Since I'm not a magic player the chain (a.k.a. the stack) seems very counter intuitive to me, but I believe the following situations are legal...

Let's say I have a ready sentinel in play and my opponent has two stunned characters if I have Orbital Sentinel Base and finishing blow in my resource rows can I activate Orbital Sentinel Base, then add finishing move to the chain? I think I can if I understand the chain correctly.


step 1. Activate Orbital Sentinel Base (KO ready sentinel character to KO target stunned character)
***OSB checks and confirms that the ready sentinel is a legal target.
step 2. In reaction to my sentinel being KOd I play Finishing Move and exhaust him to KO the target stunned character. ***Finishing Move checks and confirms that the ready sentinel is a valid target.

the chain unwinds...
1. The sentinel is exhausted and the target opponent is KO'd
2. The Sentinel is KOd and the target opponent is KO'd

This seems correct to me (hopefully it is!)

and if that is correct...
could I add the following to the end of the chain:

activate--> stun Sentinel Mark I, stun target character with a cost of 1 or less.

making the chain look like this:

1. KO a ready army sentinel character, KO target stunned character
***legality confirmed
2. Exhaust a character you control, KO target stunned character
***legality confirmed
3. Exhaust and stun this character, stun target 1 cost character
***legality confirmed

and unravel like this:
1. Stun the sentinel, stun the target 1 cost character
2. Exhaust the same sentinel (already confirmed as legal) KO target stunned character
3. KO the same ready sentinel (already confirmed as legal) KO target stunned character.

I believe this is right... If I'm wrong, someone please correct me and explain to me why.

thanks
- legend

The KO'd Sentinel is a cost, not a target. This is indicated by its position within the game text. Everything preceding "->" is a cost while everything after is the effect.

Costs are paid immediately upon announcement and cannot be responded to so you KO your ready Sentinel right away and cannot use his activated ability in the process.

BTW, in your scenario there's no need for funky chain tricks as the two stunned characters on the other side of the board are already legal targets for Orbital Sentinel Base and Finishing Move.

You're allowed to generate all the effects you can pull off before yielding priority to your opponent. Better yet, he has to give priority back to you, at which time you can generate more effects.

It isn't until both of you pass in sequence that the chain resolves.

Legend. In your first example, the problem is that when OSB resolves, it will check the legality of the sentinel that you are KOing. Since it is no longer ready, the ability will fizzle.

I thought all legality issues were resolved at the time of declaration? I read in another thread that once something is added to the chain (assuming at was a legal action at the time it was added) it would be resolved unless one of the actions on the chain specifically negated it (i.e. not so fast). Is this not correct?

Yes, that is correct. However, that is not the issue. The issue is that a ready Sentinel is an additional cost to use the activated power offered by Orbital Sentinel Base.

You cannot use the Sentinel for anything aside from paying to use the power.

BTW, legality is cheked twice: once upon announcement and once upon resolution.

But again: that's not the issue affecting the use of your Sentinel in the original post.

Ok, my original point aside. Does this mean that if something is added to the chain, and becomes illegal before it gets a chance to resolve, then it doesn't resolve? stupid stack. I'm so :confused:

If one or more requirements cannot be met when an effect tries to resolve, it is negated:

Your opponent plays Finishing Move and you respond by recovering the target with Children of the Atom. Finishing Move is negated.

This is not the same discovering the effect cannot carry out one or more actions:

You activate Professor X, World's Most Powerful Mutant targeting Sabretooth, Feral Rage. The opponent responds by using some effect to exhaust Sabretooth. Your effect cannot exhaust Sbaretooth but your opponent takes 11 endurance loss any way.

I think I understand now... kinda.

thanks... I think:p

-legend

Zaxx is correct, and I would also like to point out that you copied the text for Sentinel Mark I wrong, the correct text is below.

Activate, stun Sentinel Mark I >>> Stun target character with a cost of 1 or less.

Notice the "stun Sentinel Mark I" is BEFORE the arrow, this means it happens when you ANNOUNCE the power, not when you resolve the power.

Everything to the left happens at announcement, everything to right happens at resolution.

Oops, I had a brain fart on the whole cost situtation. Good explaination Zaxx!

Ok... one quick question to add to this.

Say Sabretooth and Blob (doesn't really matter who) both declare a team attack at Professor X, worlds most powerful telepath.

Now, Professor X decides to use his ability to exhaust Sabretooth during this declaration phase. This means that Sabretooth is exhausted, the controller takes damage equal to the attack, and blob still has to attack Professor X, correct?

And I assume Dr. Doom with mystical paralysis could do something similiar? (Without the endurance hit to the opponent, obviously)

Thanks.

UnsocialEntity,

So long as you perform those steps immediately after the attack is announced, you are correct.