Stack and Priority?
34142
I cast , sacrificing my only creature to kill my opponent.  My opponent responds with , which will win the game the other way.  Last Word says "This spell can't be countered."  What else can I do about it besides countering it to prevent my plans from being foiled?  (I'd really like to have the last word here.)    Historic Note: before of the April 2018 rules change, uncounterable spells with targets used to actually have different wording (still visible on the printed cards) implying that they still could be countered.  For example, Last Word said:     Last Word can't be countered by spells or abilities.   Meanwhile Akroma, Angel of Fury said:     Akroma, Angel of Fury can't be countered.
64591
If I attack with a  (2/3 deathtouch and lifelink) and my opponent blocks with a creature that's a 3/3 (no abilities), does my Gifted Aetherborn die?   Without deathtouch it would, but since the Gifted Aetherborn only needs to deal 1 damage to kill the other creature, he should live, correct?
55878
One of my players is constantly bugging me about using Enlarge/Reduce to reduce a boulder to a smaller size and then hurl it via the spell Catapult, cancel the concentration on Enlarge/Reduce before the impact, and let the enemy be smashed by a much bigger one.  Can the Enlarge/Reduce and Catapult spells be combined in this way?
72113
Assume I wield a Whip in one hand and a dagger in the other.  If a creature moves from 5ft to 10ft it has technically moved out of my reach (dagger), but at the same time it is still inside my reach (whip). When does it provoke opportunity attacks from me?  I am fully aware that this would not enable me to make off-hand attacks since the whip is not a light weapon, just to cut that issue out of the question.
79866
So here is one I wish to know:   I use Tri-Gate second effect, which allows me to target and banish one card on the field. Then I link that with another monster to bring out another link. Tri-Gate would be in the graveyard but then I use transcodes effect (1 of the 3 co-links) to bring it back from the graveyard.   Can I use the second effect again?
40071
Example 1) Let's say I have some random creature with protection from white, and my opponent plays , a white card with the effect "Destroy all creatures." Can my creature with protection from white be destroyed by a white card that isn't actually targeting it specifically?  Example 2) I was playing a match with a friend where I had  on the field against his 3 zombies. Is he able to declare his zombies as blockers even though Elite Inquisitor has "protection" from zombies?  If he can declare them as blockers, does protection mean that no damage is dealt by the zombies to  Elite Inquisitor?
75872
I was playing a game earlier and my opponent had a  that was a 4/3 and wanted to use a sorcery to fight  that was a 4/4.  We were wondering if the Channeler would die first because of First Strike? Or would it not be counted as it wasn't combat?
71090
I have two examples of different scenarios that are confusing to me.  First, if I have a 1/1 creature with first strike and deathtouch, and my opponent blocks it with a 2/2 creature, will my creature die? I can see two alternative ways this could play out and I'm not sure which is correct.   My creature deals his first strike damage, immediately killing the opponent's creature before he is able to deal combat damage as a state-based effect. My creature deals his first strike damage, which would normally be lethal due to deathtouch, but state-based effects are not checked, and thus the opposing creature deals his damage and both die.   I'm almost positive in this case that it's the first option above.  What gets trickier is, for example, if a creature has first strike and a triggered ability "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a creature, return that creature to its owner's hand."  This is not a state-based effect, but rather uses the stack. Similar to above, there are two possibilities.   My creature deals his first strike damage, and his triggered ability is placed on the stack. The stack waits to resolve until after all combat damage is dealt, so the opposing creature still kills mine. My creature deals his first strike damage, and his triggered ability is placed on the stack. Both players now gain priority between first strike and combat damage (which I don't think normally happens, thus my confusion). The stack finishes resolving, and the opponent's creature doesn't have a chance to deal damage.   Can someone clarify this area of the rules?
80959
The  feat enables you to not get opportunity attacks from creatures you try to attack.  Does it still apply if the attack you made was a Grapple or Shove ?
119255
When I attack with a first strike creature, does it deal combat damage before normal combat damage is dealt?  Specifically, if I attack with  (has first strike and "Whenever Drana, Liberator of Malakir deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on each attacking creature you control.") and 5 other creatures with no counters on them, do I deal damage equal to the creatures' total power or damage equal to the creatures' total power + 5?
64597
When you press down the right stick to counter the attack, do you just press it, repeatedly press it, or press and hold? I've been knifed a few times from the front and each time I try to counter I fail. Also, if you believe you are about to be knifed and hold down the right stick until you are knifed, will that counter an attack, or do you have to press it down just at the right time?
6096
I have recently began playing a deck that has a number of creatures with lifelink in it.  I want to be certain I understand the mechanic and the following question occurred to me.  Which damage total do you use to determine the life gain from lifelink?  I had assumed that if  a 3/3 creature with lifelink was blocked by a 2/2 creature that the life gain total would be 2, the maximum that the blocker can absorb before dying.  This seems to be incorrect, as when I read the example attached to CR 119.4c      [...] attacks with a 3/3 creature with wither and lifelink. It’s blocked by a 2/2 creature, [...]. The damage event starts out as [3 damage is dealt to the 2/2 creature, 2 damage is dealt to the 3/3 creature]   Have I been short changing myself?
16268
I was guessing, since you actually target things instead of just dealing damage (similar to ), 's triggered abilities would actually go on the stack.  This came up in a separate game this past Friday when the Sliver deck attacked with two s, one , and two s while his opponent had a  as well as some 2/2.  The reason this even came up was because, if the triggers went on the stack, you could target things so they resolve in the following order:   Predatory Sliver targets Blood Artist, killing it. Predatory Sliver targets the 2/2, dealing one damage to it. Thorncaster Sliver targets the 2/2, killing it. and 5. Both Manaweft Slivers target the player, dealing one damage each to him.
6295
In Magic:The Gathering it is possible to trigger abilities of creatures at the same time you can play instants?  I play it that I can block with a creature and sacrifice it at the same time. The attacking creature blocked this ways does not deal damage because the blocking creature is gone - and I get the bonus for the sacrifice (e.g.  gives me an extra B-Mana).  In a recent discussion the topic came up again. It seems like the rulings even allow for the blocking player to wait until the damage is put on the stack. Once the damage is on the stack, I can sacrifice my creature, gain the benefits from the sacrifice ability AND deal damage to the attacking create. In my Blood Pet example I would be able to kill an attacking creature with toughness 1 and get 1 B-Mana.  Is this correct? Where can I find the official ruling that clarifies that?
536
The text for  says:     {1}{G}, {T} : Target creature you control fights another target creature. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)   Does this have anything to do with combat? Or is it just direct damage between two creatures? For example, can one of the creatures have defender? Or what if one of them is tapped?   I've been assuming it is more like the damage dealt by a .  Also: are the two creatures then “tapped” until their next untap step? ie: could you use Ulenvald Tracker to make two creatures fight in your pre-combat step, then enter the combat phase with a creature who just “fought” untapped? Could you make two creatures fight who are both tapped?
59176
If I were to attack with a 4/4 indestructible creature and it's blocked by a 4/2 creature with first strike, would my indestructible creature still attack during the second combat damage step, or would it just tap, not assigning any damage?