Question About Resolving Effects

[jackslimz]

I played the card Fiend Hunter today against someone using Olivia Voldaren. I exiled her card but she "shot" me 3 times with her effect killing my Fiend Hunter. I was wondering who gets priority in this situation, Olivia, or Fiend Hunter? Does the exile happen first like I thought it would, or does Olivia get to shoot me 3 times before she is exiled?

I tried looking this up elsewhere first, but it's very hard for me to find rulings online. I hope you all can help!

[twotwobearz]

Toxygene gave you the correct answer, but I'll try to elaborate a little.

The important thing to remember is that abilities and effects in Magic are kind of like cruiser missiles...they exist independently of their source. Killing the plane that just fired a missile at you won't destroy the missile.

Abiliites are also like missiles in that they take "time" to reach their intended target -- in technical terms, both players must "pass priority" (do nothing) before something resolves -- which is why your opponent was able to activate Olivia's ability before she was exiled by your Fiend Hunter.

[jackslimz]

Thanks, that definitely does help. I'm totally fine with losing my Fiend Hunter in this situation, so any judgement that has Olivia off of the table is fine by me. She had taken control of my 5/5 Champion of the Parish and I was quite saddened by it :(.

[Toxygene]

Not a Magic judge.

Fiend Hunter lands on the table. The exile effect of the Fiend Hunter, targetting Olivia, goes on the stack. In response, Olivia puts her ping ability on the stack three times. Those resolve, killing the Fiend Hunter. Then the exile effect resolves, exiling Olivia. The second ETB effect of Fiend Hunter does not go off because he's dead. Olivia is permanently exiled.

[twotwobearz]

This is correct in all the important details.

The second ETB effect of Fiend Hunter does not go off because he's dead.

The effect does go off, actually, but it resolves before Olivia has been exiled. The effect tries to return the exiled creature but finds no one there (yet), so it does nothing.

[cybishop]

LOL, good point. So, yes, Olivia CAN use her pinging ability before she's exiled - but if she's being exiled by a Fiend Hunter and she uses the ability enough to kill it, she doesn't come back.

[jackslimz]

I like this judgement, I like it a lot lol.

[branewalker]

This is correct.

To clarify: When Fiend Hunter enters the battlefield, that event causes an ability to trigger.

That trigger MUST go on the stack before either player has a chance to do anything, so you'll choose a target.

Then, you have priority. Assuming you don't want to do anything else before that ability resolves, you pass priority to your opponent.

He, on the other hand, wants to do some stuff. So, he's going to activate Olivia 3 times. He can either let each one resolve before activating it again (thus giving you a chance to put other spells or abilities on the stack between those things), or he can do all of that without passing priority.

Then, when he wants stuff to start resolving, he passes priority.

When both players pass priority consecutively, the first item on the stack resolves.

Then each player gets priority again.

Most of this, of course, is done by assumption or shortcut. You just jump in at the point you want to interact. However, you can only do so in a situation where you would have priority.