#special actions

[magicjudge]

With regards to Volrath’s Curse and other similar old cards, when exactly can I sacrifice a permanent to ignore the effect? Can this be used as just a free repeatable sacrifice engine?

Paying to ignore these effects is a type of special action. This means that you have to have priority to make the payment, but doing so doesn't use the stack.

Since these effects are ongoing, the ability to pay them doesn't go away and so you can use Volrath's Curse as a free sacrifice outlet if you really want to.

[magicjudge]

Why are you only allowed to Suspend a sorcery like Rift Bolt at sorcery speed? Is Suspend not an ability, or is it an ability subject to special rules?

Suspending a card is a special action. You can suspend a card at any time that you could begin to cast that card. Normally this is only any time you could cast a sorcery, as all cards with Suspend are creatures, artifacts, or sorceries. However, if you’re allowed to cast a card as though it had flash, then you can suspend that card any time you have priority.

[magicjudge]

Can training grounds reduce the cost to morph a creature face-up?

No.

Morph isn’t an activated ability. Turning a creature face up for its morph cost is a special action. This means that Training Grounds’s effect doesn’t apply to morph costs.

Morph can’t be an activated ability because if it were, then you would never be able to activate it since the creature doesn’t have the ability when it’s face down.

[judgecast]

New Post has been published on JudgeCast

JudgeCast #184 - What are Special Actions?

http://judgecast.com/archives/1170

This episode we tackle special actions in the Comp Rules. They’re not just for Leonin Arbiter anymore!

Other rules episodes we referenced: Steps of casting a spell (JC #71) http://judgecast.com/archives/531 Morph (JC #99) http://judgecast.com/archives/707 State-Based Actions (JC #147) http://judgecast.com/archives/974

[magicjudge]

I'm interested in how split second works with abilities like morph, could you help explain this to me? Thanks for all your help in all of our questions! You are amazing!!

Turning a face down creature face up for its morph cost (or its mana cost if manifested) is a special action. Special actions don’t use the stack and they’re not spells or abilities and so split second can’t stop them from happening.

[magicjudge]

Hello again! Earlier i inquired about studying rules since I would like to be a judge and you said to ask away, so here's one. 115.2e states that suspend is a special action,does this mean I cannot respond to a card being put into exile from suspend?

Correct.

When you suspend a card from your hand (whenever you could normally begin to cast that spell), you need to have priority, but suspending the card doesn’t use the stack so it just happens and you immediately have priority again.

[magicjudge]

If I have a Leonin arbiter and use ghost quarters sacrifice ability targeting one of their two untapped lands when they pay the two mana to be able to search, does priority come back to me? I'm asking because in a matchup I attempted to path to exile a blighted agent when they payed the two mana and they said they still get to search for their basic land before my path and used vines of the recluse to save their blighted agent. Is this correct?

Taking a special action like paying for Leonin Arbiter doesn’t use the stack, but it does allow for another set of priority passes.