Can Spitebellows triggered ability kill the Strangleroot Geist that will return with the counter?
I'm sure that response is no, but my friend is doubting about it.
My response: Both creatures dies,both triggers goes to the stack (but i dont know the order, both trigger at same time?). So when Spitebellows trigger ability, geist with counter isnt in play.
In this scenario, assuming Spitebellows and Strangleroot Geist were destroyed due to the combat damage they dealt to each other, both undying and Spitebellows's first ability will trigger and go on the stack at the same time in the order given by C.R. 603.3b and 101.4 (active player first, then other players in turn order) (C.R. 510.3, 117.5, 702.92a, 603.4). No matter which order they go on the stack in, however, the controller of the Spitebellows ability must target a "creature", if possible, right then and there (that is, before that ability or undying resolves) (C.R. 603.3d, 601.2c, 113.5, 113.4). See also this thread.
Talking about it... if Spitebellows text is: "target player sacrifices a creature" instead damage target creature ??
Assume that Spitebellows's first ability says "...target player sacrifices a creature" instead of "...[Spitebellows] deals 6 damage to target creature", that Spitebellows blocked Strangleroot Geist before they dealt combat damage to each other, that they were destroyed due to that damage, and that this is a two player game.
In this case, the player who controlled Strangleroot Geist is the active player. Thus, in this scenario, the undying ability goes on the stack first, then the Spitebellows ability; thus, the Spitebellows ability will get to resolve before undying. And if the targeted player controls no creatures when the Spitebellows ability resolves, that ability does nothing (C.R. 101.3).
Spitebellows blocks an Strangleroot Geist with no counter on it
Can Spitebellows triggered ability kill the Strangleroot Geist that will return with the counter?
I'm sure that response is no, but my friend is doubting about it.
My response: Both creatures dies,both triggers goes to the stack (but i dont know the order, both trigger at same time?). So when Spitebellows trigger ability, geist with counter isnt in play.
Thanks!
In this case, the player who controlled Strangleroot Geist is the active player. Thus, in this scenario, the undying ability goes on the stack first, then the Spitebellows ability; thus, the Spitebellows ability will get to resolve before undying. And if the targeted player controls no creatures when the Spitebellows ability resolves, that ability does nothing (C.R. 101.3).