Newbie Question: Loxodon Mystic

[Artificer]

Please be advice that I am a newbie to MTG so please be patient with
me. I would like to know if when somebody declare a creature as
attacker I still have time to put the Loxodon Mystic ability on the
stack to tap the creature and prevent it from attacking.

Follow the link for reference:

http://ww2.wizards.com/Gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?name=Loxodon_Mystic

[l0ne]

Post by Artificer
I would like to know if when somebody declare a creature as
attacker I still have time to put the Loxodon Mystic ability on the
stack to tap the creature and prevent it from attacking.

If I were to interpret you literally (in the sense of: "my opponent has
ALREADY DECLARED attackers"), then, no. Once a creature is declared as
an attacker it can be tapped or untapped any number of times without it
stopping being an attacker.

The Loxodon Mystic CAN be, however, used to prevent a creature from
attacking if it is used BEFORE the attackers are declared. This can be
done any time after the opponent untaps, but before he declares
attackers. This means you can tap the creature in your opponent's Upkeep
step, Draw step, Precombat main phase or, after Combat has begun, in the
Beginning of Combat step, which is the last moment you have where you
can do so (when it ends, the game enters the Declare Attackers step,
where your opponent declares attackers and then instants and abilities
can be played -- too late to use it here).

In short: you cannot have your opponent say "I attack with Grizzly
Bears" and say "I tap your Grizzly Bears to stop them from attacking" --
too late! But you can tap the Grizzly Bears *before* he gets the choice
of attackers, and he won't be able to attack with them when he chooses.

[Artificer]

Thanks

[David DeLaney]

Post by Artificer
Please be advice that I am a newbie to MTG so please be patient with
me. I would like to know if when somebody declare a creature as
attacker I still have time to put the Loxodon Mystic ability on the
stack to tap the creature and prevent it from attacking.

No. Though the reasons why are somewhat complex - essentially, you're trying
to do this at the wrong time, and to use info you can't have access to yet.

Loxodon Mystic 3WW Creature - Elephant Cleric
3/3 W,Tap: Tap target creature.

First off: _At the time_ someone is declaring attackers, nobody has priority
at all, and no spells or abilities can be added to the stack at all by anyone
(or resolved either); the stack is always empty at this time. (Same for
declaring blockers.) This is because this is done as a step of Combat phase
is _beginning_, and is an action mandated by the rules to be done as the
step starts. (If that makes sense...)

So if you're going to try to tap an attacker, you have to either do it BEFORE
attackers are declared at all ... or AFTER attackers are completely and fully
declared and are already all tapped. The latter isn't what you're looking for
- because tapping or untapping an attacker or blocker does NOT remove it from
combat in any way. So you could wait until after attackers were declared and
you knew what was attacking, then use the Mystic on an attacker ... but that
won't remove the attacker from combat, and in most cases won't actually do
anything visible to the already-tapped attacker. (Attackers with Vigilance
won't have tapped to attack, so could get tapped by the Mystic ability - but
this just changes them from an untapped attacker to a tapped attacker, if you
see what I mean.)

So we're left with doing things before attackers are declared. Which is
perfectly possible ... Combat phase has five steps, and declaring attackers
is done as step 2, declare-attackers step, is starting. (Declaring blockers
is done as step 3, declare-blockers step, starts; much of this analysis also
applies similarly to "what if I want to tap a creature with the Mystic so it
can't become a blocker?".) And any step or phase in which players get priority
at all? Can't _end_ until both (or all) players pass in succession with the
stack empty. That means, effectively, that active player CANNOT "rush ahead
to the attack" unilaterally; if opponent wants to do something during Main
phase before Combat starts at all, they must be given the chance to. And if
opponent wants to do something during step 1 of Combat, beginning-of-combat
step, after Combat phase starts but before attackers are declared? They must
be given the chance to as well.

In short - you will generally have the chance to use your Mystic either during
Main phase, before Combat starts at all - but in this case active player can
still cast a creature spell with Haste, use a Sorcery spell to untap the
creature, etc. ... or you can wait a moment and get the chance to use your
Mystic during beginning-of-combat step, before attackers are declared.
However: notice that BOTH of these opportunities are BEFORE ATTACKERS ARE
DECLARED at all - you will NOT yet know which creatures are actually going to
attack at either of these opportunities. The timing works out so that you
CANNOT "wait to see what will be attacking, and THEN 'jump in' to try to tap
one of them after you know what is attacking but before it can attack" - Magic
isn't a game of Slap, you can't just yell that you want to do something and
have it done on the spot.

So what you _said_ you were trying to do? Can't be done. (Sorry.) Once someone
is actually declaring attackers, it's too late to try to tap something before
attackers are declared... but they are NOT allowed to "rush into" their attack,
or into declaring their attackers, to deny you the chance to use your Mystic
in Main phase or in beginning-of-combat step. Polite players, seeing a Mystic
or an Icy Manipulator or the like on the board [and knowledgeable polite
players, knowing you might have a Twiddle spell or the like in your hand where
they can't see it] will phrase things like "I want to attack now. Anything?"
(to make sure you had the chance before Main phase ended) and "Okay, attacking;
anything before I declare attackers?" (to make sure you had the chance in step
1 of Combat), rather than "Okay, I'm attacking now with this and this and...".
If they -do- rush ahead in the latter way, you are within your rights to say
"Wait. Hold on, I had something to do before we got to <time>." and have them
realize that they are too far ahead in the turn.

Dave

[Zoe Stephenson]

Post by Artificer
I would like to know if when somebody declare a creature as
attacker I still have time to put the Loxodon Mystic ability on the
stack to tap the creature and prevent it from attacking.

Loxodon Mystic {3}{W}{W} Creature - Elephant Cleric 3/3
/ {W}, {T}: Tap target creature.

Technically, using the steps you used in your question, no - you can't
prevent a creature from attacking by tapping it after it's been
declared as an attacker. You have to tap the creature before its
controller declares attackers; this will mean that the creature is
unable to start attacking. Here's the steps of a typical turn:

Beginning Phase
- Untap Step
- Upkeep Step
- Draw Step
Main Phase
Combat Phase
- Beginning of Combat Step
- Declare Attackers Step
- Declare Blockers Step
- Combat Damage Step
- End of Combat Step
Main Phase
End Phase
- End of Turn Step
- Cleanup Step

You can use the Loxodon Mystic's ability in the Upkeep Step, Draw Step,
Main Phase or Beginning of Combat Step to tap a creature so that it
can't attack.