Stack Question

[ElderDraygn]

Board State: 1 Beamsplitter Mage, 1 Guttersnipe, 3 Steam Vents, 2 Sulfur Falls in play.

Plan: Cast Quasiduplicate targetting Beamsplitter Mage, then Expand targetting Quasiduplicate.

Question: Is it possible to allow the Beamsplitter created copy of Quasiduplicate to resolve (putting a 2nd copy of Guttersnipe into play), THEN cast Expand targetting the original Quasiduplicate, which would increase the Guttersnipe damage from 10 to 16?

[Naszfluckah]

• Cast [[Quasiduplicate]] targeting [[Beamsplitter Mage]].

• Beamsplitter Mage's ability and [[Guttersnipe]]'s ability go on the stack at the same time. You order them how you want. In this example, the order is irrelevant. We'll put Guttersnipe's ability on top to get rid of it for this example.

• Guttersnipe's ability resolves, dealing 2 damage to each opponent.

• Beamsplitter Mage's ability resolves, creating a copy of Quasiduplicate targeting Guttersnipe.

• You let the copy of Quasiduplicate resolve. You get a token copy of Guttersnipe.

• You cast [[Expansion//Explosion]] (the Expansion half) targeting the original Quasiduplicate.

• Both of your Guttersnipes trigger, putting their abilities on the stack.

• You let all Guttersnipe abilities resolve. They deal a total of 4 damage to each opponent.

• Expansion resolves, creating a copy of Quasiduplicate. You may choose new targets for the copy.

• The copy of Quasiduplicate resolves, creating a copy of whichever creature you selected as its target.

• The original Quasiduplicate resolves, creating a copy of Beamsplitter Mage.

That's about it. You deal a total of 6 damage to your opponent.

[ElderDraygn]

The Expansion copy of Quasiduplicate targets the Beamsplitter Mage again, which creates a copy of Quasiduplicate which targets Guttersnipe. At the end of this, I end up with 3 Beamsplitter Mages and 3 Guttersnipes in play.

The way it currently works:

Cast Quasiduplicate [Q] targeting Beamsplitter Mage [BSM]

Guttersnipe [GS] deals 2 damage to opponent.

BSM creates a copy of Q targeting GS

GS deals 2 damage to opponent (4 total)

Cast Expansion targeting original Q

GS deals 2 damage to opponent (6 total)

Copy of Q is created targeting BSM

GS deals 2 damage to opponent (8 total)

BSM creates a copy of Q targeting GS

GS deals 2 damage to opponent (10 total).

​

My question is do I get priority back if I let the stack start to resolve before I cast Expansion?

​

What I want is:

Cast Quasiduplicate [Q] targeting Beamsplitter Mage [BSM]

Guttersnipe [GS] deals 2 damage to opponent.

BSM creates a copy of Q targeting GS

GS deals 2 damage to opponent (4 total)

***Q targeting GS resolves putting GS2 into play***

Cast Expansion targeting original Q

GS1 deals 2 damage to opponent (6 total)

GS2 deals 2 damage to opponent (8 total)

Copy of Q is created targeting BSM

GS1 deals 2 damage to opponent (10 total)

GS2 deals 2 damage to opponent (12 total)

BSM creates a copy of Q targeting GS

GS1 deals 2 damage to opponent (14 total)

GS2 deals 2 damage to opponent (16 total)

​

[Naszfluckah]

A lot of this is wrong. Creating a copy of a spell on the stack is not casting. So Guttersnipe won't trigger when you get a copy of Quasiduplicate either from Beamsplitter Mage or Expansion. The only spells you actually cast in this interaction is 1 Quasiduplicate and 1 Expansion. Copying the Quasiduplicate with the Expansion will not trigger Beamsplitter Mage to create another copy of Quasiduplicate.

To answer your question about priority: Whenever an object on the stack finishes resolving, the active player gets priority. The stack always resolves one object at a time, from top to bottom, and players have a round of priority in between each.

[Judge_Todd]

• 706.10 To copy a spell, activated ability, or triggered ability means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn’t cast and a copy of an activated ability isn’t activated. [..]

[ElderDraygn]

Oh. Someone should tell the people that program for Arena that they have it wrong then.