The new Gatecrash card, Angelic Skirmisher has an ability that triggers at the beginning of combat. It is my understanding that 'I'm going to attack' and similar is a shortcut for 'I will pass priority until the declare attackers step', which is after the Angelic Skirmisher would trigger. Is using this shortcut going to cause me to miss the trigger, or after my opponent says 'Go ahead', could I then say 'Angelic Skirmisher triggers and I choose ...' before declaring? Would I have to adjust my shortcut proposal somehow to avoid missing the trigger?
modify the shortcut to "entering combat, any responses?" any responses would still be in your main phase in that case, otherwise you move to the "begin of combat" step and put the trigger on the stack
If they spelled the ability out on the card in full then it would not be allowed in a mono-black Commander deck, but because they used a keyword to save space it is allowed?
You want to make a milky drink. You squeeze a cow.
I love this description. Like the cows are sponges filled with milk. I can see it all Nick Parks claymation-style with the cow's eyes bugging out momentarily as a giant farmer squeezes it like a squeaky dog toy, and milk shoots out of it.
Just get in the habit of announcing combat regardless of triggers. It's as simple as saying, "Combat." See, I've found that bypassing the start of combat and jumping straight to declaring attackers has screwed me over quite a bit by opponents backing the game up and doing something to the creature I intended to attack with, and then I have to restrategize. It's the same thing as announcing the intended target of an Oblivion Ring before the enchantment resolves, or announcing what you want your Clone to be before it resolves: that kind of information is very valuable to your opponents, and forcing them to think first could result in misplays. If your opponent says, "Okay" or "Go ahead" after you've clearly said "Combat," then they've passed priority and you can move onto declaring attackers. Then they won't be able to back the game up before you declared attackers because you already gave them the chance. If there are no triggers on the board, no activated abilities that could alter combat in any way, or no untapped mana, I might shortcut straight to, "Swing with whosits," but I don't do that often.
As to how this would work with the Angel, I'd just go, "Combat, Angel triggers."
modify the shortcut to "entering combat, any responses?" any responses would still be in your main phase in that case, otherwise you move to the "begin of combat" step and put the trigger on the stack
Just get in the habit of announcing combat regardless of triggers.
I always announce combat, but my question was whether the shortcut 'I'm going to attack' was bi-passing the beginning of combat phase where the angel should trigger. I haven't played with beginning of combat triggers before and now I know I will start using 'combat?' instead.
I also typed poorly regarding the Angelic Skirmisher triggers. That was not really the meat and potatoes of my question so I put little thought into it. I would not actually announce my choice until resolution there either.
Thanks, I will have to start using 'Combat?' rather than 'I'm going to attack'
You may find that that may not be very effective. There is no distinction made by the TR between those two statements.
A statement such as "I'm ready for combat" or "Declare attackers?" offers to keep passing priority until an opponent has priority in the beginning of combat step. Opponents are assumed to be acting then unless they specify otherwise.
You will need to either be very clear that you are not using this conventional shortcut or acknowledge any Beggining of Combat triggers simultaneously with your move to combat.
Personally, I would avoid all possible confusion and just acknowledge my Beginning of Combat triggers instead of announcing a move to combat.
Thanks, I will have to start using 'Combat?' rather than 'I'm going to attack'
You may find that that may not be very effective. There is no distinction made by the TR between those two statements.
A statement such as "I'm ready for combat" or "Declare attackers?" offers to keep passing priority until an opponent has priority in the beginning of combat step. Opponents are assumed to be acting then unless they specify otherwise.
You will need to either be very clear that you are not using this conventional shortcut or acknowledge any Beggining of Combat triggers simultaneously with your move to combat.
Personally, I would avoid all possible confusion and just acknowledge my Beginning of Combat triggers instead of announcing a move to combat.
That wouldnt be a problem, since the OP was worried about missing a trigger during the beginning of combat step by accidentally skipping right to the declare attackers step (something which the part I highlighted shows isnt the case).
If they spelled the ability out on the card in full then it would not be allowed in a mono-black Commander deck, but because they used a keyword to save space it is allowed?
You want to make a milky drink. You squeeze a cow.
I love this description. Like the cows are sponges filled with milk. I can see it all Nick Parks claymation-style with the cow's eyes bugging out momentarily as a giant farmer squeezes it like a squeaky dog toy, and milk shoots out of it.
The new Gatecrash card, Angelic Skirmisher has an ability that triggers at the beginning of combat. It is my understanding that 'I'm going to attack' and similar is a shortcut for 'I will pass priority until the declare attackers step', which is after the Angelic Skirmisher would trigger. Is using this shortcut going to cause me to miss the trigger, or after my opponent says 'Go ahead', could I then say 'Angelic Skirmisher triggers and I choose ...' before declaring? Would I have to adjust my shortcut proposal somehow to avoid missing the trigger?
Cheers
Correct me if I'm wrong, but when Angelic Skirmisher triggers, you and your opponent need to pass priority before anything actually happens, no?
1) Your main phase ends and you go to the Beginning of Combat Step. 2) Angelic Skirmisher's ability triggers and is put on the stack. 3) You have a chance to cast spells or activate abilities. You pass. 4) Your opponent has a chance to cast spell or activate abilities. They pass. 5) Angelic Skirmisher's ability resolves, since it's the top object on the stack.
Technically, you should have chosen the mode for Angelic Skirmisher's ability at 2), but since neither you nor your opponent responded to it, it doesn't really matter. If you get to 5), choose lifelink and then your opponent decides that, whoa, he doesn't want your creatures having lifelink, it's technically too late for them to respond. But you also should have declared the mode earlier, so it would be only reasonable to let them respond.
That's the technically correct sequence of details, yes. However, it's quite rare for people to do things that explicitly, so the question was really about player communication, shortcuts, and whether the trigger has been "missed".
That wouldnt be a problem, since the OP was worried about missing a trigger during the beginning of combat step by accidentally skipping right to the declare attackers step (something which the part I highlighted shows isnt the case).
~ Tim
If he uses the conventional shortcut to enter combat and the NAP then passes, the game immediately progresses to the Declare Attackers step and he would miss those triggers.
