My understanding of the stack: Scenario one
Kiki Jiki's ability is on the stack. Therefore, when Kiki-Jiki gets exiled, the ability still resolves and Player 1 has a copy of worldspine.
Scenario two
Kiki Jiki's ability still resolves. However, before it resolves, path-to-exile has removed the target. Therefore Player 1 does not have a copy of worldspine, nor the original, so zero wurms.
Scenario three
Tooth and Nail resolves, but Player 1 does not tap Kiki in the main phase. Moving to end-step, Player 2 decides to cast Path to Exile on Worldspine. Player 1 then taps Kiki Jiki in response. Kiki resolves first, and Player 1 has a copy of the wurm. Then PtE resolves, and the original worldspine is exiled. The copy of worldspine will soon be sacrificed and at the end of the turn stands Kiki Jiki and 3x5/5 wurms. (I understand the copy is sacrificed at the "beginning of the next end step" so it depends a little when PtE was played, possibly they have the copy for Player 2's turn. This question is more about how the stack operates) edit: if anyone checks this thread, note that I had edited this scenario about 2 minutes after I got my response, hence why I mention something in scenario three that peteroupc covers - discomute
Am I correct?
Once Player 1 activates Kiki-Jiki's activated ability resolves, it will exist independently of Kiki-Jiki (C.R. 113.7a). However, it targets a "nonlegendary creature you control"; if that creature leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, the ability will fail to resolve, and a token that's a copy of it won't be created (C.R. 608.2b). Thus:
Scenario 1: You are correct in the sense that since the target is still on the battlefield (and otherwise legal), the ability will still get to resolve and a token that's a copy of Worldspine Wurm is still created even though Kiki-Jiki isn't on the battlefield anymore (C.R. 113.7a, 608.2b).
Scenario 2: You are correct in the sense that since Path to Exile removed the target from the battlefield, the Kiki-Jiki ability has no more legal targets (that is, its only target is illegal) and so will fail to resolve, meaning a token that's a copy of Worldspine Wurm won't be created (C.R. 608.2b).
Scenario 3: This is correct. Note, however, that if Player 2 casts Path to Exile during Player 1's end step in this scenario, and a token is created with Kiki-Jiki during that end step, that token will not have to be sacrificed in that end step, but rather "at the beginning of the next end step" after this one, whenever that is. If this is Player 1's second main phase, Player 2 can choose to cast Path to Exile during that same main phase (so before the end step begins), so that Player 1 can activate Kiki-Jiki's activated ability in response, during that same main phase. If the ability resolves this way, the token will be created during Player 1's main phase, so that it will generally have to be sacrificed during Player 1's end step in the same turn. (Note that in general, a player can't end their main phase unless all players in the game agree [C.R. 500.2].)
EDIT: Clarification after comment 5 was posted.
EDIT (Jun. 6): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Nov. 30; Dec. 15): Correction.
Scenario 2: You are correct in the sense that since Path to Exile removed the target from the battlefield, the Kiki-Jiki ability has no more legal targets and so will fail to resolve, meaning a token that's a copy of Worldspine Wurm won't be created (C.R. 608.2b).
I just want to confirm:
If there was another legal target, for example if Primeval Titan is on the board before Tooth and Nail is cast, it would not change anything. i.e. After worldspine wurm is exiled, there is a legal targetcreature on the board that could have been a legal target, but the target of "worldspine wurm" has already been nominated and cannot change after Path to Exile has resolved.
I just want to confirm:
If there was another legal target, for example if Primeval Titan is on the board before Tooth and Nail is cast, it would not change anything. i.e. After worldspine wurm is exiled, there is a legal target, but the target of "worldspine wurm" has already been nominated and cannot change after Path to Exile has resolved.
Am I correct?
Correct. Kiki-Jiki's activated ability has only one target, namely a "nonlegendary creature you control", and just because that target becomes illegal, that doesn't let that target change to another legal target (such as Primeval Titan here). A player can change the targets of a spell or ability only if an effect allows or requires them to do so (for example, by using the words "Change the target..." or "You may choose new targets...") (C.R. 115.1). See also this thread, this thread, and this thread.
Targets for a spell or ability are chosen when that spell or ability goes on the stack, and can't be changed later (at least, not without another card like Bolt Bend). So, if you targeted Worldspine Wurm and it's exiled in response, you can't change the target of the ability and it'll do nothing when it tries to resolve.
Player 2: Plays path to exile in response:
- Scenario one, target is Kiki Jiki
- Scenario two, target is worldspine.
My understanding of the stack:
Scenario one
Kiki Jiki's ability is on the stack. Therefore, when Kiki-Jiki gets exiled, the ability still resolves and Player 1 has a copy of worldspine.
Scenario two
Kiki Jiki's ability still resolves. However, before it resolves, path-to-exile has removed the target. Therefore Player 1 does not have a copy of worldspine, nor the original, so zero wurms.
Scenario three
Tooth and Nail resolves, but Player 1 does not tap Kiki in the main phase. Moving to end-step, Player 2 decides to cast Path to Exile on Worldspine. Player 1 then taps Kiki Jiki in response. Kiki resolves first, and Player 1 has a copy of the wurm. Then PtE resolves, and the original worldspine is exiled. The copy of worldspine will soon be sacrificed and at the end of the turn stands Kiki Jiki and 3x5/5 wurms. (I understand the copy is sacrificed at the "beginning of the next end step" so it depends a little when PtE was played, possibly they have the copy for Player 2's turn. This question is more about how the stack operates)
edit: if anyone checks this thread, note that I had edited this scenario about 2 minutes after I got my response, hence why I mention something in scenario three that peteroupc covers - discomute
Am I correct?
Scenario 1: You are correct in the sense that since the target is still on the battlefield (and otherwise legal), the ability will still get to resolve and a token that's a copy of Worldspine Wurm is still created even though Kiki-Jiki isn't on the battlefield anymore (C.R. 113.7a, 608.2b).
Scenario 2: You are correct in the sense that since Path to Exile removed the target from the battlefield, the Kiki-Jiki ability has no more legal targets (that is, its only target is illegal) and so will fail to resolve, meaning a token that's a copy of Worldspine Wurm won't be created (C.R. 608.2b).
Scenario 3: This is correct. Note, however, that if Player 2 casts Path to Exile during Player 1's end step in this scenario, and a token is created with Kiki-Jiki during that end step, that token will not have to be sacrificed in that end step, but rather "at the beginning of the next end step" after this one, whenever that is. If this is Player 1's second main phase, Player 2 can choose to cast Path to Exile during that same main phase (so before the end step begins), so that Player 1 can activate Kiki-Jiki's activated ability in response, during that same main phase. If the ability resolves this way, the token will be created during Player 1's main phase, so that it will generally have to be sacrificed during Player 1's end step in the same turn. (Note that in general, a player can't end their main phase unless all players in the game agree [C.R. 500.2].)
EDIT: Clarification after comment 5 was posted.
EDIT (Jun. 6): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Nov. 30; Dec. 15): Correction.
I just want to confirm:
If there was another legal target, for example if Primeval Titan is on the board before Tooth and Nail is cast, it would not change anything. i.e. After worldspine wurm is exiled, there is a
legal targetcreature on the board that could have been a legal target, but the target of "worldspine wurm" has already been nominated and cannot change after Path to Exile has resolved.Am I correct?
EDIT (Nov. 30): Correction.
Commander/EDH Decks:
BRG The Blood of Jund - Kresh the Bloodbraided BRG
WR The Blades of Goldnight - Gisela, Blade of Goldnight WR