Q: I was wondering if it is possible to Stifle or otherwise counter the delayed triggered ability of Epic.

For example, if my opponent plays Enduring Ideal, can I Stifle the Epic ability and thus limit his enchantment fetching to just the one time from the resolved Enduring Ideal? If I counter it, would he then be free to play spells, or would the static ability of "For the rest of the game, you can't play spells" still exist for the player? A: No, Epic does not work like that. You can use Stifle to counter the delayed triggered ability of Enduring Ideal for a single turn, and stop him from searching for an enchantment that turn. However you can not use a single Stifle to counter the delayed triggered ability that is put on the stack in each subsequent turns. And for your follow-up question: the static ability that prevents this player from playing spells is separate from the triggered ability that puts copies on the stack. Even if the delayed trigger is countered in a turn, this player will still be prohibited from playing spells for the remainder of the game

Q: Can I Stifle the ability of Greater Gargadon? Because the card is removed from the game, I'm not sure if Stifle can target it. A: Stifle does not target a permanent in play, it targets an activated or triggered ability on the stack. Stifle can target any activated or triggered ability; it does not matter what the source of the ability is or what zone the source is in. So yes, you can target the triggered ability of a Suspended Greater Gargadon.

Q: My opponent casts a spell, which I counter with Draining Whelk. My opponent casts a Stifle to counter the Whelk's ability. Does the Stifle counter the Counterspell ability, the "put X counters" ability, or both? A: Draining Whelk has just one triggered ability. When this ability resolves, the target spell is countered, and the Whelk will get +1/+1 counters equal to the converted mana cost of this spell. If this triggered ability is countered, then none of these things will occur. So the spell your opponent played will resolve, and your Whelk will not get any +1/+1 counters.

Q: Can an Epic ability be countered with Stifle? A: Part of it can be. When an Epic spell resolves, a continuous effect is generated which prevents the player who played this spell from playing any more spells. A delayed triggered ability is also created when this spell resolves. This delayed triggered ability will trigger at the beginning of this player's subsequent upkeep steps. These individual delayed triggered abilities can be countered by Stifle, but the continuous effect can not.

Q: Can you Stifle "As this creature comes into play..." abilities? For example, Ward Sliver's "As Ward Sliver comes into play, choose a color?" A: No, abilities like these are not triggered abilities. This is an example of a static ability that generates a replacement effect. This replacement effect alters what happens when the Sliver enters play.

Q: What constitutes a mana ability (and thus can't become countered). Can any part of the mana production of Food Chain be Stifled? A: A mana abiltiy is either an activated ability that produces mana, or a triggered ability that triggers when an activated mana ability is played. Food Chain's ability is an activated mana ability, and it can not be Stifled, as it does not use the stack.

Q: Can I Stifle Dark Confidant's ability? A: Yes, you can; Dark Confidant's ability is a triggered ability. If you do, no part of the ability will occur, so the card will not be revealed or go to its owner's hand, and no life will be lost.

Q: I was wondering if the first ability on Dark Depths can be Stifled or Voidslimed, causing the land's controller to sac it for the 20/20 token immediately. A: No, that is a static ability that is applied as Dark Depths comes into play. It cannot be countered by any spell or ability.

Q: I was playing a casual game with a friend when I played the Forecast ability of Pride of Clouds andin responsemy friend played Stifle. I get that this should prevent the Pride of Clouds from creating a Bird token, but my friend says that the Pride is considered countered and would leave my hand. I argued that the ability was countered but the spell was never played, so it should stay in my hand. Who is right here? A: You are correct. The Pride of the Clouds card never left your hand, as you were just playing the Forecast ability of the card. The ability may be countered, but the Pride of the Clouds card will remain in your hand.

Q: Can you Stifle the Fading ability to keep a card in play, once there are no fade counters on it? A: Yes that is possible. You can target the Fading triggered ability with Stifle in order to keep this creature in play until your next upkeep step.

Q: I was wondering how the alternate casting cost of Skyshroud Cutter plays out. If I have a single Forest in play, and I play Skyshroud Cutter, when does my opponent actually gain the life? I would think that since it is a casting cost, it would not be possible for someone to counter the creature spell and avoid gaining the life, but would it be possible for them to Stifle the life gain or something? A: Your opponent gains the life when you play Skyshroud Cutter via its alternate cost. This life gain does not use the stack at all and can not be countered by anything. The only way for the life gain to not occur would be if something like Flames of the Blood Hand had created an effect that prevented life gain.

Q: Can you Stifle Phasing? For example, say you have a Rainbow Efreet phased out. When it is about to phase in, can your opponent cast Stifle on the creature, so it doesn't come back into play? If so, will the creature be permanently in the Phased-out zone, or will it come back into play the next turn? A: No, you can't do that. The phasing in and out of permanents that occurs at the beginning of an untap step is a game action. It does not use the stack, and it cannot be responded to.

Q: I'm just wondering if the "For each card drawn this way, discard a card from your hand unless you sacrifice a permanent" effect of Read the Runes can be countered by Stifle. I know triggered affects are indicated by when, if etc... thanks for the help. A: No, it's not an activated or triggered ability; it's just part of the spell. Q: I was wondering whether I can Stifle the life-gaining part of that annoying spell called Corrupt. Can you enlighten me (and my day) ? A: No, you cannot. The life-gaining part of Corrupt is just part of the spell, it's not an activated or triggered ability. Q: Just wondering if Stifle could counter Wrath of God's effect. Sorry, I'm still a little confused about Stifle. A: No. Stifle can counter an activated ability (like that of Prodigal Sorcerer) or a triggered ability (like that of Flametongue Kavu). Wrath of God is a spell, not an ability.

Q: Can you Stifle the abilities of Illusionary Mask, especially concerning the flipping of the card?

A: You can Stifle the activated ability of putting a creature card into play face down. However turning a face-down card face up is not an activated ability, it is just the end of a continuous effect and it can not be countered.

Q: If my opponent uses Aether Vial, and I Stifle the ability, where does the creature that he was going to Vial in go? Does it go to graveyard or just remain in his hand? A: He does not choose or reveal a card to put into play until ther Vial's ability resolves. If this ability is countered, then this card never leaves his hand.

Q: How does Stifle interact with the Ninjutsu mechanic? A: Ninjutsu is an activated ability and it can be countered by Stifle. If you Stifle this ability then the unblocked attacking creature that was returned to it's owner's hand will stay there, as returning it was part of the cost of the Ninjutsu ability.

Q: Can you Stifle the mana part of Mana Drain? A: Yes you can stifle the delayed triggered ability created by Mana Drain. If you do then the controller of the Mana Drain will not get any mana from this ability.

Q: Can the mana ability from Boseiju Who Shelters All be countered by Stifle or Squelch? A: No. No mana ability can be countered, as mana abilities do not use the stack.

Q: I have Panoptic Mirror with Stifle on it and Masticore in play. If I stack the Masticore discard trigger first and then the Panoptic trigger, can I successfully avoid discarding a card / sacking the Masticore? A: Yes that works. When the Panoptic Mirror ability resolves and creates a copy of the Stifle the Masticore triggered ability will be on the stack and a legal target for this copy of Stifle.

Q: Can you Stifle Dance of the Dead or Animate Dead while it's in play but isn't enchanting a creature yet? A: Yes you can. Both of those cards enter play as enchantments and then become local enchantments due to a coming into play triggered ability If you counter this ability with Stifle then they will remain as global enchantment and do nothing.

Q: I was playing a dragon combo against my friend. When Worldgorger Dragon came into play he Stifled the leaves play effect. How would that work because both of us were confused? Would I still have mana floating? A: First of all he can't Stifle the leaves play ability when it comes into play, he has to wait until this ability goes on the stack. As to whether or not you have mana floating, that depends on the game state and when exactly he play the Stifle. If for example you Animate Dead the Dragon and tap out to do it, and then when the Dragon leaves play due to Animated Dead's leaves play trigger he can Stifle the Dragon's leaves play triggered ability you will not have any mana floating. However if you did generate any mana before the Dragon's leaves play trigger is Stifled, then yes you will have mana floating.

Q: I have Mystic Remora in play and an opponent drops a bunch of Moxen (yes I draw the cards from the Moxen being played because the opponent ignores the part where they can pay 4 and not let me draw them) and then they cast a would-be lethal Tendrils of Agony. Do I draw a card for each of the Storm spells from my Mystic Remora? A: No. Mystic Remora only has you draw a card when they play a noncreature spell. The Storm copies aren't played, they're simply put on the stack as part of resolution of the Storm trigger.

Q: Then how does everything go on the stack? If I draw a Stifle, can I Stifle the Tendrils, or is it too late? A: The original spell goes on the stack, then the Storm trigger, then your Mystic Remora trigger. You draw your card first (assuming he doesn't pay the 4). If it's a Stifle, then you can Stifle the Storm trigger, and he won't get any copies.

Q: Can I Stifle Academy Rector's ability? It seems like a trigger, but it's a weird one because the Rector's not in play. A: Yes, you can Stifle it. The ability goes onto the stack when the Rector goes to the graveyard; it has nothing to do with the card being in play or not. You have to Stifle after the ability goes on the stack; you can't wait until he decides to remove the Rector from the game. That choice is made on resolution. If the ability is already resolving, you can't Stifle it.

Q: Can you Stifle the Fading ability of Blastoderm? It's untargetable, you know. A: You can Stifle it because the ability, once triggered, exists independently of the creature. It doesn't have Blastoderm's abilities, and it's not untargetable.

Q: My opponent blocks my Phyrexian Negator with 2 creatures (a 2/2 and a 1/1). Damage gets dealt and the 2 creatures die and my Negator's triggered ability goes on the stack. If I Stifle this ability, does it prevent all of sacrifice effects (all 3), or does it only prevent the trigger from one of the creatures? A: All combat damage is dealt at once, so the Negator will only trigger once. Stifle will keep you from having to sacrifice anything.

Q: Can Standstill's trigger be Stifled? Example.... My opponent has a Standstill in play. He cycles

Q: Me and a friend were playing a game and had a question about kicker, specifically Desolation Angel and Stifle: Can I Stifle the kicker making just my opponent sacrifice all his lands? A: If you Stifle the Desolation Angel's triggered ability, no one will sacrifice any lands. You can't Stifle part of an ability, just the whole thing.

Q: I have turned one of my opponent's creatures into an enchantment with Soul Sculptor. My opponent now plays another creature spell. Can I prevent the "enchantment" from reverting to a creature with a Stifle? Can I Naturalize the "enchantment" in response to it reverting to creature form? A: Soul Sculptor's "return to being a creature" effect ends as soon as he plays a spell. It's not an ability and doesn't use the stack, so you can't Stifle it. The ability creates a continuous effect with a duration that ends before you ever get priority to play Naturalize.

Q: Hello, this is an interesting question that came up last night: Vampiric Tutor says "Pay 2 Life: Search your Library..." Could you Stifle one part of this card, the pay two life seems like the effect of the card; but the Search the library seems more like a triggered affect. Can you clarify? A: Vampiric Tutor was originally written using bad templating that made it look like an Instant with an activated ability - which it isn't and never was. In the olden days, the two life was part of the cost and now it's not. Here's the new wording: "Search your library for a card, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it. You lose 2 life." There's nothing there to Stifle. The good news is the two life is part of the resolution, so if it's countered you don't lose the life.

Q: I was reading an article at Starcitygames where a guy said in a tournament that he Stifled the activated ability on Goblin Piledriver. Is that a legal move to make, even though the goblin has protection from blue? A: Goblin Piledriver has a triggered ability, not activated. Once the ability is triggered, it exists independently of the source. The ability itself doesn't have Protection from Blue, so it can indeed be Stifled.

Q: Which abilities of the Solitary Confinement can be Stifled without losing the Confinement, and how does that affect the other abilities? A: The only part of Solitary Confinement that can be Stifled is the beginning-of-upkeep triggered ability. None of the other abilities are triggered or activated. You have to put the triggered ability on the stack and then play Stifle before the ability resolves if you want to keep the Confinement. Of course, you may want to just pitch the Stifle to the Confinement. Your opponent can counter your Stifle must easier than he can counter the triggered ability (for which he'd need a Stifle of his own).

Q: My friend imprinted Shrapnel Blast on his Isochron Scepter early on in one of our games. A few turns later, he used the Scepter on my Exalted Angel and sacrificed an artifact accordingly. In response, I played Stifle to counter the activated ability of the Scepter in an effort to save my Exalted Angel. My question is: Does my friend still have to sacrifice an artifact as part of paying the cost for using the Scepter even though I Stifled it? A: He does not have to sacrifice an artifact. The Scepter's ability copies the card and then lets him play the card without paying its mana cost. He still must pay additional costs. When you Stifled the Scepter's ability, the Shrapnel Blast never got copied, so he never had an opportunity to play the spell. If you let the Scepter's ability resolve and then he goes to play the Blast targeting your Angel, it's too late for you to Stifle.

Q: My friend played Reins of Power and tried to Stifle the part that says "return creatures to owner at end of turn" so he thought he could take all my creatures permanently. I don't think he can. A: You're right. Reins of Power doesn't have an end-of-turn triggered ability, it has a duration effect that lasts until cleanup. There's nothing to Stifle.

Q: I know that with Decree of Justice I have to Stifle the ability before they pay the mana for soldiers, but do they have to say how many soldiers they will make (the amount of x)

before I decide whether or not to Stifle? I would hate to Stifle if they were only going to make one soldier token. A: You must decide before they say how many Soldiers they're going to make. The X payment happens on resolution of the triggered ability.

Q: I was wondering about buyback and Stifle. if I Stifle the buyback of a card like Capsize, can my opponent pay the buyback costs again to get the card back to his hand? A: Capsize (and its Buyback in particular) are not valid targets for Stifle. Buyback is a static ability that creates the replacement effect of putting the card back in your hand instead of your library (if you pay the cost). It can't be Stifled.

Q: Can I play Leveler, and then Stifle the triggered ability that would remove my library from the game? A: Yes. Leveler has a comes-into-play triggered ability, which is a valid target for Stifle.

Q: If I stifle the five-mana triggered ability of Oblivion Stone, does the opponent get to keep the Stone in play, or it is still sacrificed and put in the graveyard regardless of the countered effect? A: Sacrificing the Oblivion Stone is part of the cost. The costs have already been paid when you Stifle the activated ability, so the Stone is already in the graveyard and won't come back.

Q: I have created a deck that relies on the combo of Parallax Tide and Stifle to remove the opponent's lands from the game. I then lock things down with Capsize, Limited Resources, and Propaganda. My question has to do with the exact timing in which the Parallax Tide works and also the exact timing in which the combo works. Could you clarify when the Parallax Tide's counters can be removed (immediately after it comes into play?), and when the Parallax Tide's "lands come back into play" ability needs to be Stifled (at the beginning of my upkeep when there are no more counters to be removed and the Parallax Tide gets sacrificed?). A: You can activate Parallax Tide's ability at any time you can play an Instant, even right after you play it. You wait for the Tide's leaves-play trigger to go on the stack, and then you Stifle it.

Q: Can I use Stifle to counter imprint? For example, Chrome Mox says when it comes into play, remove a card from your hand - does this mean I could Stifle the imprint and

the Mox now produces nothing? If I can use Stifle, does the imprinted card remain in their hand because they were never allowed to remove it, or does it stay removed from game like a madness spell that has its trigger stifled? I read that imprint is a static ability, but cards like the Mox or the Isochron Scepter say "imprint-when this comes into play" as part of the imprint explanation, so I am a little confused. A: You may Stifle an Imprint's triggered ability if it has one ("when" is a good clue to it having a triggered ability; you can't Stifle one that says "as ~this~ comes into play"). If you do, no card will be removed, and the card with Imprint will likely be useless.

Q: If you Stifle an imprint when it comes in to play, do they still have to remove a card from the game? A: No, actually they can't remove a card from the game. The entire ability is countered.

Q: Can I Stifle Phyrexian Arena's "draw a card and lose a life" ability? A: Yes. The whole thing is a single triggered ability, which can be Stifled.

Q: The FAQ says that Imprint is a static ability. Is that all the time or just when the card is in play? The reminder text says "when this comes into play," which is an activated ability. Is there a comes into play imprint trigger that is not a static ability? So if someone plays Duplicant, can you Stifle them imprinting something on it? A: Imprint is a static ability that can create a triggered ability. You can Stifle the triggered ability, meaning no card gets removed and therefore not Imprinted. Your opponent will then have an expensive 2/4 creature.

Q: I just noticed that Oracle text for Gilded Drake reads: "When Gilded Drake comes into play, choose one - sacrifice Gilded Drake; or exchange control of Gilded Drake and target creature an opponent controls. If you can't make the exchange, sacrifice Gilded Drake. This ability can't be countered." I wondered whether the "This ability can't be countered" added clause applies to the whole come-into-play ability or only to the last sentence (If you can't make the exchange...). In a word, can I save my creature from the exchange with Stifle? A: It's talking about the whole ability. You can't use Stifle to get around Gilded Drake.

Mesmeric Orb * If ten permanents you control untap, Mesmeric Orb's effect puts the top ten cards of your library into your graveyard. * Mesmeric Orb triggers once for each permanent that untaps, so the cards are put into your graveyard one at a time. The Scourge card Stifle can only prevent one card from being put into your graveyard.

Q: Is it possible to counter the activated abilities of the Moxen or Black Lotus with a Stifle? Although I'm quite certain you've answered this question but with Skirk Prospector and Stifle, I must know if there are any mitigating circumstances. A: No, you can't counter the activated abilities of Moxen or the Lotus because they're mana abilities and don't use the stack. They've resolved before you get priority. It's the same with Skirk Prospector (rule 408.2e).

Q: My opponent cycles Decree of Justice and taps the extra mana he is planning on using for the triggered ability. If I Stifle the ability, he would have that mana still floating in his pool, correct? So the correct way would to just pay for the cycle, and then tap the mana when the ability resolves. A: While it's technically correct that you don't pay the mana until the triggered ability resolves, "I'll cycle the Decree for X" is an acceptable shortcut. If your opponent plays it that way and then you Stifle, I'd have him untap the extra lands, not take mana burn, because he's paid a cost that he couldn't legally pay. I'd also warn him on how to play it correctly.

Q: I was wondering if you could Stifle the "you can't gain life" ability of Sulfuric Vortex. A: No, you can't. The Vortex's no-lifegain ability is neither activated nor triggered. It's a static ability that creates a replacement effect. You can Stifle the beginning-of-upkeep damage ability.

Q: Can Stifle counter Illusionary Mask's "put a creature into play face-down" ability? If yes, is the creature card countered and put into the graveyard? A: Stifle will counter the whole ability of Illusionary Mask, not just part of it. You don't put the creature into play (face down) until resolution of the ability, so if it gets Stifled, the creature stays in your hand.

Q: I have a Defense of the Heart in play and it's my upkeep; my opponent has four creatures out. Can someone Stifle the ability on Defense of the Heart? A: Yes, but you have to Stifle the whole ability. You can't wait until he sacrifices the Defense of the Heart and then Stifle the creature search part.

Q: I looked up Stifle in the Ask the Judge database, but it does not clarify when you need to Stifle the delayed triggered ability of Astral Slide or Sneak Attack. For example: I have an Astral Slide in play. My opponent has an Exalted Angel in play, and I want to remove it permanently. It is the end of my opponent's turn (after end of turn effects have gone on the stack) and I cycle a card to remove his Exalted Angel from the game. Normally, it would return at the end of my turn. When do I need to play the Stifle - at the end of my opponent's turn, or at the end of my turn? To clarify: 1) Does the cycling trigger the delayed trigger, which can be countered by Stifle immediately? 2) Does it simply set up a delayed trigger which goes on the stack at the end of the next turn automatically (in which case the triggered ability goes on the stack at the end of my turn, and I will need to stifle it before that triggered ability resolves)? I believe #2 is the correct answer (and this goes on the stack at the end of the turn regardless of whether the Astral Slide is still in play). A: In order to use Stifle to permanently remove the creature, you have to Stifle the delayed triggered ability when that ability goes on the stack. In the example you cite, the trigger goes on the stack at the end of your turn; Stifle that ability, and the Angel will never return.

Q: Is it possible to play a Stifle on the Wirewood Symbiote's "once a turn" effect? A: No; that's neither an activate nor a triggered ability.

Q: Is it possible to Stifle the part of Planar Guide's ability that takes place "at the end of turn", or does Planar Guide leave the game before a Stifle could be played on him? A: It is very possible. The Guide's activated ability sets up a delayed triggered ability. Once that triggered ability goes on the stack at end of turn, you can Stifle it (you're not targeting the Guide, you're targeting the ability).

Q: If I have Decree of Silence out, what would happen if I were to Stifle the sacrificing effect when it got its third counter? A: You can't, because it's not an activated or triggered ability. It's part of the ability that puts the third counter on Decree of Silence, and resolves before players get priority.

Q: Can Stifle counter Meddling Mage's ability? If yes, can I first know which card he wants to prevent from being played, then Stifle the ability? If not, what kind of ability is this? A static ability? Can the same be done to Flametongue Kavu, waiting for a target and then Stifling it? A: Stifle cannot affect Meddling Mage's ability, but it can counter Flametongue Kavu's. The difference is that the Mage's ability is worded "as ~this~ comes into play..." as opposed to "when ~this~ comes into play." The former is part of the resolution of the spell or ability that puts it into play; the latter is a triggered ability.

Q: If I Stifle a Clone or Vesuvan Doppelganger's comes-into-play copying ability, does it die? A: You can't Stifle the Clone or VD's "as-this-comes-into-play" ability; it's not a triggered ability, it's part of the resolution of the spell.

Q: What happens when I Stifle Zur's Weirding? Can I draw the card without my opponent getting to pay two life to discard it? A: You can't Stifle Zur's Weirding; it's not an activated or triggered ability, it's a replacement ability (you can tell by the use of the word "instead").

Q: My question is regarding the use of Lotus Vale. If I have Blood Moon in play, can I then play Lotus Vale as a basic mountain and therefore not have to sacrifice two untapped lands? Can Lotus Vale's "When" condition be stopped by using Stifle? A: Here's Lotus Vale's current wording: If ~this~ would come into play, sacrifice two untapped lands instead. If you do, put ~this~ into play. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard. There's a replacement effect, as part of putting Lotus Vale in play, at work here. Even with Blood Moon in play, you sacrifice the two untapped lands instead of putting Lotus Vale into play. If you do, then you put it into play as a Mountain.

The replacement effect is part of the "resolution" of the special "play a land" action (or, in the case of an ability that puts a land into play, the resolution of that ability). Stifle cannot counter this because it's a static ability (and not activated or triggered).

Q: I want to be able to play the Wirewood Symbiote's ability as many times as I need to in one turn. My question is, can I Stifle the ability that says that I can use it only once per turn? Why not? A: You can't Stifle part of an ability - only the whole thing. The "only once per turn" is a part of the whole ability.

Q: We were playing a Scourge draft recently, and I proceeded to play a morph creature. Now, my opponent says that morph is a triggered ability of the card I was playing facedown (Zombie Cutthroat); he then proceeded to Stifle it. Since I haven't really been up to date lately, is this possible? What happens if it is? A: It is not. Morph is a static ability, not a triggered ability. Turning it face up is not a triggered ability, either (although there may be a trigger associated with turning it face up, like with Skinthinner).

Q: Anyways, we're playing a game of 250 and he sets off a Pernicious Deed, killing everything of mine, including a Mystic Remora. I'm always the resourceful one and I Stifle the ability. He then Misdirections the Stifle to the Mystic Remora, Stifling the Remora's effect that triggers when he plays Misdirection. Does that even work? A: No. Playing the Misdirection triggers your Mystic Remora, which goes on the stack on top of the Misdirection. The Remora resolves and you draw (or not). When Misdirection resolves, it looks around for another valid target for Stifle (a triggered or activated ability on the stack), and can't find one, so nothing happens. The important thing here is that the new target of the spell targeted by Misdirection isn't chosen until Misdirection resolves.

Q: Can I Stifle the activated ability of Sneak Attack or Skirk Alarmist, avoiding the sacrifice at end of turn? A: If you Stifle the activated ability, the entire ability is countered; the creature never comes into play (or gets turned face up). You can also Stifle the end-of-turn triggered ability, making them stay around.

Q: My question (as have many others, I'm sure) involves Stifle. I'm afraid I'm having some trouble discerning between activated abilities and triggered abilities. Right now Stifle is looking like a super Bind. If I were to sum up my question succinctly, I would

like to know if every activated ability results in a triggered ability. In other words, would Stifle be able to counter a Pernicious Deed's sacrifice or a Whipcorder's tap ability? A: There is a difference between activated and triggered abilities. Activated abilities are active; triggered are passive. Activated is formatted "cost: effect," like Pernicious Deed, or Whipcorder. Triggered abilities wait for a condition and use the words "when" or "whenever," like Astral Slide and Lightning Rift, and sometimes a time, like "At beginning of upkeep," like Oversold Cemetery. Regardless, Stifle (and it is a super "Bind," but without card drawing). It will counter either type of ability.

Q: Since Morph is an activated ability, when my opponent chooses to play his creature face-down for three mana, could Stifle be used to counter his face-down creature? A: No. First, Morph isn't an activated ability, it's a static ability (rule 502.26a). Most importantly, however, playing a creature face-down is a spell; Stifle doesn't apply. You can counter an effect that results from the face-down creature being flipped face-up, like Skirk Marauder's Shock effect, but you can't counter his morph and you can't stop it from being turned face-up.

Q: I know you're probably tired of Stifle questions, but I was curious if you can Stifle the "As Death Pit Offering comes into play" to save your creatures, or this the same as additional casting cost? A: No. "As ~this~ comes into play..." isn't a triggered ability. It's part of the resolution of the spell, so it can't be Stifled.

Q: I play Obliterate. May my opponent Stifle the "cannot be countered," and the counter it, or is the "cannot be countered" a static ability? A: "Cannot be countered" is neither an activated nor a triggered ability, so Stifle doesn't apply.

Q: Could an opponent Stifle the Skirk Prospector's ability? A: No. Although it is an activated ability, it's also a mana ability, so it doesn't use the stack. It will have resolved by the time he gets priority to play the Stifle.

Q: According to every ruling I've seen, Stifle can counter the drawing of a card from cycling. However, I got into a big argument with someone about this and he pointed out this ruling:

A.12.Ruling.1 - Using Cycling is not a spell, it's an activated ability of a card in your hand. It cannot be countered by things that counter spells or things that counter activated abilities of permanents. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01] This conflicts with the Scourge FAQ. Should D'Angelo's ruling be disregarded now? Granted it is an old rule, but that rule seems to lay the groundwork for cycling. So what's the deal, can Stifle counter the draw or not? A: No; the D'Angelo ruling is still correct. What is says is that it can't be countered by "...things that counter activated abilities OF PERMANENTS." A card cycled from your hand is not a permanent. Permanents only exist in play. Stifle can counter the draw from cycling.

Q: I've been thinking about flashback recently, and I'm wondering whether you can Stifle the flashback ability on a card. A: Flashback is not an activated ability, it's a static ability that gives you an alternative cost (and zone) for playing the spell (rule 502.22a). Stifle can't target it.

Q: I was curious about this you said about Stifle and Goblin Piledriver. Below is the text: "Q: This question involves Stifle: Can I counter the ability of Goblin Piledriver, or prevent the removing of a fade counter on Blastoderm? A: Many questions these days involve Stifle. The answer is yes to both; they're triggered abilities (Fading is rule 502.20)." Is this correct? The Goblin Piledriver is Pro Blue. Does Stifle ignore this, since it targets the ability and not the creature? I am kinda confused about this. A: I've received several questions about this one. Perhaps I should have explained in greater detail. Goblin Piledriver's triggered ability exists independently of the Piledriver. The ability itself doesn't have any of Piledriver's abilities, so it doesn't have Protection from Blue. As a deeper technical point, the ability itself (just like damage) doesn't have any characteristics - it references its source, which is why you can't target Silver Knight with the ability of a Flametongue Kavu (rule 402.6)

Q: When I Stifle a Lethal Vapor's effect, am I able to counter only the destroy effect or only the "skip your next turn" one?

A: If you Stifle the activation of Lethal Vapor, the entire ability is countered, both the destroy effect and the turn loss.

Q: Is there a way to use Stifle to stop or counter a madness spell, such as Basking Rootwalla being discarded from a Wild Mongrel? A: Yes. Madness' second ability is triggered; it triggers from discarding the card and choosing to remove it. If that trigger is on the stack, you may counter it with Stifle, and the Rootwalla will remain removed from the game. Once it resolves, you can't use Stifle to keep them from playing the Rootwalla.

Q: I have a Psychatog and have enough cards to do lethal damage this turn. The other guy has nothing on the table, and one blue mana open. When I connect for combat damage, can I discard one card at a time, passing priority, assuring it resolves, discarding a second card, and so on, so the most the other player could possibly Stifle is +1/+1? A: Yes. You actually must discard cards one a time (one card = one activation), but the best way to do it is, as you've pointed out, letting each ability resolve before activating another. This keeps the 'tog from getting Shocked into submission after you've just pitched eleven cards to it and all the activations are still on the stack.

Q: Can Stifle stop a card from copying itself by Storm? The rules say that storm is a triggered ability, but by the time you play the card with Storm, aren't the copies on the stack already and the point is moot? A: The Storm ability goes on the stack on top of the original spell. When it resolves, you put the appropriate number of spell copies on the stack. If you counter the original triggered ability, no copies will be produced.

Q: Why is the Phyrexian Dreadnought's "twelve-power sacrifice" considered a cost, rather than a triggered ability? It looks like it's phrased as a 'When Phyrexian Dreadnought comes into play' triggered ability... Therefore, shouldn't Stifle be able to counter that triggered ability? A: The Dreadnought's ability doesn't say "when ~this~ comes into play..." it says "If ~this~ would come into play, sacrifice any number of creatures with total power 12 or greater instead. If you do, put ~this~ into play. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard." It's not a triggered ability; it's a replacement.

Q: Lethal Vapors destroys creatures once they come into play, which means that they have to resolve first. Since they resolve, can I cast a Ravenous Baloth and then stack the

Vapors effect, and in response sacrifice the beast for four life? Or does it die instantly with no chance of responding? Another situation: My opponent is holding a Nantuko Vigilante, can she cast it as a morph, triggering Vapors, then unmorph it in response? Also, can this trigger be Stifled? A: 1. It's a trigger, so you can stack it and then sac the Baloth. 2. Same with a Morph creature. Play it face down, put the trigger on the stack, turn it face up. 3. Any trigger can be Stifled.

Q: The level 1 judge that runs FNM that I go to argued with me about some things and I think he's wrong. First, he argued that you can't counter cycling with Stifle because it "doesn't use the stack," which is clearly wrong. If you cycled a Slice and Dice with a Lightning Rift out, you could Stifle either the card draw, the one to each creature, or the Rift's damage - but not all three, correct? A: Cycling is an activated ability that uses the stack. Cycle-triggered abilities use the stack. You can counter any of them with Stifle.

Q: Let's say it's my turn. I have an Astral Slide out and my opponent has an Exalted Angel. I cycle Akroma's Blessing to remove the Angel from the game, and at the end of my turn, I use Stifle to counter the ability that brings it back. Does my opponent get the Angel back at the end of his turn? I would think so, because of the Blistering Firecat ruling, where you can Stifle the end of turn ability to sacrifice it, but you will then have to sacrifice it at the end of your opponent's turn. So what's the ruling? A: No, it doesn't come back. The Angel doesn't have any such text requiring you to sacrifice it. Countering the delayed triggered ability will keep the Angel removed for good.

Q: Just a quick question concerning Stifle. My opponent has three wizards in play, one of which is a Patron Wizard. It's my turn and I have four lands untapped. I cast something for three mana. He then uses the Patron's ability. Can I counter its ability - and if so, can he still use it? A: You can counter the ability with Stifle, but he can still subsequently use the Patron Wizard's ability, assuming he has an untapped Wizard left.

Q: Say I have a Lightning Rift in play. If I pitch a Chartooth Cougar to get a Mountain, will I be able to use the Rift's ability? Or does it not count as a true-blue "cycled" card? If so, can Stabilizer stop landcycling from being activated? And, like the cycled effects for the Decrees, can Stifle stop my Cougar from getting the mountain? Q: Yes, it counts as being cycled and will trigger Lightning Rift. Yes, Stabilizer will stop landcycling. And lastly, yes, cycling and landcycling are activated abilities; Stifle will stop them.

Q: I was wondering if the "comes into play, you lose effect" from Phage the Untouchable could be countered by Bind or Stifle if you were to reanimate her or use sneak attack. A: Bind, no; Stifle, yes. It's a triggered ability, so Bind doesn't apply.

Q: Can a player cast Phyrexian Dreadnought and then cast Stifle, targeting the Dreadnought's ability once it's on the stack? When the smoke clears and the stack has fully emptied/ resolved, do I get a 12/12 Dreadnought for two mana? A: No; the Dreadnought's ability isn't a coming-into-play triggered ability. It's a replacement that is part of the spell or ability that puts the Dreadnought into play.