Can You Stack Dredge Triggers?
In Magic: The Gathering, a replacement effect is a phenomenon that can occur when drawing cards, allowing players to skip the normal drawing process and replace the drawn card with another effect. One specific example of a replacement effect is the dredge effect, which allows players to return a card from their graveyard to their hand at instant speed. But one of the most common questions regarding dredge is, "Can you stack dredge triggers?"
No, You Can’t
At first glance, it may seem like you should be able to stack dredge triggers, especially with cards like Golgari Grave-Troll, which allows you to return multiple cards from the graveyard to your hand each turn. However, due to the way the Stack works in Magic, you cannot stack dredge triggers.
Stack Order
In Magic, effects are processed in the Stack, which is a temporary area where the effects are held until a player resolves them. Cards like Golgari Grave-Troll, which allow you to dredge multiple cards, require a separate trigger for each card you’re dredging. These triggers are sent to the Stack, where they are processed individually, in the order in which they were triggered. Because dredge triggers have no inherent priority, the player can only resolve each trigger one at a time.
APNAP Order
In the cases where multiple dredge triggers occur simultaneously, the card goes to the Top of the Stack before processing the triggers. For instance, if you were to draw three cards on a single turn, triggered all three dredge creatures simultaneously, the card Top of the Stack, where the effects are put into APNAP Order (Apply Players A, Then New Player, Apply). This would cause the effects to happen one at a time.
Conclusion
In summary, while it may be tempting to stack dredge triggers, the Stack system in Magic forbids it. Each trigger has to be processed individually, on its own, and will occur in the order that the triggers were sent. Keep in mind that individual trigger priority can affect dredge trigger order, and some cards can manipulate the position of dredge triggers to be processed in a way that’s beneficial to their own gameplay.
Related Cards
Here are a few cards that can demonstrate dredge trigger stacking for clarity:
| Card | Description |
|---|---|
| Golgari Grave-Troll | Returns the top card from the grave to hand. |
| Necrotic Ooze | Grabs the top card, sacrificing it to dredge for one. |
| Griselbrand | Grabs cards, then dredges an extra card for each Grave card grabbed. |
Using these cards, you’ll understand how dredge trigger order works and how even more complex dredge activations will unfold.
Remember:
- Dredge triggers can’t be stacked.
- Each dredge trigger is processed one at a time.
- Cards with individual trigger priorities may change the order.
If you have any queries, please feel free to leave a comment below and share your thoughts on Dredge triggers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NDOxUQA6Jc