Can You Stifle a Storm Trigger?
Direct Answer: Yes, the Storm trigger can be stifled. According to the official Magic: The Gathering FAQ, if you counter the Storm trigger, no copies will be created and only the original spell will remain. Additionally, if the Storm copies are created, you can counter them individually, stopping the chain reaction of spell copying.
How Storm Triggers Work
Before we dive into whether Storm triggers can be stifled, let’s take a brief look at how they work. Storm triggers are a type of triggered ability that creates multiple copies of a spell when a certain condition is met. This can lead to an explosive chain reaction of spell copying, making it crucial to understand how to control this ability.
Why Stifling Storm Triggers is Important
Storm triggers can be incredibly powerful and game-changing, especially when combined with other cards and strategies. However, this power comes at a cost, as it can quickly get out of hand and dominate the game. Therefore, understanding how to stifle Storm triggers is crucial to maintaining a balanced and competitive game.
Can You Counter a Storm Trigger?
Yes, you can counter a Storm trigger. In fact, the Storm copies are put onto the stack and can be countered individually, just like any other spell. This means that even if the original spell that triggered the Storm ability is countered, the copies will still be created and can be targeted by counterspells.
Can You Kick a Copied Spell?
Another important aspect to consider is whether you can kick a copied spell. The answer is yes, you can kick a copied spell, but only if it’s a spell with kicker costs. If the spell doesn’t have kicker costs, you can’t kick it, even if it’s a copy.
What Spells Does Thousand-Year Storm Copy?
Thousand-Year Storm’s ability will copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets. Copies are created even if the spell that caused Thousand-Year Storm’s ability to trigger has been countered by the time that ability resolves. The copies resolve before the original spell.
Can Grapeshot Be Countered?
Grapeshot’s ability to create multiple copies of a spell can be countered. The triggered ability that creates the copies can itself be countered by anything that can counter a triggered ability. If it is countered, no copies will be put onto the stack, and you may choose new targets for any of the copies.
Table: Can You Stifle a Storm Trigger?
| Question | Answer | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Can you counter a Storm trigger? | Yes | Storm copies are put onto the stack and can be countered individually |
| Can you kick a copied spell? | Yes (if it has kicker costs) | Kicker costs apply to copied spells as well |
| What spells does Thousand-Year Storm copy? | Any instant or sorcery spell | Thousand-Year Storm’s ability copies any spell, not just one with targets |
| Can Grapeshot be countered? | Yes | Grapeshot’s ability can be countered by anything that can counter a triggered ability |
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes, you can stifle a Storm trigger by countering the triggered ability that creates the copies. This can be done by using counterspells to target the individual copies as they’re put onto the stack. Additionally, kicker costs can be used to kick copied spells, and Thousand-Year Storm’s ability will copy any instant or sorcery spell. Understanding how to control Storm triggers is crucial to maintaining a balanced and competitive game.