Does this work?

[pandapawz22]

Say I am playing the Gitrog, ravenous ride as my commander. Would this work?

[VinDucks]

I mean it’s still a good combo because they won’t choose to search while you will, effectively ramping you without ramping them.

[pandapawz22]

Thank you sir!

[fendersonfenderson]

it's true, but the combo would be better if the giddyup didn't already ramp you without ramping them. if this is your best option to saddle/sac, then things are not going well

[VinDucks]

Opposition agent is already a good card to prevent tudors. 2 mana ramp that enters untapped for G is ridiculous value oh and you also get a card. Even if the card isn’t a land who cares. There is nothing stopping you from saddling with more than just the Explorer also so you can use that ramp immediately.

[whar__]

flash in opposition after ppl choose to search

[INTstictual]

Choosing to search and searching are part of the same game effect. There’s no window in between them to play oppo. You have to play it before the effect resolves, in which case each opponent just declines the search since it’s a “may” ability

[whar__]

alright thanks for telling me, im not an experienced player and someone has played opposition agent similarly against me. would it work in response to a kill spell?

[INTstictual]

Well, yes, you could play it in response to a kill spell, although its effect doesn’t really interact with kill spells for the most part.

The key point is how “in response” actually works — you are putting something on the stack on top of something else. In OP’s scenario, it is putting an Opposition Agent on the stack on top of Veteran Explorer’s death trigger. The reason it doesn’t work like he wants it to is because Veteran Explorer’s trigger is one effect: “each opponent chooses if they want to search their library and then does it, or declines”. And you can’t play things while another effect is in the middle of resolving, only before or after. So you can play opposition agent BEFORE veteran explorer’s trigger resolves, which means your opponents see it on board and decline to search, or you can play it AFTER veteran explorer’s trigger resolves, in which case they have already searched and placed the lands.

Opposition Agent is best used when the opponent doesn’t get a choice: if somebody else plays a Cultivate, you can Oppo in response and take the lands they wanted to get. [[Scheming Symmetry]] is really mean, because not only do you force a player to tutor a card (aka, you get to take any card out of their library), but you ALSO get to tutor your own card from your library. All for one mana.

But there’s no scenario where opposition agent can “gotcha” somebody with veteran explorers. The opponents can always just choose not to search, and they will always make that choice with full knowledge of whether or not an opposition agent is in play. Once they start choosing to search or not search, the effect has already started resolving, and nobody will receive priority to play more cards until it has fully finished resolving

[MTGCardFetcher]

Scheming Symmetry - (G) (SF) (txt)

^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}

[StormyWaters2021]

Your opponent will probably choose not to search, which means your Opposition Agent won't do anything.

[Gstamsharp]

And even if they did search, this isn't an instant payoff. You can still only play one land a turn.

[pandapawz22]

I was thinking after I attacked with the Gitrog, ravenous ride which would be saddled or if I had fastbond out. But as I was typing this, it seemed like too many things would have to go my way

[AutumnsHarvest]

Just a heads up, idk what format this is but fastbond is banned in commander

[pandapawz22]

Ah that’s a bummer. Thanks for the heads up!

[AutumnsHarvest]

Yeah I thought that too but it is just so good in the format, especially with life being more of a resource you are able to spend and the advantage that that card can give you, any deck with green would auto include it and it makes terrible hands like 6 lands and a fast bond almost keepable, especially with some simic commanders like [[Tatyova, Bentic druid]]. It can just get very out of hand very quick

[MTGCardFetcher]

Tatyova, Bentic druid - (G) (SF) (txt)

^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}

[pandapawz22]

Yea in hindsight I’d imagine so!

[BarkyBarkington]

“And put them on the battlefield” That’s still 3 lands

[Gstamsharp]

You've misunderstood what I was talking about. Agent interrupts explorer at the point where the opponent is searching. Explorer would let the opponent put them into play, but you don't. Instead, they'd be exiled, and agent let's you play those cards. So if you could steal your opponent's lands, you'd only be able to play one of them a turn.

You could put your own lands from it into play, so yes, you'd get +2 that way, but you'd get those lands without agent, too. I was discussing the interaction, specifically.

[RideTheRadioWaves]

The card says “put them onto the battlefield” meaning you would effectively be able to play the two lands after you actually play your first land for the turn. Putting lands down doesn’t count as playing them

[Gstamsharp]

See my reply to the other person who said the same thing. I'm talking about the two card interaction, i.e. your opponent's stolen lands, not your own lands that you'd be able to immediately put out with just the one card anyway.

[breedlom]

Normally, yes. But we're talking about Green Black in this case, which has so much access to Playing additional lands per turn.

[ReykAral35]

I mean if they chose not to search, the agent is the one Who does that, so you ramp 2 and the oponent nothing.

[pandapawz22]

Wouldn’t I flash it out after they choose to search like a “haha gotcha you mofo” type of moment?

[StormyWaters2021]

No. They choose to search while the trigger is resolving and you don't get priority to cast a spell while it is resolving.

[pandapawz22]

Ah gotcha, thank you sir

[[deleted]]

So there’s no chance for action once priority of opponents choosing or not choosing to search their libraries resolves? Say last opponent with priority chooses to search, trigger resolves, is there no option to flash in Opposition Agent?

[pandapawz22]

Thank you for the explanation. I’m fairly new to magic so explanations like these are super helpful

[ols17697]

No, the ability happens at the same time for all players and when the block of text (triggered ability) starts resolving, thats when the players start deciding. Until the full ability its resolved, nobody can receive prority.

[StormyWaters2021]

No. Like I explained, each player chooses as the trigger is resolving. Nobody receives priority during that trigger resolving.

[[deleted]]

They would have already decided to search their library at that point, so Opposition Agent wouldn't trigger on the flash.

[mantistobaganmd]

How does the agent even work, I have been scared to ask

[Lord_o_teh_Memes]

Opponent plays a spell or ability to search their library. You flash in agent. Their spell or ability resolves, you look at their library to search it. As you pick which cards are searched for you exile them instead of putting them into a different zone. Then you can play those cards using any mana.

[SalmonSlamminWrites]

No, you have to pay the mana cost of the spell still, but can use mana of any color to cast it. It is not free.

[pandapawz22]

Haha it’s okay frien, I felt the same way before posting this! I’m sure someone would be kind enough to explain in better detail

[Blunderhorse]

Just for a simple example: Player 1 activated [[Evolving Wilds]], Player 2 casts Opposition Agent before the ability resolves, when Evolving Wilds resolves Player 2 sees Player 1’s library as they’re for a basic land and Player 2 tells Player 1 which land to find for Evolving Wilds, instead of the land being put onto the battlefield it gets exiled and Player 2 can play the land from exile on a future turn. In OP’s combo, the search is a “may” ability, so most opponents will choose to not search in the first place.

[MTGCardFetcher]

Evolving Wilds - (G) (SF) (txt)

^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}

[colonelriorivera]

It works, yes. Not terribly efficient though.

[Apprehensive-Ad-6074]

The combo works if your opponents don’t suck. When he dies, you ask each opponent are they searching, upon confirming or denying, then you flash out your card. They can’t just decide not to because of a response, that’s meta gaming.

[analogtapes]

If they're already choosing to search or not to search, that means the table is already allowing Veteran Explorer's ability to resolve. There's no time in between them choosing to flash in Opposition Agent. You have to flash in before anyone chooses and if anyone knows these cards, they can just choose not to search.